Verdant Basin Forever's a long time

@Casmir? >.<

Laika meadered around the large basin, glancing into the water at her reflection before turning and walking amoung the rocks. She was bored, and she was being wierd. She patrolled around the basin, glancing at everything around her, and once in a while emerging along the bank to wade into the water a little ways. Eventually, the mid-spring heat got the best of her, and the panting girl loped into the lake, diving in and paddling around in the cool, refreshing water. After a good chunk of time in the water, she waded out and shook her slender frame, showering the ground with small sparking droplets. She sunk to the ground and lounged in the sun, letting her silver coat dry. She gave a long sigh of relaxation as she rested her head on her paws, blue eyes watching everything around her. 

She began to think of heading back to Silver Creek, and she rolled onto her belly to look around. The sun felt so good upon her drying fur and she groaned at the thought of getting up. Eventually, she convinced herself that she needed to somewhat get back to work. She pulled herself up shaking clumps of dirt from her pelt before pondering on what to do. She had grown even skinnier in the past few days, but her fish from yesterday did slow down the process for a while.

screw Aria and her stupid boyfriend. Casmir had decided not to care. she'd snapped that he didn't want her help and so he left. they were dumb. he hated them both. yet the anger gave way to pain -- seeing her had brough many unsaid words to the fore, and he wished he'd been able to take her aside and talk with her. it was all hopeless now; he'd even said he had a wife. a wife! who does that?

he had no wife and wanted none, the Mayfair boy sulked, scuffing the dirt of his path for no apparent reason. presently he slid into a trot, having caught Laika's scent, and appeared near her just in time to watch her shake her pale pelt free of dirt. 

the movement of course was invigorating for Casmir; he grinned and padded to her side, but his smile faded when he noticed how her already slim frame was quickly giving way to boniness. "when did you eat last?"

Laika turned to see a grumpy Casmir striding up to her. She wondered what was up and almost opened her mouth to ask, but decided it was none of her business. If he felt like telling her, he would tell her. Anyways, his sulking face quickly turned into a grin when he saw her, and a joyful smile reflected off of her face as well. At least she could make him smile! However, that smile faded once he got a good look at her bony frame. He had one himself, but she supposed it wasn't as bad as her's. "Uuhhh..." The silver wolf thought about it. "Yesterday? No, maybe it was the day after that one..." She looked back at him, her blue eyes telling him not to worry too much about her. "I guess it's just because I've been pretty active and functioning off of a low amount of food." 

Skinny or not, Laika was happy to see Casmir again and her tail began to wag. It was usually only Spring that got this reaction out of her, but lately Casmir has been bringing a smile to her delicate features as well. She didn't put to much thought into it though and continued to look him over, trying to find a spot where he looked skinnier too. If only she could point out something, and then her being lanky wouldn't seem like such a big deal...

the crazy idea came to him that maybe Laika wouldn't be so bad as a wife, but Casmir had matured during their mad trek across the world. maybe he was right, and maybe he wasn't, but he wasn't ready to settle down, not yet, as charming as the pallid girl was. even he could grudgingly admit to himself that he wasn't over Aria, and didn't know when he ever would be.

yet, for now, the girl's company was welcome, even if her body was worrisome and beginning to thin far too much for his liking. his own tail swayed in response to her own, however; Casmir pressed his muzzle against the side of her neck. "well, we should find something for you. can't hunt for the pack if you are dying of starvation, Laika," he said in a tone of mock scolding, heading off at an easy lope toward the deeper forest.

Laika smiled as he nudged her neck, telling her she needed to hunt. She rolled her blue eyes and watched as he began to lope towards the forest. The snow queen whirled around and darted after him. She began to wheeze and puff with exhaustion soon after. Frustrated with herself, she pushed forwards until they reached the forest.

She slowed to a walk and concentrated on lowering her breathing. She'd had to do this a lot lately. Finally, once she grounded herself, she turned to Casmir with a questioning look that said, what next?

short post..... :D

her panting and general exhaustion did not go unnoticed by the young male; he frowned and stopped in his tracks. "we aren't going anywhere, Laika," he murmured grimly, pressing his muzzle close to take her scent -- and, well, to be close. "you need to stay here." he was worried for her -- he didn't want to let on, however, and so he waited for her to comply -- or argue -- before he turned and set a quick run through the forest for himself.

he hoped to lose her if she followed, though a determined wolf could follow his tracks, and having no food did not make for a long sprint. now he was racked with panting; Cas stopped to draw in great breaths of air while he peered around for any movement.

Laika gave him a stubborn look. He should know full well by know that he could not make her do anything. She was even more annoyed when he scampered away without her. Amusement and stubbornness bubbled up in her stomach as she loped after him. She fought her utter exhaustion until she caught sight of him again. She crashed through the undergrowth, glad that he had paused. So he was hunting without her, huh? 

With a somewhat teasing glare, she padded up to him. She had stopped running a ways back and had finished closing the gap in between them by walking. Her breathing had slowed to the normal rate, but her stomach growled noisily. She nipped his single ear in mock anger. "You are not going to leave me behind Casmir." She stated. "All I need is food, I'll be fine." Her words were confident, and so was she. She knew this weakness was caused by starvation. She didn't know to what extent it damaged her body, but she did know she would be fine. Her frailness frustrated her, and a frown prettily lit up her face. She didn't like coming off weak because she was not. She had heard that word paired with her name too many times back when she was a puppy. She was not weak. 

She's getting moody... 0.0

he heard the crashing of her paws, but the teasing phrases died on his lips as she addressed him firmly, and with a nip to one ear. a bit shocked, Casmir stared openly at her, and then shook himself out of it. "fine," he grunted. "but if you start getting woozy in the head, you lie down. agreed? agreed," he answered for her.

a smug grin he gave to Laika before he set off at an easy trot, hoping she wouldn't get faint and sick again. truth be told, two was better than one on the very slim hope he found something larger and more substantial. "i never called you weak, by the way," he responded belatedly.

Laika smiled as she patted beside him, all moodiness gone. He belatedly mentioned that he never called her weak, as if he read her mind. She glanced at him in wonder for a split second. Sometimes he really did seem to read her mind. Her tail  swayed back and forth as she walked, meeting him stride for stride. 

Her blue eyes trailed around their surroundings with much interest. It was mostly dry, dead trees here and there with the barren wasteland and verdant basin now lingering in the distance. Suddenly, she paused and looked up. Her ears pricked in excitement. There, atop a naked tree sat a small, skinny bird, but at least it was something. She stopped walking to look up at it. If only they could find a way to bring it down...

He followed her gaze skyward, spotting the pathetic bundle of feathers. "forget it," he sighed grimly. they couldn't climb, and even if they were able to do so, the thing could easily just fly away. it wouldn't wait for them to catch it. for the one hundredth time, Cas pressed his muzzle against the ground and began to search for scents.

the oily scent of a weasel snuck into his nostrils, and he licked a flood of saliva away from his jaws. "here," the boy grunted, his stride increasing in speed as he moved toward a small, stripped copse of trees.

Laika frowned in disappointment but she knew he was right. She turned to follow him, casting one last resentful glance at the bird. His stride lengthened, his pace quickening and she followed after him. She lowered her head to the ground, attempting to find out what he had smelled. "Weasel!" She exclaimed aloud, her stomach clenching with a mix of hunger and excitement. She followed close behind him, letting him take the lead. 

Eventually, they came to a clearing. She skidded to a halt a good distance away. There, rumaging through the dirt was the scrawniest most pathetic thing she'd ever seen in her life. It was brown -- not unlike a rabbit's pelt -- and had a long slender body matched with short stubby legs. Laika tilted her head and studied it for a brief moment. Honestly, she was surprised it had managed to cling to life for this long. At least it was something, and it was a more probable catch than the bird.

roll 3 and above for a successful kill. cas' roll is
1

they stared at it; Cas felt desperation welling in his heart. thankfully, Laika was quiet. the boy lowered himself to the earth, body thrumming with anticipation -- slowly, he began to move to one side, hoping that the pale girl would catch his drift and move in the other direction, thus forming a pincer to catch the weasel in.

in the next moment he would launch himself forward, but for the present he was quiet, form shaking.

Laika rolled a 9 which is success.

The pale girl picked up on his queue and began to slink in the opposite direction. Despite the lack of undergrowth and shelter and the woman's briliant fur, she was able to hide just as well among the dead bushes. Plus, it helped that she was downwind. 

Eventually, Laika settled in a spot that positioned her close enough to the weasel and across from Casmir. Through the dead foliage she could catch a glimpse of him. She bunched her muscles, ready to strike and gave him a nod.

yay!

in a flash, Casmir lunged forward, jaws snapping for the weasel. a miss! he swore inside his head but his paws carried him swiftly after it; he hoped to chase the thing into Laika's waiting jaws. get it, get it! came the frantic, feverish words of his hungry mind. they could not lose this kill.

Laika shot out from under the bush, paws moving at a hundred miles a minute. Her eyes were locked on the prey and despite her earlier weakness, she was determined and she moved fast. Like a graceful white blur,  she found the weasel and leaped upon it, claws snagging it's fur. She dipped her head and snapped it's back. She did it! They did it! She fell over onto her side with heaving breaths, panting with pure joy. "Great job Casmir! I probably wouldn't have been able to catch it without you herding it to me." She pushed it over to him. "We're sharing." She then stated, not leaving any room for an argument, not that he would giving the conditions they were both in.

he opened his mouth to speak, then snapped it shut. Cas wasn't about to turn down food, not when it was so scarce. Laika looked radiant, glowing with adrenaline and the loveliness of their success; his heart skipped a beat and he grinned, blushing beneath his dark fur and glancing away as he waited for the girl to separate the skinny beast into two pieces. 

a brief, crazy idea came to him: maybe he'd ask her to be his wife anyway, when the greenery came back and the herds returned. after all, why not?

Dancing blue eyes complemented her snowy features as the girl smiled. She felt her cheeks heat up as she glanced at him. He looked rather dashing with the signs of adrenaline from their hunt showing upon his face. She forced herself to look down and begin to separate their prey. When she finished, she nudged his piece over to him. She had split the weasel equally, and finally she was satisfied with their helpings. She gingerly settled down upon the ground, tail swishing with excitement. Her belly rumbled as she eyed the juicy meat, however little there was. "Bon appetite." She said, a hint of amusement hanging in her voice as she dipped her head down to eat.

he tried to keep from scarfing it down, but hunger was a big damn motivator, and so he found himself devouring his part and licking the blood off the ground. Laika was much more graceful than he; Casmir found himself watching her again, grinning gently. as much as he was still broken over Aria, he and the pale girl didn't have a future together, while, if things went well, if things went the way they were going .. maybe he and Laika did.

the boy lay down then, enjoying the feeling of food in his belly, even if he wasn't at all full.

However graceful the pale girl had been in the beginning, it all vanished as her eyes set upon her share of the weasel. She gobbled it down as if it were the last thing she would ever eat, licking her lips of the blood that lined her mouth. She sighed in content as she flopped down on her side, tail thumping against the earth. Her eyelids draped over her eyelids sleepily and she let her head rest on the ground. Even though her stomach was still empty, she felt so much better. She had even forgotten what it felt like to has food in her belly. "I feel like that was the best meal of my life." She mused out loud to Casmir. For some reason, talking to him came so easily to her. "I didn't realize I was that hungry."

he grinned. "seriously, dude. it's great to have even a bite in there," he chuckled, gesturing toward his bony stomach. he let his gaze rest on Laika again; she always seemed to glow, despite the ugliness around them. she had an optimism that in anyone else he would have found unrealistic, annoying, but not in the pale girl. 

it was this glow he craved, for maybe it would warm the horrid emptiness of his heart, and on a whim Casmir gestured that she should come closer and lie beside him, his eyes quietly requesting this and his soul hoping she would understand.

Laika listened with pricked ears as he replied to her, glancing at his bony stomach as he spoke. He tail thumped against the ground as he returned her gaze to meet his, the air around them seeming to burst wth electricity. A kind of electricity she couldn't explain. 

She saw in his eyes the gesture for her to scoot closer, and she did. It was like they had a secret language that no one else could decipher, and it would only travel between the two of them. Without really realizing it, the pale snow queen found herself next the Casmir, so close she could feel his breath against her fur. A strange feeling of content washed over her and she closed her eyes for a moment.

she scooted over closer to him and he grinned foolishly, unable to help himself. "'s nice," he mumbled. for a moment he didn't move, and then he lifted his forepaw and placed it awkwardly across Laika's shoulders, shifting so that she was against his chest.

if he was being honest, which Cas rarely was when it came to matters of his own soul, his heartbeat skipped a moment and he smiled again, leaning back against the ground as a warmth stole over him.

He mumbled a few words before shifting himself so he could drape his forarm across her bony shoulders and she rested against his chest. A long breath escaped her before she let her head fall, laying it upon her paws. His warmth seemed to spread to her, filling her very being with something she'd never felt before. She could feel the boy beside her relax, and she relaxed to. Eventually, she opened her mouth to reply to what he said earlier. It didn't need a reply, but she wanted to. "Yeah, nice." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she let her eyes glance to his face before closing again.

fade here? we need another! <3

he smiled at her then, letting his eyes linger on the girl's pretty face. there was something here, he realized; he didn't want to address it yet, or name it. the emotion would take its own shape in time. for now he was content to hold her. 

there was a feeling of heartbreak that swept over Casmir when he remembered how he had held Aria in the snow the winter before, and his jaw tensed before he was able to push away the memory and curl closer to Laika. slowly his eyelids drooped until they closed; he sighed into her fur and slumber took him, an exhaustion tempered with the comfort of her presence.

For sure! Love these two <3

Laika felt his grip on her tighten, and she watched him with a smile as he slowly fell asleep. She felt safe here, her body pressed against his. Finally, the boy relaxed and his breathing slowed as he was taken by a deep slumber. She felt like there was something here, something that would grow and grow between them from here on. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought about it as her eyes lingered on his handsome face.

With a long sigh of drowsiness, Laika rested her head next to his, not caring he he woke up and saw. Honestly, she didn't even care if some random wolf came along and spotted them. Everything was perfect right here and right now and Laika couldn't think of anything better. She slipped into darkness easily, comforted by the weight of his arm over her shoulders and his breath against her fur.