Porcupine Ridge MM, try me b

titled based loosely off this vine bc it makes me cry with laughter

AND THE FIRST CHALLENGE IS ISSUED. Jhala is challenging @Anwyl for the Delta position! everyone feel free to join in and pick sides!! (:

 

The conversation that the young wolfess had had with Taggarik was reassuring in a sense, but still bothersome.  She was aware of the fact that now she could possibly plan around the upper tiers litters in hopes to have one of her own, but she was not satisfied with the idea that she couldn't. Like the Donnelaith wolf Aria, Jhala had dreamed of a family shortly after she learned what one was, and was disturbed by the idea that she wouldn't be able to have one. Tagg had pointed out that she was quite young to want to start a family, but that wasn't exactly what she meant, she later decided. She enjoyed the idea of planning one, and as long as she knew that she had a spot secured, her future would be far easier to see laid out in front of her. This was better in her eyes; she enjoyed having the knowledge of a peaceful future, even if that wasn't necessarily true.

While she still didn't believe she was capable of leading or advising via the Beta rank, she thought that Gamma would be perfect. This was until she discovered how fond she was of the silent male who held the rank, and actually rather enjoyed having him above her. She would go for the wolf right below him, one she'd discovered to be named Anwyl, and sought him out right away. 

She found his trail soon, and let out a howl that was loud and clear. If he didn't hear it, someone else in the pack was sure to, and she felt her posture raise as she did so. Her message told him plain and simple- defend your rank or submit. She didn't know if she'd get the rank, or if anyone would support her as a Delta (not that the rank was a super high one anyway), but she hoped it would be within her limits. 

So she set off, following his trail and standing as tall and fluffed out as she could manage. 

Anwyl must respond on or before Saturday, Jan 23, or his rank will be forfeit automatically :) Tagg is spectating; so feel free to skip.

Her call went up, issuing a challenge to the gray yearling. The black wolf was quick to his paws; he did not want to miss this and more importantly he wanted to ensure that no blood was shed in the contesting of ranks. He picked up her trail quickly, and followed it until the brownish female was in sight, and here he slowed. He followed, but at such a distance that he could observe without interfering until he felt inclined to do so.

Oh my goodness I'm so sorry for the wait! This week has been really chaotic and I haven't had much time! So sorry!

Anwyl heard the howl loud and clear and knew what it meant. Someone wanted his rank. He hadn't yet met the female who wished to de rank him, so he didn't plan to give up his title without a fight. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, accepting her challenge and coming towards where he heard the howl. Finally he came to her, a black and white female, older than him. She was larger too, and pretty intimidating. But Anwyl was a fighter, and he was ready. He was scared though, he'd never been challenged before and wasn't sure if he would win. He was usually pretty submissive, but not this time. As nervous as he was, the little guy wasn't about to give up the delta title to a complete stranger.

The silvery white boy puffed out his downy chest, holding his head up high. He gave her a warning growl, hoping at first she might back off without a fight. He wasn't the best of fighters after all. He remained strong in his posture not showing even a glimmer of submission to his rival.

The tawny male diverted his course from the cache he'd been about to dig through, drawn by the sound of a howl on the wind. While he didn't interpret its meaning, he often responded to howls either with howls of his own or by his presence. This one was near enough that he chose the latter. He wasn't disappointed when he arrived to find Anwyl squaring off against Jhala.

The Gamma took his place near to Taggarik, seating himself to watch for the time being. He had no qualms with getting involved should the challenge draw out too long, although he was unsure who he would support. While Jhala was a mature female and Anwyl was an immature male, both of them stood beneath him in rank, so their ages didn't affect him. He would need another metric by which to measure their worthiness. For now, his eyes remained fixed upon the light-haired Anwyl.

Jhala straightened her shoulders even further, the fur along her back and shoulders rising and her chest puffing out. The male arrived soon after Tagg did, and after him the red-brown mute. Although this put a bit of her nerves against her, she was not backing down. Anwyl was younger than she had expected. She'd never actually met the brute and his appearance was laughable. She was not much older but he was still puppy-faced. He was fluffy-furred and soft and, unlike Jhala, untouched. She had a multitude of scars among her shoulders and a few on her neck. She had trained as a fighter her whole life, she wondered if he'd ever battled before. 

"Step down as Delta or defend your rank," she said smoothly, her eyes narrowing and a low growl escaping her throat. She knew very well that she could lose, and that her pride would be destroyed. But for now she remained confident, knowing that one dent in such could result in a loss. She was not here to lose, and she was not afraid to fight.

Whoa, Taking a closer look at the female, Anwyl found himself a bit frightened. She looked tough, with bunches of scars and broad shoulders. He knew that she would be a tough competitor, however Anwyl was clever. Hopefully he could be more clever than she. Her words were bold, and they rolled off her tongue like liquid. She obviously wasn't scared of him. Well he wouldn't be scared of her either. He growled a deep growl, more threatening than the last. This is my rank. And I will keep it if I can. I will defend my title. He barked proudly, not letting his worries escape through his voice like the sometimes did. He remained a calm and brave posture, ready for anything.

He waited a moment, he remained in a tall stance, trying to be bigger. He still had a glimmer of hope that she'd give up without a fight, but that was highly unlikely. He eyed her cautiously, all his senses were glued to her. He watched her every move, readying himself for her next move. He didn't want to attack first. It was all part of his strategy, wait to see how she'd fight and then use her power against her.

erp, idk if we should roll or if the rest of the pack will step in? i know they probs don't want to deal with a fight rn so idk?  

Great, he wasn't backing down. She watched him, thinking of future consequences to the males actions, and gave a dip of her head. It was not a respectful one, mind you, but one that said 'very well'. She let out a vague growl and stepped back, her feet bracing themselves as she overlooked him. She was not the defense type, like him it seemed. She was head-on fighter, and she would fight till defeat or victory, but she would not give up so easily. This was not how she worked, it was not how she was born. 

Although she could not read minds, if he really wanted to figure out her power and strengths, he'd have some problems. Her biggest strength was fighting. Just, bring it on. She'd been in real battles before and knew how to handle quite a few of them- this one would be no different. Her weight perhaps he could use, but she was just as large as he was, and for now the pair appeared evenly matches; size wised anyway. Truthfully, Jhala had no clue what this guy was capable, she only hoped it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. And now, as she viewed the male, she hoped he wouldn't be so offended by her attempt at dominance- he seemed like a nice guy.

Her brace turned to tensing, and soon she had lunged forward. She stayed low to the ground, refusing to expose her belly, and charged for the side of his neck. Her plan? To grab and throw down. She didn't want to hurt him, she just wanted to pin him and finish this. The less injuries to the both of them; the better.

The yearling did not look like he was willing to give up his position in the pack just so easily and Taggarik grinned to see his spirit, spirit that had not been present at the pack hunt.

He knew that dominance could lead to romping and wrestling as each wolf tried to convince the other of their power and status; and this, he was ok with. But he would not see either of them harm another, and so true to his intention to prevent blood shed, the black wolf moved in closer like a stalwart referee. His tail was raised, his own position stated, but he did not move to support either wolf at this time.

He had his opinion, but he also wanted to see if either submitted without it.

Jhala lunged, and he watched intently.

Farstep watched the exchange, his tail flicking to and fro like a cat's. He wasn't surprised to see Anwyl hold his ground and was even quite pleased by the yearling male's actions. Anwyl had stood down willingly to both himself and Terich-mir, and while that was good for the pack, it hadn't done much to paint the youth in an ambitious light. Seeing him now holding his own was comforting to Farstep, who now knew that Anwyl wouldn't be a total pushover when it came down to it.

He believed Jhala to be an asset, however, and he turned his gaze keenly to her now. He was surprised to find her eyes had narrowed. Ordinarily it was a sign of deference, and Farstep was perplexed. But she growled and stood taller, and Farstep's gaze nearly went back to Anwyl to gauge his reaction when the girl charged at her challenger.

Anxiety came next. What was she doing? Farstep lifted his body into a half-stand, watching tensely as the challenge turned physical, skipping the intimidation phase altogether. His eyes darted between them nervously, watchful for any sign of foul play.

Ok so after a failed attempt at the dice roll, I figured it out and rolled a 1 xD Since odds are Jhala, Jhala will win the fight. Congratulations, I hope you don't mind a slight pp, if not I'll edit?

Anwyl got his answer soon enough. The black and white female lunged forwards towards his throat. It was a quick and startling move, one that caught the boy off guard. She grabbed him, but he managed to wriggle free from her grasp. He only had a second to recover, shaking his head to clear his thoughts and regain his strength. He snarled in frustration, not wanting to lose his spot. He had put up with giving up a higher rank the first time, but this time he wanted it to be different. He wanted to win. He batted at Jhala's muzzle, hoping to push her down into the snow so that he could pin her down. 

Although being robbed of a title would be very angering, and embarrassing. Not to mention making him lose his spot in the food line. But at least he'd be a Zeta, and not in the lower tier of pack rankings. Besides, he'd been a Zeta before. But, being Delta had its privileges. He would definitely miss his rank if he proved to fail in the challenge. Maybe he could grow stronger, and call for a rematch in the future. All these things swirled through his thoughts as he struggled with his rival, praying for the odds to be in his favor.

sounds good! now we just see if anyone intervenes and disagrees (or agrees!) (:

Teeth met fur and (without biting anything other than skin and fur) Jhala bit with the intention to bring down. Her amber eyes shown with determination and she yanked to pull him to the ground. To her utter disbelief, Anwyl escaped from her grasp and she pulled a bit of fur with her. "My bad!" she yipped quickly, honestly not meaning to hurt him. She spat out his fur and looked to him for a response.

But he seemed unfazed, and turned to quickly bat at her nose. She suffered the first, but only staggered and ducked from the next few. She let out a growl, lunging again for him. This time she ducked her head and using her shoulders to (hopefully) shove him to the ground and pin him.

Anwyl had been surprised by how she had seemed to be sorry. This was a fight after all, and he had expected her to be much more serious and mean about it. But he couldn't judge a wolf by her bite. It seemed through how she acted that she was actually pretty nice. Whatever the outcome of the challenge would be, he would seek to meet her later on. He'd like to be friends with her, if she wouldn't mind. His onslaught of paws failed after the first one. She was quicker than he'd thought. She dodged the last few and then lunged again to push him down. He tried to dodge her tackle, but she was too close already. She barreled him to the ground, pinning him tightly in the snow.

It was then that he knew he'd lost. He could continue to fight, try and bite her leg. But he didn't want to fight, he didn't like fighting. Besides, she had him pinned tightly and his stomach was exposed. He had no position to make a move really, lest risk getting hurt for real. He felt like a mouse, cornered and cut off. The cat had him, and nothing could stop her now. He struggled against her strength for a moment, but stopped, admitting his defeat. He whimpered submissively, averting eye contact from her. He had lost the fight, his position, and his pride. The only way he would remain delta now was if one of his pack mates stepped in or objected against Jhala. But she was a good asset to the pack, she deserved the position.

Hey Jhala, I was thinking after she takes his rank and everything, maybe we could have another thread with just them? Idk I think it would be really cute if Anwyl is being a pouty baby and Jhala cheers him up? xD

!! i'd love that! jhala just likes settling things right away, she's pretty friendly and i think they'd get along well. (:

 

Contact was made, legs were unstable, and bodies hit the snowy ground. Jhala had him pinned almost immediately and almost leaped with joy; but she remained civil and respectful of his pride and her image. She held him as he struggled but, finally, he gave in. FUCK YES her mind screamed, but she gave him a gentle nose to the shoulder before getting off of him. She didn't want to hurt him by continuing to stand on him. She'd won, that was clear. No point in rubbing it in anyone's faces. When he rose she stood taller than he did, but after a quick glance she now looked to her pack members. Anwyl had submitted to her, but would they be okay with this? 

btw! i think that he would take Romulus' spot, so he would be a Epsilon, not a Zeta. someone else correct me if i'm wrong?

That is correct. :) Jhala enters the ranks above him, but he remains above Romulus, as it is assumed that he earned his spot there and of Romulus doesn't like it he'd have to challenge for it. You can see how the ranks shift in the examples I have in the 'Ranks' topic in the MO forum!

He was poised on his toes to intercept if he had to, but though the pair scuffled there was no blood shed, and their struggle for dominance was in good sport and did not go on for too long. If it had, he would have stepped in. But, on their own an agreement was come to - she would take his rank. He submitted to her. Tagg let his tail fall to its neutral position, and he looked to Jhala with a confirming nod.

"Good show, Delta."

He stepped over to the new Epsilon then, giving him a companionable check to the shoulder. "Good effort, Anwyl." There should be no hard feelings in matters of order such as this; it was the natural way of things, and there could come a time when Anwyl would rise again. He was but a yearling, after all.

Satisfied, Tagg howled a quick note to let the pack know of the shift in ranks, and then walked away.

OH lol ok cool. Sorry I should've read that better, thanks for clearing that up <3 Last post for me

Jhala got off of him and Anwyl came to his paws. He was a little hurt, but he'd be fine. He was still Epsilon after all, not too much change. He shook his silky pelt free of the ground litter and looked to Jhala with a halfhearted smile. He wanted to be nice to her, he was happy for her after all. He acknowledged her accomplishment with a respectful nod and turned to his Alpha Taggarik, who praised his effort. Thank you. He nodded to Tagg as well, then slowly trotted away, reflecting on what had just happened. He'd miss his title, but it was all just pack stuff. He looked out at the ridges, he wasn't too sad. He had decided on what he'd do today. He was gonna sleep in his den. All day.

no problem! (: last post for me as well!

Jhala dipped her head low to Taggarik, her tail wagging behind her. "Thank you, sir," she woofed. Her gaze turned to Anwyl, who's pride appeared to be damaged, understandably. They were dismissed, and Jhala nodded to the ones who passed her, remaining until her alpha was the last left. She looked to him, although not to his gaze, and aimed a few grateful licks towards his muzzle with hopes she'd land at least one. 

With this, she left, off to find something to pee on and claim along the borders,