Felltree Marsh The Lady of the Lake
67 Posts
Ooc — Bryndel
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#1
All Welcome 
Planning to backdate at least a little; exact timing is flexible, if anyone who wants to join would like it moved about some.

BE FOREWARNED though I am fairly slow at posting still, atm! what with a sleep-regressing infant and othersuch fun RL things to get in the way, though I do expect things will improve some as this goes. ;)

She stood on the far Northeast edge of the bog, and squinted as she peered through the misty drizzle as far as her eyes could make out. Her ears were flattened level with her skull, and rather smaller, thinner, and more pathetic-looking than usual as the endless rain wet them down, though unlike on most wolves it didn't change their color much in the process. Her expression was decidedly disgruntled. Not only was it difficult to see much, the pattering rain dampened most everything, metaphorically as well as literally—it washed out much of the usual wildlands sound of the area and was as if her nose had been stuffed full of wet moss and mud itself. Even her paws felt leaden down and nigh-permanently chinked together by the mudballs between and upon her pawpads at this point, she'd swear.

Okay, so even though she didn't want to admit it, even though she'd striven so long and hard to win free of the place to begin with, she didn't like that the weather kept getting in her way and preventing her from going home. And she probably shouldn't've wandered off quite so far. It was way different somehow when it wasn't her choice to stay away, all right? and besides—there were the littlest ones to think of. How exactly were her youngest siblings (okay, half-siblings) supposed to grow up any better than her littermates if Brouhaha was not there to guide them with her shining example and brilliant insights?! This blasted weather didn't seem to care what terrible impact it might be having on the young though. It just kept raining...and raining...and raining.

She didn't see any way across just yet, as she perched there on the less-rotted higher half of the furthest-out mossy, water-slimed log. Admittedly though it was still pretty difficult to see anything, and so for now Brou turned about, to trudge beneath the at-least-marginally-less-wet green canopy of a nearby tree that was still upright, to give it awhile longer and see if either the dawning light or progression of the day with accompanying emptying of the clouds might improve things.
109 Posts
Ooc — gryff
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#2
he skirted the marsh as best he could, determined not to step one foot into the muck he smelled wafted from there. it was a futile task, as the waters from the rains had made the marsh overflow its boundaries, the mud seeping into his paws and slowly but surely trailing up his legs. gross.

he was full now, which was cool. that was why he had descended from the mountains in the first place, only to be caught in yet another storm what the hell

maybe he should move somewhere else where it wouldn't rain all the time? but the question was where. he didn't know where the hell to go. at least here he wasn't lonely — he was far from lacking in companions. this place was full of wolves and it seemed that every trek he had made from his home was sidetracked by another wolf who was probably scared of him. it never got old, the wolves were cool. not chill at all, but cool. yo, benry mrowled to the sodden wolf on the log. you uhhhh you uh scoutin up there? doin recon'n'shit?
67 Posts
Ooc — Bryndel
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#3
With "lucky" once-white paw outstretched mid-step Brou jerked in surprise and nearly fell rather than stepped off the log, yanked out of her endlessly circling self-pitying maudlin train of thought by a voice out of nowhere. A feline voice she was startled and uneasy to find; sheeeeeit, unpleasant as it was she probably should've been paying more attention to the outer world and not so much the inner. Man, if she got her ass handed to her by some cat she hadn't even seen she'd never hear the end of it back home.

Fortunately for her, though, this kitty didn't seem to be all that hungry, and was in fact standing perfectly visible just a little ways beyond where Brou herself had been surveying this gross mess of a swamp. (Well. Okay. As "perfectly visible" as anything could be, in this cold misty weather shrouding everything.) She looked the critter up and down; she'd never seen a cougar this up-close before, though she'd heard how crafty and dangerous they could be. Then again, wasn't that what Mom had said about those terrible dangerous black-bitch-killers that Brou herself had never seen nor scented even the foggiest hint of? The young wolf suppressed a disbelieving snort. If you asked her, it sure looked from here like the puma stories may have been similarly exaggerated. Though obviously those at least, like, y'know, actually existed. So she supposed that at least gave them a point over the invisible murderers in the shadows and all.

Yeah, she said in what she fancied was a tough-as-nails voice that was pitched a few notes lower than her usual. She placed her paw back down in an aggressively outthrust position, raising her chin a few hairs and even more boldly her white-tipped tail a good bit more than that. She weren't scared of no cat, nosiree (though it hadn't escaped her that she'd kinda trapped herself here, to a degree; there wasn't a whole lot obviously solid to step on for some ways out from this log, and it didn't bode well if she had to spin about and try to outrun this kitty through the sloppy muck that was trying to eat her feet already with just the short distance she'd already traversed). But then, she wasn't yet convinced she was really in danger from this thing. It wasn't even as big as the stories had made it sound. And it looked like the swamp mud was clinging to its legs at least as badly as hers, so it wasn't like it was going to be lightning-fast to race and pounce upon her on this turf either, right...? Yeah, I'm scouting. Recon and, uh, stuff; yeah. Yuh-huh. As her eyes drifted briefly half-away to glance at the landscape around the critter rather than the cat itself: I'd thought maybe this place would be more promising, but, well... it's kinda shit.

Fixing her blue eyes more firmly on the cougar, still determinedly burying her wariness down deep internally and trying to let none of it show, Brou came up with what she thought was a relatively clever and subtle way of sussing out this kitty's intentions. Horrible weather for hunting, innit? she asked in a tone that aimed for deceptively casual. Despite the trickles of water that tried to runnel down into them though she kept her ears up-perked for the answer.
109 Posts
Ooc — gryff
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#4
benry paused for a moment, not responding as he processed the wolf's voice, strangely rumbled and gravely as it was. he couldn't tell what the wolf's gender was. he wasn't good at recognizing the differences, especially not in canines. he looked the wolf over, blinking as he took him in. it's a bit shit. he agreed, nodding. hunting? uhhh, no, no. noob tactics. dumb shit. not that he wasn't a noob himself, all things considered. you, uhhhhh, hunting? he paused. what would be out here? amphibs? ribbit-boys?[/color]
67 Posts
Ooc — Bryndel
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#5
She nodded her head automatically along like one of the bobble-headed tchotchke dogs in car windows, a motion that displaced some of the water rivuleting into her earholes and caused the rest to tickle more. She only stopped nodding when it finally consciously penetrated her brain how brainlessly dumb the repetitive motion might be starting to make her look. Oh, yeah! Noob tactics...uh, yeah, that is indeed the problem, she agreed gruffly. Right. ...What the hell was this feline saying. Some of the words seemed almost nonsensical. But Brou had to play this bluff through. Couldn't make herself look ignorant in front of some felid; that'd be seriously uncool. She switched off her overly cocky stance, shifting her weight onto the other foreleg. Maintaining this level of puffed-up awesomeness was hard work, dangit. All the other wolves better be appreciative of all the effort she was putting into this, making sure Mr. Kitty (or—Ms.? Mx.? Who knew!) would respect the brilliance and toughness of the local canines.

I mean— I had sure thought maybe we could hunt here, sure. Sure. ...But in this mess, and this weather especially? Not seeing any dumb...ribbit-boys! Or noobs! Only a fractional hesitation before plowing boldly ahead with another of the cougar's weird-ass word choices, this time. It took her brain a moment to wrap fully around the syllables and catch up with her mouth, particularly with her hard focus on looking and sounding tough. Ribbitb—oh, frogs. Wait, shit—there weren't any frogs obviously squatting about staring at them, were there? Brou hadn't really checked before she spoke. Obviously. A quick, surreptitious glance around; a moment's wave of relief was quickly replaced by a bit of dismay as her eyes wavered onto the spotty brown creature that gave a disapproving CROAK from about three feet off to the feline's other side.

Who needs 'em anyway! Not me! Besides which I'm not hungry, declared Brouhaha stoutly, slipping the frog one quick furtive glare for betraying her like this. Naturally it was only a few seconds after this that her stomach loosed a loud growl, causing her eyes to widen in dismay. Whoops.
109 Posts
Ooc — gryff
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#6
the wolf seemed to babble, worst than he had. they seemed...nervous? was that right to say? he really couldn't tell with wolves. he spent most of his time trying to process their words quickly enough to be aware of how the conversation was going.

a frog let out a loud crrroak beside him. benry turned his head to the noise, smirking at the little creature when he saw its form in the mud. oh sup man, had it heard them? did it know that they were talking about it?

he was going to say something when the wolf's stomach let out a uproarious growl. he couldn't help it. he laughed. it was boisterous and somewhat manic, but that was just how his laugh was.
67 Posts
Ooc — Bryndel
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#7
At least not for frogs, Brou elaborated quickly in still-low and somewhat grumpy tones as soon as her brain could catch up after being thrown by her tummy's rumblings, although she was beginning to suspect the jig was well and truly up. Or, uh, ribbit... boys. Or... whatever weird shit it was this kitty was calling things? It occurred now to Brouhaha to wonder if maybe he'd just recently eaten some really weird mushrooms, or... something. It's not funny! she added a bit indignantly, not even certain how much of her words the cat was hearing over its own snide cacklings. And then, after a moment more: ...uh, yeah, I'd have to be real desperate to eat those.

Her voice was definitely beginning to lose some of its artificially low tones as she first gave her head a little shake to dislodge some of the water and then cocked her head curiously at the cougar. You're not a big fan of eating... uh...ribbit-boys... are you? Her muzzle wrinkled up slightly and she regarded the feline with growing dubiousness. She was quickly forgetting to be at all afraid of it, but she still wasn't certain she entirely approved of this critter. Especially if it secretly had, like, frog-breath if she'd get a little closer and get a really good whiff. Brou's nose crickled up further at the thought. Definite euw.
109 Posts
Ooc — gryff
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#8
he grinned at the wolf's indignant protests, feeling some sort of impish glee at continuing to tease them. nothing entirely malicious, for benry wasn't a malicious individual, just playful. oh, man, once, i....i saw a snake eat, eat a frog, he said.

'aven't tried, he said. he looked down at the frog again, mimicking a croaking sound. you dare me? he looked to the wolf, a playful gleam in his eye.
67 Posts
Ooc — Bryndel
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#9
Brou kept getting thrown for a loop by this weirdo cat's abrupt nonsense out of left field. She did venture one large step closer however, balancing her forepaw somewhat precariously atop a not-entirely-solid section of the half-rotted log. Her eyes glittered and she cocked her head, diverted for a moment— Huh. Really? ...How big a snake?

She unkinked her neck and stared straight-on for a long, tongue-tied moment following the cougar's easy attempt at making frog noises. What the... You... you tryin' ta talk to it, and then eat it?! If that wasn't the most bizarre thing Brouhaha had ever heard... Though nonetheless it did seem promisingly entertaining. A wicked little grin of her own appeared as she looked back down again at the speckly brown creature resting near the kitty. The amphibian hadn't moved a limb in all this time, but did seem to be cottoning on that something might be up. Its throat bubbled nervously—although, didn't all frogs do that all the time? Brou thought it was pretty typical but wasn't certain; she hadn't spent much time looking at the things. Either way it added to the aura of growing nervousness on the frog's part, accompanied by a quick darting-out of its tongue to lick its eyeball. Brou snickered. Eeeuuuuwwww, she said gleefully, and rolled her eyeballs back in the feline's direction. It is just sitting there like it's daring you though, innit? Hahaha... would you really do it?!