Firefly Ravine Not All Treasure Is Silver And Gold

It wasn't uncommon to spot the dark man to be scrounging for any alcoholic substance, Spring had come and by now there must be some source to ease his troubled mind. It took much to make the man uneasy, and the possibility of him being a father, the possibility of his children being killed, clouded the man's mind. Why was it so difficult to find this intoxicating drug this year? It had been so plentiful in the past. Just when he was about to give up, again, the faint scent of an overripe apple. He instantly stopped in his tracks, completely still for a good few seconds, taking in the smell, before bursting off in its direction. It wasn't long, with his speed or not, when he reached an apple tree near the border of Firefly Ravine. It was young, but there lied an apple that had to have been their for days, now fermented for his needs. Could this be true? Was the holy grail really standing in front of him, ready for him to devour it? He was ecstatic. "I've missed you, love." He whispered to the fruit, a smirk played across his face. He finally opened his mouth, taking a clumsy bite out of the soggy fruit. Had he not been doing so for years, the texture and taste would make him wish to barf, but he knew the benefits and it was completely worth it. 

His joy was multiplied when spotting another expired apple lying agaisnt the young tree, it wasn't long before that one was scraped up by him as well. Soon enough the effects starting kicking in, his already broken stagger was more prominent, his head gestures all over the place. This was all he wanted. No longer would he be worrying of the pups, no longer would he think of Sen, no longer would he fear for the pack, for now all he could do was focus on not tripping. He let out a laugh of joy, oh how he missed this. If only he had another to share this with, it was unlikely he'd find a willing soul, nor want to share the scarce amount he believed there was. None of that really mattered for the time being though, all that did was—whoop, almost fell.

*snags* c:<

While her plan had been to stay within the territory for awhile longer—until she was certain of her situation, actually—it was often Sen decided to linger along the pack's borders. She'd stay just within their claim and then wander onward, trailing the length of the scent markers along her home. It wasn't often she was met by anyone that brought forth a wave of concern, for things were usually quite quiet and easy to manage. While walking, she'd think, as well as refresh their borders. It was tedious work at times, but nothing she didn't mind doing. It was necessary, and offered to her an ample amount of time to herself. Though, as of late, she'd started regretting her aimless walks. There were times she'd get tired after only a few steps, and even moments in which she'd need to sit and steady herself after experiencing a spell of dizziness. Subconsciously, perhaps she knew what the signs pointed to, but refused to accept it.

Her current walk had been going just fine, the only problem she'd had being a hint of nausea. It was easily pushed through, however, and she'd continued on her way with little more issues. Eventually, she'd spotted the familiar form of her co-leader in the near distance, and had then paused right away. His gait was stranger that usual, even from a distance, and his movements were somewhat sporadic. Having never dared to eat fruits—whether they were ripe or rotten, she'd never been particularly interested in trying them—she could think of nothing that might have caused him to lose whatever morsel of sanity he'd previously had. What she could think of was her walk, and how she wouldn't allow for him to interrupt what had become something of a routine for her. She wouldn't let him interrupt her, and so Sen had continued moving soon after. The woman's steps were normal and her pace even, gaze remaining on the space ahead of her as she moved. Silently, she hoped he might be too caught up in whatever it was that he was doing to notice her. Though she hoped such would be the case, Sen had not looped around to avoid him. Instead she'd taken the same path she usually did, which would take her right past his current location.

I can only imagine watching a drunken Depp in the distance xD

Depp regained his balance, and stared at the ground for a couple seconds too long, before lifting his head once more to continue on whatever path he began to take. While doing so, the scent of another took up his nose. Pausing immediately once detecting it, nose twitching to name the smell, but too drunk to decipher who it belonged to, though sober enough to whip himself around in its direction. There, in the short distance, stood Sen, his co-leader, his "friendly" one-night stand, his possible mother to their unknown children. His ears perked, a bit delayed, and a smile grew over his curious expression. "Haven't seen you in awhile," he pointed out,  noticing her absence from the start. Deciding earlier to keep a close eye on her whereabouts when realizing she could be pregnant wasn't the concern for the time being, mainly because they didn't know. Usually, he would keep his mouth shut knowing how Sen is, but when the apples influencing his mind, there was no way of stopping what he said next. "Any signs of..." he trailed off and gestured with his paw, head, and eyes, towards her stomach, 'y'know, puppies growing?"

If he weren't clouded, Depp would likely have just left it alone for the time being. He had no knowledge of pregnancy besides puking occasionally and your "stomach" growing rather large—and the mood swings. Though, not denying it to be a struggle, he found it rather odd for female creatures to be so moody around this time, he couldn't imagine what Sen would be like? Just the thought made him absent mindedly cringe.

In spite of the male's current... issue, Sen had been unable to pass him by in silence. He'd chosen to speak to her, bringing her to a stop as she looked him over. "Yeah," was all she'd said at first, shrugging slightly but never softening her gaze. "You're doing a pretty shit job at keeping tabs on me. I could've fled by now, and you never would have even noticed until it was too late." Of course, even if she had gone away, she'd return in the end. Never would she abandon her current responsibilities, nor would she dare relinquish even a fraction of the power she held. The serpent had left one pack she'd ruled within already, and wasn't about to make doing so a common thing. If she were to leave, it would only be after she'd confirmed her pregnancy. That way, even if Depp tried to save them, he would fail in doing so. She'd go back to living a free life, never to be tied down by the demands of children until she felt herself ready to do so.

His following question had been one she'd never would have expected to leave his mouth. To think that he had the audacity to ask her such a thing was amusing, yet there he was, asking it anyways—and quite bluntly, at that. "How am I supposed to know?" she'd shot back, rather than directly answering him. It became especially convenient just then to ignore the nauseous feelings she'd been getting recently, along with her loss of appetite. The longer she denied what was so clearly placed right before her eyes meant the more time she had to keep the male off her back. As long as she acted as if nothing was different, then perhaps she would see less of him once more, and, in turn, be able to end the lives of any children that might exit her womb.

Her comment was valid, but strange. Why would she bring it up? Wouldn't that just make him more aware of the situation, more observant of her and her where abouts? Did she want him to keep a close eye on her? Or was this a strange form of manipulation she was scrounging up? Maybe she just felt like insulting him. All in all, he found it a bit strange. "Ah, but you didn't." His head moved to the left, lifting a brow at his point. "And that's all that matters, isn't it?" Sen had chosen to stay, so if he were to have been watching her, it would have been a waste of time–a waste of rotten apples.

"You are the pregnant one, aren't you? Well, possible pregnant one that it. Surely she had some sort of sixth sense with this, right? There had to be some signs he wasn't aware of. "Any off feelings? Once again, him being drunk influenced what he was saying and what he was not saying. Depp usually would have just shrugged and exclaim his lack of experience with pregnant girls.

If asked, even Sen would be incapable of giving an exact reason for having made such a comment. Maybe deep, deep down in her subconscious, there lived some fraction of maternal instincts within her. It was possible, but unlikely, that she possessed some sort of motherly affections for the children that might eventually reside within her womb. On the surface, however, she would forever deny such an absurd notion, for she truly knew no better. In her conscious state of mind, the serpent only wished death upon whatever effects she might have to face in thanks to her and her co-leader's unplanned fornication. "But I still could," she'd then pointed out. "Right now, I could turn and run across the borders. Do you think you could stop me?" Her tone would not reveal whether she was serious in her words or not, but the ending would hold with it the hint of a challenge. After all, at the end of the day, it was all a game to her—a game that she would win, right after the squeals of any unwanted children were silenced.

The male seemed oblivious to the workings of a pregnant body, or so was what she'd concluded based upon his words. Deciding to throw him a bone, the choice to give an answer was made. "Yeah," Sen had eventually revealed, but was quick to shrug off her own words. "But personally, I think it's just an illness I picked up from hanging around in the marsh. I hope it's contagious, and that you catch it." A part of her wanted for him to suffer, so that she would not be forced to give up on most meals alone. She wanted his stomach to churn, to feel as if he could puke out his guts in any given moment, only to realize that the feeling was only that; a sort of pain, but not quite, that rarely seemed to cease with it's reign of terror.

Her inquiry was a thought he had yet to ponder on, but rather easily answered in his mind. Depp believed himself to be rather capable of capturing her if she sprung off, even at the moment, with him stumbling around hardly keeping balance. If she were pregnant, he knew that would be a disadvantage to her when it came to literal running, that and her smell would grow stronger the farther along the pregnancy she became. Did she want him to be more aware? The answer was unlikely to ever show itself to Depp, so he easily moved on from the idea. This was a helpful reminder though, and opened his eyes to be more watchful. He knew the job would be difficult, Sen might even grow to dislike him for it, but in his mind the worth of their kids was larger than whether she was fond of him or not. "There's a lot of things you could do," now he was just coming up with stuff to say, "like me keeping you from running off." If she were to sprint off in another direction he had high hopes of pinning her down before getting away too far.

Her comment forced him to furrow his brow, it took a moment for him to fully understand why she would want that and was too deep into the thought than he should be, being rather under the influence. He was surprised by her honesty though, expecting her to rub off any unusual feelings. Then again, if she were to get pregnant, sooner or later he would find out. "Being sick together would only advance our time with each other, I would think, so I'm willing to catch such 'illness'." He moved a bit closer to Sen, holding a crooked smile, assuming she was the only ill one—that illness being puppies.

The male's abilities were heavily doubted, as Sen was forever the arrogant sort. Always had she believed she could outrun anyone and everyone if the situation called for it, and those thoughts were loath to diminish. Even when considering her state, she could see no one being capable of catching her. Of course, speaking from a logical perspective, she could not outrun a single soul if her stomach region was swollen with children, but such was a thought she'd rather not consider. No, as it currently stood, her ability to run was not hindered, and she hoped that never would it be. "I don't think you could keep me from doing anything," came her response, staring him down. The idea alone that anyone could prevent her from doing something was, to her, absurd.

Sen listened to his words first, and then observed him. In response to his smile, she'd scowled, and the distance taken away was quickly placed back in between them. "It wouldn't." She'd make sure of that. "You catch the illness, you're on your own. And on the off chance it isn't an illness, you're still on your own—that is, if you're able to find me." Of course, she believed he would never be able to reach her in time if the forcibly assumed "illness" was actually a pregnancy.

Depp is a rather "out-there" wolf, and with that he often jumped to things without always thinking clearly through. "Why don't we test it out then?" If he were sober, the chances of him proposing such a challenge, allowing Sen to see if she was capable of outrunning him was still high, his drunken mind made it a definate. This could result either good or bad, no in between, he was either faster than Sen, or not. Allowing her to know her own strength was a bad idea, in truth, but nothing was stopping him from having fun. Ignoring any consequences that could come their way. His mouth twitched a bit, holding his smile, but a brow raised at his offer, interested in her answer. He expected a yes, knowing she was rather egotistical herself. If she were to escape him, Depp would just hold a heavier eye on her than anticipated, the unknown was safer, but he'd rather find out now than to see Sen gone and return pupless, holding a grim smile that she'd rid of the nuisances. 

His tail swayed slowly side to side, like one of a cat. Her second comment didn't faze him, as he was too focused on this strange game of tag.

A challenge was issued, but Sen did not jump to accept it. She hung back for a moment, considering her options before her pride could take over, and weighing the outcomes. If she won, her point would be proven, but then the male might try to watch her more closely. And then if she lost, she'd be defeated and her pride damaged. The pros and cons to each seemed to even one another out, leaving her without an outlier. Inwardly, she was somewhat distraught by said realization, but her expression did not show it. "Fine," she'd said, giving in to her cocky nature. There was no way in hell he'd be able to catch her, and so her point would be proven and new measures then taken to watch out for her. That in itself was bound to be a bothersome thing, but it was too late to turn back now.

Sen glanced his way, weight shifting from side to side as her gaze swept over him. Naught but a moment later, she'd taken off, her direction set along the borders. Her pace was even, consistent and moderated, so that she would not risk running herself ragged.

She'd accepted his offer, and not long after dashed off without warning. It took Depp but a moment to realize he was suppose to be chasing her, and soon set off himself, trailing behind her. Not much was going through his mind, except his steps, and at the time being Sen was ahead of him—which wasn't okay. He pushed himself forward, hoping to gain speed. His steps were light agaisnt the ground but allowing him to trek more ground in minimal time. He was now right behind her, this was his chance to jump, bringing the two of them to the ground proving that he was able to catch her if she tried to run away. His breath began to waver and with the fright of losing he moved himself to the left of her and leapt himself onto her. A thump was heard as they hit the floor of Seadog, he rolled so he was atop her, while Sen's back laid agaisnt the grass. The pirate was standing above her, unsure what had just happened at first. When realization hit, he smiled wide and glared down at her. "Seems I can catch you." His voice was full of pride, and a cocky grin splayed agaisnt his maw.

Sen had succeeded in securing the lead for herself, and had kept up the same pace. Her tactic had been to lure the drunkard after her, but to stay ahead until he'd tired himself out. At first, it had seemed like the road to victory, but things were quick to shift in the man's favour. Never had she seen him truly run before, and therefore had possessed no prior knowledge of what speeds he could reach. That had resulted in her downfall, as the even strides she'd taken to moving with were not enough to keep her ahead of him for very long. It'd felt as if only seconds had passed before his steps were right behind her, and though she'd attempted to increase her speed to trail ahead once more, her timing had been off. Depp had managed to not only catch up, but to reach the space on her left side, where he then threw himself towards her. Had she been able to hit the breaks quick enough, perhaps he would have missed her, but her timing had been off (again!).

The impact sent a wave of pain through her body, tugging at her feral self and resulting in an instinctual reaction. Her neck had stretched out and a growl had sounded from deep within her throat, jaws snapping together in a futile attempt to latch onto her attacker's muzzle. When she had realized that it was only Depp, the want to bite at him did not cease, but was easier to then push to the recesses of her mind. "Get off of me. Now," she'd demanded, glaring up at him. "This doesn't mean you'll catch me next time." It only meant that she would need to work on conditioning herself once more, and increase both her speed and stamina so that there would never be a repeat of what had happened seconds ago. The humiliation she currently felt would never be felt by her again, if she had any say in it.

Depp was rather proud of himself, and with her demand for him to get off, he paused one moment to show off his smile of defeat before moving off her and shaking his pelt to rid of any dirt lingering from their fall. He shrugged to her comment. "The longer time passes, the harder it is for you to run, dear," he was only implying he would catch her if she tried once again, but would deny the idea of her escaping his grasp. The idea of hurting her ego didn't cross his mind until after the scuffle was over, did he feel sorry? A little bit. Would he try to aid it? No. He'd been in the situation Sen was in multiple times and it was now his turn to shine in the glory of a boostened ego, she'd already won multiple times against him, usually in convincing him to do something to keep her to stay, it was only a matter of time until it was he who had the upper hand.

Though he'd gotten off of her, it had not been nearly as quickly as she'd wished for him to move, thus resulting in her sending a snarl his way. It was both audible and visible, even though she usually opted solely for the latter. For Depp, however, it was a special case, since he seriously pissed her off. His words did little to fix the situation, too, having instead made it far worse. "Even if I'm kept in the territory, that won't prevent me from hiding where you'll never find me," she'd shot at him, her incisors being flashed his way once more towards the end of her sentence. After that, she'd given him not even a second longer within her presence, for promptly had the serpent turned and taken her leave. Sen would, without a doubt, show him that she could not be stopped. She would ensure he knew who truly had, and would always have, the upper hand.