Turned Tables [Open]

[Deleted]

She felt drained, but victorious. The treasonous voice of darkness had been banished back to the snippet of heart he had brought to rot. She was too tired to feel annoyed that Reece had won their spat. Well, she'd given in first. Looking back, it was probably a good thing she had - she didn't really fancy being left to bleed to death on the sand; no matter how pretty the red would look on the pale grains of stone. You're a pretty talker, Reece she answered blandly, not willing to put any more energy into speaking than strictly necessary. But when it comes down to it, you'll evade baring your soul. He was a bit like her, only more in control of actions. He lacked her tendency to speak her mind without censorship, and thus he could offer his listener merely the snippets he wanted them to see. 

She was surprised at his admission, pulling her dreamy gaze back to rest sharply on the male. Something had shifted between the two of them, though she couldn't put her paw on the matter. He'd had the chance to rend her limb from limb...and he hadn't. Instead, he was standing over her, preaching words of wisdom and advice. She latched onto the question he handed her, gratefully turning her attentions to a problem that she could find an answer for. I'm just tired she answered, resigning herself to the fact that Reece was going to know her inside-out before long. Why can't it just stay in the decayed part of my heart and leave me be? She didn't really expect an answer to that question. Darkness was best friends with chaos...and chaos demanded expansion; greedy, selfish expansion that led to complete domination by darkness. I've accepted that it's there; I know it's part of my very inheritance. I don't want to have to keep it in check all the time. She felt suddenly very alone, and she despised herself for that feeling of weakness. She craved a comforting touch, like Grand-daddy had given her when her own father had lost his temper with her. The innocent fragment of her that somehow survived through the darkness in her life begged her to curl up against the male. She resisted the temptation, curling her legs more tightly beneath her body.

Sometimes, I think being obstinate is a bad thing she mused glumly, shifting the sand about with one dejected paw. It'd make my life so much easier if I just gave in. She shook her head, a bitter laugh rolling off her tongue. So much easier to let it destroy me completely. She peered up at the male, torn between brushing away the morose thoughts, coaxing him into providing her some sort of physical comfort and just lying there. She wasn't quite aware of having made up her mind when she was already standing, her paws bringing her close to the male. Leaning forwards, her chest making the softest of contact with his muscled shoulder, she rested her muzzle on his nape. Eyes closed, she took a moment to soak up the very solid presence beneath her, his familiar scent hanging like a shield around them. Now how about we find something to eat, hmmm? she commented, pulling away and giving the boy a disarming smile.

[Deleted]

How easy it would be to just let life melt away around one. It was something that bothered him from the get go, should he not have been considered lessor for making the choices that he had? Letting the darkness consume him, letting what was already woven in his genetics simply making a comeback and take over in one fell swoop. His eyes lingered on the female, but it was not her that he saw. Instead, it was pain, it was nothing but a colorful blur, and he realized that he could hear the arrogant words in his head.

The little black wolf was a bit more mottled with grey than the female before him. Her signature eyes would have stood there staring him back, daring him. That was the problem, he realized belatedly, Nocturne had turned away. She had realized that to tip him over the edge would be a life that could not be scrambled back from. He would take and not forgive, and there would be no regrets until the deed was done. Instead, he had beckoned the little black she wolf into his lair, and when she had steeled herself against the winds he had warned her of - she had forgotten to see the monster.

In the end, his rage had taken his little sister away. It had washed her into the depth of his hatred, and there had been no coming back from that attack. In the end, she had died without much pain, and that was the best that he could have offered. The sigh rolled off his body like it escaped through his very pores, and his eyes blinked owlishly. Almost as if he pulled himself back in, and he allowed the female his unguarded attention while he processed the meaning behind her words. It was not that easy, it was a sadness that could not be denied to know that one was doomed simply for the lineage that they had been bred into.

Her touch was the greatest shock of all, and he bowed his head faintly. "If you reach the day you feel the slip," Careful words offered on the air, and his shoulders rolled, "And your desire to fight it becomes unequal to your will, and you dread the sensation of being taken over..." The male watched her lean back, accepting her words of going to continue their hunt. They had been terribly distracted by the little conflict, after all. But it was important, although the male had faded off with the comfort of her touch.

"I can end it for you." The offer was placed in the air, left hanging as his gaze reached hers and held it. Oh, he locked himself on the features of the female, trying to make her understand. While he had been swallowed alive by it, if she was going to fight it - eventually he believed it would win. The darkness would come. So there was his offer, to prevent it from chewing away her mind like it had his. None had ever offered such a kindness to him.

When the moment finished, he turned easily as his body twisted. Anything that would have been nearby would have scurried away on their caterwauling, so it was time to run. His feet hit a rock, that he braced himself against, and the slight lope was on a trigger. Run, or at least get away from the emotions clinging to the ground. He knew his companion would follow.

[Deleted]

She was caught terribly unawares by his words, her muzzle still resting comfortably on his neck. There was a softness to his voice that she'd never heard before. An odd quality that made her heart beat against her ribcage and reminded her of whatever had shifted between them. She drew back slowly, drowning in the amber gaze that was more honest and open than she had ever seen it. She wasn't at all sure what to make of the moment or the offer, too many things dancing around her mind at once. She felt as though the world was slipping out from under her paws; that the stars were aligning themselves differently in response to this painfully intimate moment. 

Reece was gone before she had time to fully connect the dots, form her opinion and formulate some sort of reply. She stood, watching his brown and grey figure lope land-inwards. Giving herself a brisk shake, she launched herself after him, becoming painfully aware that her stomach had not found their spat at all restful. Putting its grumbling firmly to the back of her mind, she set off after the male. The smooth motion of her limbs propelling her over the sand gave her time to think Reece's offer over. 

She caught up with him when the sandy gave when to loose earth and the first tenacious strands of grass cropped up. She adapted her pace slightly to match his, before replying to his earlier comment. I'll bear that in mind, Reece. She didn't bother clarifying, knowing that the male was more than bright enough to make the connections. Thanks for offering. She let herself drift closer to the male, bumping his cheek gently with her nose before pulling away. She focused her sights on the endless expanse of greenery up ahead, raising her head to catch a good breath of air. The scent of rabbit lay heavily on the land, and she felt the familiar bubble of excitement blossom in her heart. Oh, how she loved rabbit hunting! They were trickier to catch than the deer, disappearing into their burrows with a saucy flick of their white cotton tails!

[Deleted]

The big bad wolf.

Yes, that was what the male always attempted to make sure that he appeared to be. Most of the time that was the only way he believed he could get out of the messes he ended up in. What should have turned into aggression and bloodshed was left behind, clinging to the air like hungry spirits. Oh, they feasted on emotions and they tormented the mind. That was something that the wolf had realized long ago, and his mouth quivered with the reminder.

It was better to escape the moment before the investment reached a peak where it would be the end of the world. He trusted the belief that he carried with him, and head turned down with a show of over. What hell he lived in, and the only way to snuff it out of him was to keep trying. Yes, that was the choice that plotted through his mind. Something would come to the end of the ropes. Somehow he would kill something, and that would have to soothe him.

Would it though? The reality was not something he trusted in. While he counted on the fact he should have been better suited to such things, the male relaxed significantly at the scent of what should have been food to come. Thankfully, his youthful days of dissecting and playing with his food had passed. It would satisfy something internally just to snap the neck of one of the little fast footed, kicking beasts with ears.

Steps softened as he lapsed into silence, acknowledging the female with a fleeting look. At least she had received his offer and consumed it into her mind. It was the best he could do in a situation like that, and it pleased him that it had turned useful. But then his head was to the ground and he was swift in making his judgment call. Tracing the scents, his tail lifted as he went to work, listening intently.

It was clearly a good place, a good selection on their part. Fate had plopped a rabbit down so close by, he could taste it without seeing it. But the unintentional rustle of leaves had him frozen in his spot. Damn it, the little thing had heard them already! He was sure of it.

[Deleted]

The smell of rabbit was mouth-watering, and she was suddenly realised that she hadn't actually eaten in a good number of days. No wonder the non-living whale and ocean had upset her stomach so much! She let her path diverge from Reece'e a little. There was no point in both of them hopping about the same little patch of ground for the self-same rabbit. She hardly needed him to teach her how to catch a rabbit in the first place. No, it was definitely better if they spread out a little.

She slowed gently to a walk, letting her paws caress the ground. She'd had more than enough training in stealth, after all; mastery borne of necessity. She found a place that was suitably far from Reece, and stopped. The scents were mingled with those of mice, and she took her time sifting out the new from the super-fresh trails. The neater she executed the entire hunt, the less her work would interfere with Reece's. Pride dictated that she be the first to succeed in bringing down their breakfast. 

She breathed slowly, letting the air ease from her lungs in a silent ebb-and-flow. Focus, Nocturne. Feel the earth beneath your paws and breathe with it. She followed her grandfather's instructions, just as she had done from their very first lessons. Her ears twisted on her head, hearing the faintest of rustles in her companion's direction. She let the matter pass, searching for closer signs of life. Her nose informed her that the quarry was close. Almost painfully close, and it required all her willpower not to bound headlessly in the direction of food.

Her lithe body dropped closer to the ground, and she shifted her weight forwards. One silent step followed the other, her muscles working in perfect coordination. She peered across the grass, her lips curving upwards in delight when a plump round back came into view. She inched closer, checking for the tenth time that she was still downwind. Her world narrowed down to the long brown ears that twitched agitatedly to and fro. It must be a anxiety-ridden existence to be prey, she thought idly, shifting closer and closer to her quarry. Right; she was now in position. Her muscles tensed, her hindquarters bunched to propel her forwards...

...Then the world exploded in sound and movement. The rabbit had stopped its munching, the sharp cry of a bird overheard alerting it to some danger. Two liquid brown eyes met her fierce gaze, her airborne shape casting a shadow over its quivering form. It galvanised itself into action a hair's breadth before her jaws snapped shut. Growling in frustration, she sprinted after her quarry. The thrill of the chase had the blood pounding through her ears. She got close enough to feel the rough fur on her lips, but twice her jaws snapped shut on thin air. 

Suddenly, looming like a mighty cavern, was the rabbit's burrow. It straightened its jack-knifing course, bounding for safety and Nocturne grabbed her chance. Throwing herself forwards with a herculean effort, her jaws fastened on it's hindquarters. The air was torn by the harsh shriek of terror and pain that accompanied the snapping of dislocated joints. Dragging the half-dead rabbit from its burrow with her momentum, she caught her paw in a nearby side-entrance to the warren. With a sickening lurch, she toppled head over paw, the rabbit flying from her grasp and landing in a sorry heap at Reece's feet.

[Deleted]

Ears swayed on top of his head and the male felt the frustrated sound start in his chest. Rabbits were pesky and they always had been, it was unavoidable in the reality that he was forced to face. They were an excellent source of food in a world where Reece had been hunting alone, and it had been easy to down a prey once he figured it out. Looking after a secondary mouth had taught him to be a very healthy creature in using his resources to the best of their ability.

His own hunt went a little smoother, although it was less pretty. One of the holes selected to hide in as Reece threw himself over the bushes brought him landing on his paws awkwardly. Somehow he righted himself and lunged after the little brown hairy beast though, cursing it under his breath. Oh, there would be no need for the little bug to suffer, but how he eagerly wanted to feel the life swimming away from beneath him.

Shoulders rolled as he fought the urge to snarl, and his body careened sideways around the tree that the rabbit had attempted to play looping with him. The rabbit, this one, was evidently a bit on the young side. Not as intelligent as it would have hoped when working on a flee or die basis. It was a pleasure for Reece though, cutting the little monster off.

When his teeth snapped the first time, and the second, he missed. But the hole that the rabbit picked was most certainly was at a dead in. The fury rolled out in a sound of growls, digging at the hole that had been a practice spot for some other creature and abandoned. His kill was certainly not as clean, not as what would have been expected for the proper etiquette of the wolf.

Bones crunched when he caught the rabbit by the scruff, and hauled the little beast out only faintly by the throat as it struggled and kicked him. A fair few times the feet connects, but shaking the little rabbit in his jaws was an effective, slower mode of suffocation.

He was turned back heading to the female to find her success when the whole fiasco happened, watching the black she wolf come out of nowhere and land all but on her face. He stalled out with the sight of the second rabbit landing less than a hair from his paws, and the male rolled back, connecting with the earth with his bottom again. Well then, Idly the male raised a brow, pointedly, someone was having too much fun without him.

[Deleted]

Why, why, why! For the second time that day she'd embarrassed herself. Being sick and tripping were things that amateurs did, not well-educated ladies like herself! She lay on the ground, stretched out like a beached whale, trying to understand where things had gone wrong. It was hardly her fault that the rabbit had been alerted to danger in the nick of time. She had also done a beautiful job in keeping up with the little critter, and she'd even caught it before it disappeared to safety. Still grumbling to herself for the evident lack of watching where she was headed, she turned let her eyes travel up from the dying rabbit to Reece's non-plussed features. 

She took one good look at the perplexed frown on the male's features before bursting into laughter. Oh Reece, she managed, gasping for breath. He looked so comical, his own rabbit dangling from his jaws beneath the pointed stare that was directed at her. She required another minute to regain her breath suitably so she could get to her feet. Belatedly, she remembered her rabbit, and she shifted her gaze to peer at the motionless. Shock and pain seemed to have stopped its little heart from beating. She sent a mental apology to the departed soul - it really wasn't particularly nice that she'd let it suffer quite the way it did. Still, if the rabbits hadn't burrowed precisely where they had, then she wouldn't have tripped and the rabbit would have obtained a nice, quick bite to the neck.

She padded forwards, carefully pushing her lunch to the side before grinning cheekily at the male. I see you were successful, too she commented, paying more attention to large rodent dangling from his jaws. She was feeling quite childish, this afternoon, she realised leaning forwards to grab Reece's rabbit's hind legs. Then again, she had nothing left to hide and it had been ages since she'd last paid tug-of-war. I challenge you she yipped, bracing herself against the earth and tugging backwards. 


OOC: Remind you of Encore and Teme...?

[Deleted]

It was impossible to decide how to handle the situation. For all that it was worth, he had never thought that the female would do something quite as... endearing as flinging herself about. It must have been quite the little hunt she had thrown herself into, but the male looked absolutely dumbfounded. How did he react to someone that all of a sudden just appeared out of nowhere, and gave him a rabbit that he could have picked up and ran off with without any second thought.

Eyes closed and he took a steadying breath, forcing himself to be a bit more in focus about where his thoughts were going. Well, at least the pair of them were not about to go hungry. When his yellow eyes opened again, she was looking at him with such a queer look on her face that one ear rolled back against his head, unsure.

Relief coated his features when she reaffirmed that she was all right, and he watched her round her way to him. His head inclined faintly with the acknowledgement, hiding the grin that would have covered his features otherwise. Well! At least there was something to be said about her losing her mind. Perhaps there was hope for her after all at the end of the day, perhaps the darkness would not take her over and consume her. Perhaps she would survive because she would bonk her head so many times that there would be no hope left.

The growl rumbled out of his chest when she lunged forward and seized by the female. The feet of his rabbit was grabbed and ruined, but ears swayed on top of his head with readiness. His body dropped, hard forward as he lunged into the play bow position. His tone of growl roughened up, becoming more intense and eager. Play! Well if that was what it took to work out for a meal, why not.

He was heavier than her, but he would let her fight just as equally. He wanted her well matched, he hungered for the victory. So he tugged backwards, trying to pull himself away from her carefully.

[Deleted]

He was going to play! She was a little surprised by his willingness to indulge in her playfulness. Reece and playful just didn't quite fit in her mind. Yet here he was, rear end in the air, a rabbit's length away from her. She stared into his amber eyes, seeing herself reflected in them. Oh, what a sight she made! She dropped her front end lower, her tail wagging lazily back and forth. Her vocal chords vibrated in an answering growl, her lips curling upwards as she tightened her hold on the rabbit. The faintly warm body creaked faintly as it was stretched in two directions, and she felt the added pressure of Reece's weight on her neck. Yes, they were ready!

She pressed her front paws more firmly into the ground, shifting her weight backwards and locking her neck in place. There was no doubt in her mind that now she would be victorious. Reece needed to learn that he couldn't always be better than her. That simply couldn't be accepted. She felt her paws slide on the loose earth as Reece shifted his weight back. Oh no you don't! she thought determinedly, digging her claws into the soil and wrenching herself backwards. She gained some ground before the male used his bulk to his advantage, towing her forwards again. She shook her head, heedless of the snapping of bones and ligaments within their toy. She was not going to give in! 

They danced back and forth for a little while, but she could feel herself tiring. Time for a new strategy, she decided. Only which strategy? She entertained the notion of letting the rabbit go, but she guessed she had too little tension on it to send him flying backwards. Granddaddy had done that to her when she was a pup. She let him tow her along for a bit, shaking her head at odd intervals in a half-hearted attempt to loosening his grasp. What to do, what to do, what to do?

She ended up improvising. Planting her front legs firmly on the ground, she pulled back for all she was worth, waiting for Reece to put his full weight on the rabbit's head. With a sharp yip, she relinquished her hold on the rabbit's mangled hindquarters. Using the sudden weightlessness of her front end to her advantage, she lunged at Reece. She managed to time her pounce just right, sending the male toppling to the ground with her standing on top. Well, look what I've found myself for lunch she purred triumphantly, grinning down at the male. 

[Deleted]

The game was glorious, it was a good use of skills and proved that he did have a bit of a side to him that was plastered away for good hiding. What had caused him to give in, it was hard to say. It was certainly not a normalcy, not something he would have engaged in if it had not been the dark female in front of him. It begged the question, what had she done to earn such attentions from the mottled wolf with the wise, slightly crazed yellow eyes? It was difficult to grasp the reasoning behind anything at all.

Especially when he was displeased about the circumstances they had fallen into. Now he was plagued with the reminder, but it caused him to get more involved. Attempting to make the game be the distraction that above all would cure him from what panted on his heels. Ears twisted on his head and he laughed inwardly, tail curled up and almost arched haughtily over his back.

Oh, he was winning. That was something that was not to be denied. His irritation was established when he forced himself to look at the motions that caused his mouth to tighten. Something had happened, something had slid through those pesky eyes that stared in front of him. What was this madness! His wariness was too off guard though, whatever assumption that would have jumped upon him was nothing compared to her clever working.

Being caught off guard was the last thing he expected, and his laughter broke in the air hopelessly when he slammed into the ground. Yes, she had bested him! His softened features appeared to make him look more innocent, perhaps a bit more approachable as his body quaked with the success of the female. When he finally stalled out, catching his breath, yellow eyes connected with the she wolf that stared down at him.

"I'm your sacrifice, Siren." His words mumbled, still tinged with the delight that could not be denied. Oh, he had certainly been welcomed into a world that he had not expected to turn out the way it had. It caused him to relax, and he rolled his head back against the ground. "Consume me well."