The Sunspire i can see what the rest of my life looks like.
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#1
All Welcome 
Liffey had been something of a recluse since the egg hunt, in spite of how often she told herself to get over her drama and get back to being a leader. It was much easier scolded inwardly to herself than put into actual practice. She knew there was little she could do about the situation, not unless she wanted to drive Olive and Seabreeze out or murder their pups once they arrived. She had no desire to do that. No, she would just pout it out on her own until she was tired of herself and then she'd put it behind her.

Again, easier inwardly scolded than done.

The alpha awoke that morning feeling agitated, as though every effort she'd made to reclaim her calm happiness had been in vain. She decided to spend the day wandering the higher cliffs of the territory, away from the others. @Rannoch had already left home, making her getaway easy enough. Though hours later, when she found herself wandering along the lower plains, completely not where she had intended to be, she felt a longing for him like an insatiable itch. So, Liffey headed towards the borders, thinking she might find him there, but not thinking she should just call for him. She wasn't thinking straight for some reason... Oh well. Where's Rannoch?
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#2
Rannoch was precisely where Liffey had assumed; the Alpha stalked along Sunspire's eastern-most limits and kept his eyes towards the Rising Sun Valley. He had not expected come across anybody, as this portion of their borders tended to be unoccupied, and once his attention was captured, all thoughts of his patrol were forgotten. There was a whiff of incense in the air, once that demanded his attention, and although it was familiar, this scent was unique to Liffey. Rannoch was drawn to his wife like a moth to a flame. Although he couldn't explain what had overcome him, Rannoch's mind had become suddenly hazy— all he knew is that he needed Liffey right there and then. 

"Liffey," Rannoch summoned once she was in sight; he cleared the distance between them hastily, and once he stood in front of her, Rannoch watched his wife with a sexually-charged hunger in his eyes.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
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#3
Possibly could be just a couple round cameo if you want to chase her off, but she iz curious. :P

Treason was coming from the opposite direction as Rannoch and had they both continued on their respective paths, they would have likely crossed paths a few minutes on.  Like him, she was distracted from the borders, but for an entirely different reason -- hers was just plain and ordinary curiosity.  It was a vaguely familiar scent, one which she associated with the whole thing with Redshank, but Treason's entire focus had been on whether or not she was going to rip the pathetic boy to tiny bits rather than where that different scent was coming from.  Erring on the side of caution, she sought it out, assuming it was another wolf another creature maybe, though Liffey's scent seemed to be distantly in that direction too.

As yearling that had left her birth pack well before the majority of adult females would have come into season for the year, it wasn't something that would have come up in her limited time existing on the planet.  Beyond a cursory explanation, she hadn't thought much about the details behind how pups were made and came into the world anyway, mostly because it was not her thing.  She'd rather just beat people up at this stage in her life.

But then the alphas popped into view.  Both of them.  She had noticed Rannoch's scent going in the direction too, but this wasn't what she was expecting to find at the end of the metaphorical rainbow.  Treason had paused mid-stride, paw dangling above the thinning snow for a moment before she finished the step.  Her forward-tilted ears went first sideways then slightly back.  With a quiet whuff to announce her presence, she took a couple of almost tentative steps forward, trying to figure out what that smell was (without invading their space at least, she may be crude but she has manners sometimes) since it did seem to be coming from them.  It hadn't seemed to be coming from Rannoch's trail earlier, so Liffey? Or was there something else hiding here?
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#4
It wasn't until Rannoch appeared that Liffey suddenly felt as though she knew what was happening to her. But even then, though she knew it, she found herself incapable of actually acknowledging it. She paused upon the terrain when she spotted him coming towards her, feeling that rush of need unlike any she'd felt before. Her hackles prickled at the sight of him, and she all at once felt desperate and aggitated, longing, and mischievous. She had known her time was coming, so she was not oblivious to what this meant when it came. But she had thought before that she would feel surprised by it, that she might hesitate and want to talk it through with her mate prior to giving in to the whims of her hormones, especially with all that was going on in her pack at that moment. But she felt none of the concern that she had anticipated. It was an oddly freeing feeling, to feel so much at once. Perhaps it was because of the singular, underlying feeling and thought to it all --

DAMN that boy was H O T.

Liffey had never seen him like this before. Yes, he had taken her plenty of times in the past, and his face always carried a similar look of lust and need. But this was different... There was something wild and unruly in the look he had for her now, and boy was it working for her in a big way. The thought of Olive's and Seabreeze's litters completely left her mind where once she had thought they would force her to run from this moment. Surely, three litters in one pack were far too many, and though she was alpha and was truly the only one deserving of motherhood, being a leader meant sacrificing for the good of the pack, right? But, call it what you will, Liffey was suddenly unaware of such things as consequences. She trotted across Sunspire's slopes towards her handsome mate with all the allure and excitement of a single girl on the dance floor of a club, and her intended partner had just finished paying his cover and walked in right on schedule.

But, like all single-girls-in-a-club-scenes, so too did some intruding third party walk over after putting their fourth beer on the open tab.

Liffey prickled as the scent of another stung her nostrils. She spun, her eyes raking the land behind her until settling upon another female - Treason - approaching. The girl seemed uncertain as she stepped nearer and fortunately (or.. unfortunately), the alpha was in just the right mood to answer any unspoken questions her subordinate might have had about this situation she was walking into. Her lips peeled back from her teeth in a protective snarl as she pivoted to face the girl, stepping swiftly between her and Rannoch. She didn't speak, but as she lifted her head and tail high and stared the other female down, the message was quite obvious - this is mine.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#5
In Rannoch's mind, Liffey's approach was similar that to Pamala Anderson's iconic lope on the popular 90's American drama series, Baywatch; every fiber of her being personified perfection. His love-struck gaze observed her every move with pleasure, and he lost himself in the moment. All that mattered to him then and there was claiming what was rightfully his; any relevant considerations were neglected entirely. 

In the midst of the pheromones of sugar and spice and everything nice, an unwelcomed scent snaked its way into the mix. Intuitively, Rannoch's attention discovered the uninvited presence. Without him even realizing what he was doing, Rannoch took a step towards Treason; every aspect of his body language pronounced his annoyance with her appearance. Once he was alongside his wife, Rannoch's lips peeled back as a growl thundered in his throat. 

For Treason's sake, the surviving ounce of Rannoch's logic-driven conscious hoped that she understood their command — she needed to leave.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
nomen est omen
1,069 Posts
Ooc — Jennifer
Master Guardian
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#6
The pale devil was actually taken aback by Liffey's response in particular, her head pulling back as if suddenly both leaders suddenly split their hides and turned into actual demons.  Her ears slicked back on her skull, and she replied with a submissive whine, to hopefully placate whatever monsters had replaced the bleeding-heart alpha female and almost-acceptably-stern male -- not that she particularly minded if this was how they'd now be.  Her stance changed similarly, and after a final sniff or two she moved again, her path now arcing away from them and uphill.  She had things to think about what had even just happened.

But why was Liffey so protective of Rannoch?  Treason didn't want him.  Why would she?  He wasn't the interesting one there, anyway.  And Treason wasn't some other girl looking to party -- she was the cop going along knocking a Maglite on darkened car windows to make sure nobody was actually stranded where they didn't want to be.  But apparently they either hadn't noticed the connection to Redshank or simply didn't care.  Whatever.  Their funeral if he crawled out of the ground like a damn zombie.  The fact that Liffey's hormones (and Seabreeze's earlier) could be behind it all didn't even seem like an option -- it was barely a curiosity to her, so why would it affect them any more than that?

She was left with way too many questions and none of the Occam's Razor answers made any sense.  Number one of these was if they were like this with their packmates when they were on their own, why the hell hadn't they killed Redshank?  Was the amiable facade simply that -- a mask to lull their lessers into civility?  Did they work out that she was used to rough and tumble backgrounds and so now didn't feel like hiding their true natures?  Was it because nobody would believe her?  The fact that Liffey smelled weird was the least of them, but apparently she'd have to investigate at a later date.
Arbiter is often not a nice person and will think mean things without acting on them.
If you aren't sure whether her snarky thoughts might be readable, just ask!  IC≠OOC
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
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#7
Fortunately for all parties involved, Treason was quick to back down. Liffey's lips lowered back over her teeth as the other female fell submissively and stepped away. The movement appeased the feral creature that had taken over the usually calm and friendly alpha, but it wasn't until she'd lost sight of the girl that she calmed enough to return her attention to her equally agitated mate.

All at once, the bad-ass alpha demeanor melted away and left Liffey standing there, doe-eyed, smiling and sweet. She closed the remaining distance between them with a bouncing gait, reaching out to nip lightly at his cheek before turning suddenly and darting playfully away. Where before Treason's intrusion, she had been desperate to get right down to business, she was feeling a bit more relaxed now. She wanted him to work for it. After all, she was one hell of a fertile, young catch - he needed to prove his seed worthy of her baby-maker.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#8
Rannoch's agitation dissolved in sync with Liffey's; he was thankful that Treason had understood their message, and had acted accordingly. Her departure was appreciated, and it allowed Rannoch to focus his attention solely on his wife. 

The nip to his cheek caught his attention, and Rannoch turned just in time to see Liffey frolic away. "Oh," he replied with a mischevious grin, "You're going to have to pay for that." And by "pay," Rannoch meant that she would be subjected to a shower of kisses and nips. 

Rannoch pushed off into a gallop then and chased after his wife. Although he was powerful, she had the advantage of speed. Whether or not she went easy on Rannoch, he was able to match her stride eventually. He bumped his shoulder to hers with the intent of gently knocking her over; they had work that couldn't be completed when running, after all.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show
783 Posts
Ooc — Stevie
Master Ranger
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#9
Liffey laughed as her mate chased after her, calling out a challenge. She ran swiftly for a little while, but eventually decided that letting him catch her would be far more interesting. She slowed enough for Rannoch to catch her. The bump against her shoulder was not strong, though she allowed it to send her tumbling gently into the grass where she rolled onto her back, squirming around playfully, then reached out to bat at her mate with a happy yip and a whine.
if I knew where I was going, I'd lose my way.
~•~
Ghost
he came and stole the wild
1,808 Posts
Ooc — Chan
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#10
Rannoch had Liffey exactly where he wanted her, and he relished his vantage point; the sight was breathtaking, and the venture that would follow their courting would be even more so. Rannoch would indulge in the foreplay before moving on to the final act. 

Once Liffey was sufficiently covered in kisses and nips, Rannoch pulled away and fixed his wife with a look that implied his intentions. "Liffey, I love you more than words describe," he stated, his voice soft, "And I am ready to do this if you are." He reached towards her again and kissed the bridge of her nose. 

When his implication was well received, Rannoch escorted his wife to their den; they labored well into the night to ensure that the next generation of Frostfurs would be conceived.
a crime so old as the sky and bone
he came untied, solid as a stone
all is almost lost and it starts to show