Hoshor Plains i think she may be maybe almost sorta fun

@Astara

The plains were almost always teeming with fauna of creed; normally, were he with his pack, Josiah would have jumped at the chance to get his jaws around something. When it came down to it, he was still barely a year old and had plenty left to learn, so he knew better than to let his excitement get the best of it. Instead, Josie plopped down beneath the shade of a well-rooted tree and watched, salivating, as a small herd of deer danced in the grass.

astara had little chance of felling deer, even with @Merrick to help her -- but that did not stop the wraith from watching the herd as they darted across the plains. her hungry eyes traced the graceful movement of a pair of young fawns, which were serenely watched over by a buck not so far from cover.

shifting closer, more out of interest than to hunt, astara leaned through the blades of grass and caught another predator nearby. like her,. he seemed to be watching the herd, perhaps out of hunger rather than idle curiosity. drawing to a close, the little shade darted into concealment, attempting now to stalk josiah rather than the herd.

Josiah watched hungrily as the two fawns pranced freely about, seemingly without parental guidance (he was not at an angle to see the buck, unfortunately). He'd begun to grow more restless than his norm, perhaps due to hunger, and was plotting out ways to approach the scene. Of course, seeing as the fawns were still young and surviving off of instinct as opposed to experience, he figured that he'd have more options.

A few moments passed by. Josiah noticed that one of the fawns seemed fatigued; it had fallen, bouncing right back up to continue its game, though without the fervor of its companion. He licked his jowls hungrily, moving down into a crouch and taking the first step forward.

the male was distracted, and during this distraction, astara took the opportunity to steal mercilessly close. while josiah's attention was fastened on the weakened fawn, astara's was latched securely on josiah. she was but a shade in the flitting shadow of the tree he rested up against, every move she made stealthy and painstakingly slow.

when at last she was within striking distance, astara pounced in the smoothed manner of a jaguar striking from above; "rrrrrr!" the girl growled deeply, aiming to pounce at the male's scruff, falling alongside him in what would likely be a tangle of limbs and playfully snapping teeth.

The deer peaked to attention, the two fawns scattering in either direction. Josiah, who was obviously confused, thought that it made sense to investigate. It is important to note that while Josie thought of himself as being at peak intelligence, he wasn't really all that bright. Instead of turning around to see what might have spooked the herd, he continued looking forward where there clearly weren't any threats. 

Needless to say, when Astara landed her blow, Josiah was caught completely off guard. He fell onto his back in an effort to dodge any further attacks, all the while releasing a low and submissive growl of his own. What the hell? he shouted, trying desperately to crawl away.

delighted to have hit her mark, astara fell alongside her victim, pleased as a cat that had just secured a flitting bird. mirth stole across her dark features, and a high whir of breathing that could possibly be called a choked laugh escaped her black jaws.

astara was unapologetic as she met the gaze of her quarry; with a swipe of her paw towards his muzzle the yearling laid across the ground, long limbs raised as if to entreat further play.

There was a lot going on here that Josiah didn't fully understand. He'd just been attacked for seemingly no reason (no prey, no pack, no problem, right?) and his attacker had resolved to submit to him. Instincts didn't quite have an answer for a problem like this, and because he really had no experience to go off of, Josie was somewhat at a loss. He flinched backward, dodging the girl's paw as he watched her roll onto her back. 

Josiah circled her for a moment, simply observing to see what she might do next, before allowing his own tail to start at an apprehensive, yet friendly wag. Why'd you do that? he laughed, face still showing clear concern. He snorted and half-lunged for a nip of his own, hoping to catch a paw.

the boy dodged her swipe easily; no surprise then, given she was grounded and he was not. a playful growl bubbled in astara's throat as he sprung towards her lightly, issuing a snap of his jaws in retort. she flipped to her feet as fast as she could, but it was not fast enough to all-together evade his teeth, which clipped her wrist as she rose.

astara swung after him, cleaving the air with a raised paw meant to knock his muzzle. simultaneously, her hips swung towards him with a check, hoping to jostle him enough to unbalance him. his query went unanswered, but in her gaze there was a spark of light that suggested her actions were rough but in the name of play.

It had been a while since Josie's last encounter with pure, childish play. He laughed a giddy number as Astara's paw swiped clean across face. Not having had enough time to recover, her subsequent bump! knocked him down onto the ground. It took Josie a moment to recover, though he was soon oriented enough to rise and deliver a head bump of his own, aiming for the girl's shoulder.

i hope minor PP is ok? PM me if not and i'll edit <3

pleased by how receptive this stranger was to play, astara luxuriously stretched into a ready playbow, her jaws loose and expression taunting while josiah lurched to his feet. once he was back on his paws he lumbered towards her, connecting his body to her shoulder in a motion that sent astara mistepping.

unbalanced by the blow, the girl growled and clipped her teeth near his scruff; the hold was gentle, but not loose -- with a grunt she pulled back a few times, much like a dog might tug against a toy.

You're good! Wanna start wrapping up though?

Josiah bucked back in repsonse to Astara's sudden grip. He knew that it was all in fun but damn, that girl had grip! He snarled and snapped at her, giving a telling lick of his lips afterward. I'm tapping out, he laughed, only half-joking, Seriously. Hopefully, the tugging would've stopped by then and his playmate would have released his scruff. 

You're weird[q], Josie laughed, [q]You'd better get back home before someone less friendly finds you.

<3 yes! feel free to archive here, or wrap up with your own post.

one last heave, and josiah was toppled; astara released his scruff as he showed his teeth, stepping back with her own ears flat in surprise. the light dart of his tongue assailed any fear or doubt, and astara stepped towards him with her tail wagging while he sunk into the dirt.

their play had been short, but vigorous; recognizing her opponent had no fight (or play) left in him, astara nosed along his muzzle as if to say her goodbyes, and then she darted off into the wilderness at a quick scamper.