Getting shown around., [AW]

[Vale]

OOCFeel free to power play all you want. I had intended to pose the time of day sometime in the afternoon/early evening, but I totally forgot and can't find a place to seamlessly put it... but any time is fine.

IC

The trip here from the moors had been for the most part uneventful, extremely fun of course, but not very eventful. He had spent most of the way here playfully chasing after this new friend of his, smiling the entire time while his paws padded through the still light snowfall, and wondered what new things he would be introduced to here. At the very least, he would get to know Panic more, and he wouldn't pass up the chance to spend time with friends.

There was only one concern on his mind as he trotted along behind the female in front of him, was she really allowed to bring someone from another pack onto these lands? It did not spoil his cheerful mood, but he was certainly ready to hug the ground to avoid a confrontation with whoever was in charge here, especially if they were as intimidating as Luna could be at times. Speaking of which, he wondered if Luna would become angry with him for being over here...

"Don't slow down too much Panic, or I might catch you!" Vale called ahead of him in a joking manner to take his mind off the possible consequences of following Panic here. At the same time he chuckled at the idea of catching Panic, he was not sure how she would react if he did, but he imagined he would get mauled if it was any sort of serious fashion. All the same, he sped up just a bit to tease the wolf he was following, but hoped the ever present smile on his face while his tongue lolled out, would be enough to indicate he was just being playful.

Of course... the more distance he closed, the more tempted he was to pounce on his new friend. He was feeling playful, and what was the worse that could happen? Though he intended to wait and see how she reacted to what he had said first before trying something like that.

[Pandemic]

Whoo, yay. I'm glad we're getting posting again. I'm getting much more motivated for this site.
I was thinking late afternoon also, so that works perfectly.


Panic raced forward, Vale just barely behind her. She figured neither wolf was really giving it their complete all, both were just enjoying a playful run. The air was still cold and it was hard on the lungs of a running wolf, but it was still a wonderful feeling. It was a rare sensation. Feeling the heat from a moving body clash against the chilled air of a fading winter. It created this odd tingling sensation that nothing else could really come close to. It stung but it wasn't painful. Just different.

The female laughed heartily as Vale called up to her and warned her not to slow down. As if to taunt him and his last remake. She slammed on the brakes. It was difficult to stop on a dime after moving so fast, but she pressed her feet hard into the earth and tried as much as she could to slow herself quickly. It was ironic, but right as Vale had called out to her, they had made it to her territory. Her breath was coming quickly and the late winter air was freezing her warm breath as soon as it left her mouth. Clouds of steam poured from her mouth and she snapped at it a few times, remembering a game she had played with herself as a pup. She had been fascinated by the phenomenon as a youth.

"Well Vale, welcome to my home. Here we are."

Panic shook out her coat, looening her muscles at the same time. Before the two wolves was one of the thicker parts of the forest that covered much of the Arcanum lands. Panic motioned forward as she slipped stealthily between the trees. She knew these lands like the back of her hand. It was a bit darker in the forest because of the heavily treed area, but winter helped; very few of the trees held their leaves. During the summer months, it was usually a full five or ten degrees cooler in the forest than elsewhere on the land because of the thick shade.

[Vale]

OOC I'm glad everything is livening up too.

IC

Panic suddenly pouring on the brakes caught Vale completely off guard, and he was narrowly able to avoid plowing into her by running slightly past, which would have been a rather embarrassing mistake on his part. His response was a chuckle and playful teasing "Careful there Panic, I almost ran right into you! Makes me wonder if you wanted me to catch ya.". His reply was sprinkled with pants from the exertion of chasing after her.

While the brute's hot breath turned to mist in the chilly afternoon air, he was informed that they were now officially in the Arcanum pack lands, which caused the male's tail to brush through the air in excitement. "Its very eye catching so far, though I imagine it would be even more majestic if the trees were not so naked".

Panic was heading deeper into the maze of trees before he knew it, and he hastily chased after to make sure he didn't lose track of his guide. Which he was sure he would need, since after a few minutes of following he had all but lost his sense of direction from the weaving around, and general symmetry of the forest. "Don't go off and lose me Panic, I don't think I would have a very easy time finding my way out of here." Was his light hearted request.

It was about that time he decided to ask if Panic was actually granted permission to allow outsiders into their lands. "So your Alpha won't mind you bringing strangers in? Or were you planning to just say that I stalked you here from the moors" blue eyes watching inquisitively while waiting on an answer. Before he received a reply however, the temptation to continue their unspoken game took hold.

Vale was closer then at any other point during their play chase, and if he was going to be bold and actually try and pounce upon his friend, that was probably the time to try. A wide grin formed on his face as he cheerfully proclaimed "Gotcha!" and sped up to pounce, he was being careful not to harm the wolf ahead of him in the process, and it was just fun and games for Vale, so it would have been an easily avoided "attack".

[Pandemic]

Panic slunk through the trees, Vale right on her heels. The forest would lighten a little soon and the secluded territory would sprout up before the two wolves' eyes. Vale still seemed pretty concerned about being attacked. What sort of pack had he lived in before he arrived here? More importantly, what sort of pack did he live in now? Then again, that nagging itch in the back of Panic's brain reminded her that Luna was Vale's alpha. Poor thing. On one point though, he was right. The territory would be much more breathtaking if the trees were in their full bloom. They were so beautifu then. That was why Panic had picked this place. The forest, and that one thicket. The one wide, open area. And the river. The river snaked all through the territory that they claimed. There were lakes and streams everywhere, all children of the river.

"Calm down. I promise no one is going to maul you. And if they do, they would have to answer to me."

He could take that however we wanted. He could take it as she meant it, that she was the one in charge, though it was unlikely that he would guess that. But he could also simply take it as a protective friend. Either way. He would certainly find out soon enough that Panic was the alpha here. But before another thought could cross her mind, she felt the furry weight of her friend pushing her to the ground. So he wants to play huh? With a playful snap of her teeth, she rolled about on the ground, squirming to get out of the tackle. It took some careful maneuvering but she escaped his grasp. The lady retorted with a hearty wag of her tail and a few swats at Vale's muzzle. She certainly wasn't a fighter. She'd have to rely on her speed to get away from her "attacker".

"Catch me if you can Vale!"

Panic raced forward, carefully dodging trees as she went. The cold air began to sting at her lungs again but she pressed on. The alpha looked over her shoulders carefully every few seconds to make sure Vale was still in sight. She didn't want him to get lost; after all, he probably wasn't familiar with this forest at all.

[Vale]

Vale did not spend very long on Panic's reassuring statement, he was too caught up in closing the distance to pounce, but for a moment he did wonder what she meant by them any potential attacker having to answer to her. Such thoughts had to be pushed to the back as the two wolves tumbled some from his playful tackle.

He had been sure that victory was his, the pounce had managed to connect , but to his surprise it was not quite enough, she was able to squirm out of his grasp and take off again. At the same time, it meant the playful chase could continue, which brought a grin to his face and causes his tail to wag as he continued after her. "Oh I'm sure I can! Just you wait and see Panic!" Vale called ahead while laughing out loud.

His declaration was at least partly bravado, as he had lept back to all fours, and struggled to close the distance she had gained. The chilled air made him feel heavier, slowing the normally agile male down. Of course maybe he could outlast her in endurance? As long as he did not become lost, the fun gained from the chase was well worth the exertion.

The brute was still not close enough to pounce after some time kicking up snow in the high-speed chase, their speeds seemingly matched as he failed to gain or lose ground, of course he also considered the possibility that she was letting him keep up, but there was still the chance she might slip up while they weaved between the numerous trees. Then he could close the last stretch, though it also made him wonder if he could stop in time if she poured on the brakes again. "So... Panic... feeling tired?" he teased between his heavy breathing. Vale was starting to feel tired.

[Pandemic]

Ahh, sorry this took so long, some serious drama happened with my roommates today, etc. etc. So, also, sorry this isn't really up to par, I'm not feeling that well. I know this doesn't give you much to work with...


Panic ran on. Slowly, very slowly, she could tell that the trees were thinning. Vale probably wouldn't notice, but she knew exactly where they were. They were getting deeper into her land. It was probably about time to slow down a bit. They were getting to the scenic part; the river wasn't far off. A slower bit ran through the whole territory but in the winter, it was seemed a worthy adversary. The edges caked in ice, the river flowing quickly because of the melting and re-icing. It was an unpredictable beast during the winter. A lamb in the summer. Either way was interesting.

Vale called forward to her and to tell the honest truth, she was getting tired. The winter air took it out of you. It was hard to run in the cold and while their game had been fun, she was ready for a nice, leisurely trot. Maybe a leisurely walk. Instead of skidding to a stop as she had done before, she just slowed her pace a little. The distance closed between the two wolves rapidly and she slowed more. She wouldn't have been surprised if Vale had taken the perfect opportunity to pounce on her again.

"Well Vale, we're getting to the good part. I thought it was as good a time as any to slow up a bit. Wouldn't want you to miss anything."

[Vale]

OOC Don't worry about it Panic. I have enough to work with.

IC

How much longer could he keep up? That was what ran through Vale's mind, as he continued his mock chase. It may have just been a game, with nothing running on catching Panic or not catching her, but he still had the desire to win their game, and he wasn't about to give up easily! The male kicked up the light snow as he charged onwards, with his breath turning to a foggy mist with each heavy breath of air that left his maw.

The cold air stung somewhat as he gulped it up in an attempt to fuel his running, which tempted the male to cease his chase prematurely, but that was not what he did. Vale was still confident he would outlast Panic, or at least close the last bit of distance he needed to just pounce.

Suddenly Vale noticed that the distance was closing between the two, his friendly opponent seeming to lose steam and start to slow down, or perhaps he was moving faster, but whatever the case was, he saw it as his chance to win, and a grin grew rapidly on his face. Preparing himself to gently tackle Panic once again.

Very soon the distance had been closed enough, anticipation had given Vale just a tad more steam as he slowed down ever so slightly before pouncing towards the wolf who had just said something. His mind was too focused on the leap, to notice that she had slowed down on purpose to enjoy the scenery

[Pandemic]

Thanks for understanding. This one should be a little better


Panic's paws hit the ground hard as she slowed her pace. It was hard to stop gently. After she had announced to Vale that this was as good a spot as any to begin to tour, she turned around to face him. No sooner had she turned her head and there was Vale, flying at her again. The male pounced again. She wasn't surprised and hearty laughter burst from her muzzle. The two wolves fur mingled as the play continued. This time, Panic was having a time of it trying to get out of the pin that Vale had managed. She snapped her jaws at him, trying to grab an ear or some skin, or anything, all in fun of course. But it seemed as though she was stuck.

The snow puffed up around the two wolves as they tussled in the underbrush. The sun was peeking through the trees, but it seemed as though it was only doing so to say goodnight. It was late afternoon, but the forest got dark quite a bit sooner than open land. Honestly though, it didn't really matter though because everyone knows that wolves can see just fine at night. Still pinned under Vale, Panic had been giving it her all to wiggle out of his grasp but there was no use. None of her snapping had connected, and her flailing paws had probably only served as a source of amusement for her "attacker".

"Awh, come on now. That's not very fair, I wasn't even expecting it. Let me up!"

She laughed again as she continued to try and get herself out of the predicament she had landed in. Still, she knew it was all in fun and there were no ill feelings from either party. Still, the alpha was proud of her lands, and she was eager to show her visitor around. Who knows? Maybe he may even decide to join her pack and leave Luna behind. That was probably a stretch, but odder things had happened in the wolf world before.

[Vale]

OOCLuna is going to kill Vale if she founds out hes being this friendly with Panic. xDD Soap opera for the win though, Vale will come back in a later episode after revealing it was just his body double that Luna kills!

IC

Panic had failed to dodge the playful lunge, or it was possible from the laughter that she had allowed it to connect, but whatever the case may have been, Vale rolled some with the other wolf before managing to pin her down. The brute's tail wagged rapidly behind him, a smile permanently affixed to his maw, and his tongue lolled out.

Vale laughed cheerfully between heavy breaths, the run had been exhausting for the male, but well worth it. His friend continued to squirm in an attempt to escape for a second time, but he managed to stay maintain the pin, while at the same time avoiding the playful snapping, though at times just barely. The wrestling was indeed amusing him greatly, his desire to see the lands, slowly being replaced with the desire to continue playing like a pup with Panic.

Soon he heard Panic's complaint of unfairness, and a request to be let go. The laughter that followed made him suspect it was still probably a game, and he could get away with continuing to pin her to the ground, but he opted instead of another approach. The smile turning to a grin as he spoke to her "Aww, alls fair in love and war you know! Besides, why would I let you go? Your awfully comfy to lay on, if I let you go then what is going to cushion me from the snow!?" Vale attempted to sound matter of fact, and very serious with his arguments, but towards the end he could not help but laugh at his own silly behavior.

"But I guess if you want to deprive me of that..." He whined before releasing his pin on Panic, but remaining where he was laying. The male continued to leisurely watch the femme below him, while wondering how long it would take her to shove his seemingly lifeless form off and stand up as he expected she would do.

[Pandemic]

Ha! Soap Operas. What a joke.


After reluctantly releasing his grip on the female, Vale collapsed into a lazy pile on top of her. A puff off air was forced out of her lungs as Vale's weight dropped down onto her. Still, she laughed. She batted at his face some more and finally pushed on his chest with her forelegs. She certainly wasn't the strongest wolf ever, but that push at least gave her enough leverage to roll out from under her captor. Her fur was matted wit snow from rolling around on the ground, but her thick coat protected her from most of the cold. She lept away from Vale and shook her coat out, her legs spreading out under her. Chunks of snow flew off of the wolf in all directions but it was mostly a cloud of loose snow that billowed off of her.

"Vale! Now look what you did. Come on, let's go."

She laughed as she spoke and began a nice leisurely trot. The sun had begun to sink a little lower in the sky and it was shining a beautiful light through the barren trees. Many of the branches still had ie and snow clinging to them, but if you stood quite, you could hear the crash of some of the weight releasing itself from the trees every now and again. Spring was certainly on its way.

As the two wolves moved on, they passed through a maze of trees and one sound began to become more and more evident as they traveled deeper into the lands. The sound of water. Moving, rushing, flowing water. They were nearing the heart of the territory, the river. As they padded onwards, the sounds grew more obvious and the trees began to thin noticeably. Finally, the trees opened up entirely. A bit more snow lay on the ground in front of them because of the open sky above, but it was perfectly clear what this place would look like during spring.

You could just barely make out the edge of the river from where they stood. The two were on a lazy hill and the river was nearer to the bottom. On breeching the hill though, the river came into full view. The edges were iced over heavily still. This part of the river was a little slower and less violent but that only made the ice thicker, giving it more time to freeze. The late light danced on the bubbles and imperfections locked in the ice's core. You couldn't have asked for a more perfect winter scene.

"So Vale, what do you think?"

[Vale]

Panic eventually managed to slide out from underneath the lethargic acting male, causing him to fall softly on the ground where she had been, which caused him to release an "oof" as he hit the ground. The brute chose not to try and stand just yet, instead watching the snow covered Panic begin to shake the excess weight off of her, some of which flew towards the prone Vale, and slapped onto his muzzle. A healthy amount of laughter escaped from his maw after flinching slightly at the impact, and shortly after which he started to speak while standing up. "Hey! Careful where your throwing that snow Panic." Vale pleaded in a joking manner.

Rather suddenly he was urged onwards by Panic's impatient shepherding, of course Vale had no problem with that, it had been a wonderful decision to take Panic up on her offer, and it showed so signs that it would change for the worse as he happily trailed a bit behind Panic. The land that Panic had been happy to lead him through was proving to be beautiful, and it only became more so the further they went. Eventually they left the forest to enter what almost seemed like a rolling valley plain, complete with a river far in the distance. Vale's tail began to wag as he soaked up the view from the hilltop, tongue lolling out to cool the panting wolf off.

"I think it looks beautiful out here, I bet it looks even better in the spring and summer!" was Vale's rapid reply to what seemed like an easy question, the brute turning to Panic and smiling happily as a non-verbal thank you. A playful thought popped into Vale's mind as they headed down the hill, and his smile quickly turned to a grin as he mischievously whispered to Panic "Tag!" before nudging her with his muzzle and taking off towards the river. It was her turn to try and catch him if she was still interested in such games.

[Pandemic]

The two wolves moved on, each enjoying the scene before them. Vale seemed impressed by the land and that was a plus, but it definitely wasn't Panic's motivation for bringing him here. Still, she was glad he liked it. The land certainly would be a bit more spectacular in the spring and summer months. The river provided ample water for vegetation and it showed. The plant life here in the warmer months was unprecedented. Both packs' territories were vast but there was no where in Enigma where the plant diversity matched that of the Arcanum packlands.

As the two walked down the hill towards the river, Panic noticed Vale trailing behind just slightly. She turned around with a grin, and no sooner was she about to voice her concern at his being behind her, than she felt the slight shove of his muzzle at her side. In a flash he was gone, barreling down the snow dusted hillside and running along the banks of the river. Panic's paws were slow to react as he brain struggled for a second, still deciphering that a game was in motion. And then, her muscles kicked into action as well. Her counterpart had a fairly good head start but she was confident. If there was one thing she was good at, it was running. She may not be strong, but she was fast.

"Hey! No fair. Don't you worry Vale, I'll catch you."

The mountains rose up in the distant horizon and created a scenic backdrop for the chase as the two wolves sprinted along the rivers edge. Snow flew up from behind each as they ran on but to any observer it was clear it was a moment of simple happiness. Things like this were good for wolves every now and again. It was a break from the pressures and responsibilities of regular wolf life.

[Vale]

OOC I just know I forgot something in this post, but I am way too zombiefied right now to remember what.

IC

Vale was in a dead run, determined to win their most recent chase like he had with the other one, and he had the bravado to go with that determination. "Of course its fair! I even said Tag, and I'd like to see you ~try~ and catch me"[b] was what the male hollered back at the wolf who was hot on his trail, looking back occasionally to check if she was gaining on him, and sure enough she was. Powdery snow kicked up with every pawstep as he ran along the river, but was careful not to venture onto the ice out of concern it might break.

It was arduous running with the chilly air burning his lungs when he had to breath so deeply, which was only made worse by the fact that he was not entire rested from their first ruyn, and that was his internal excuse for slowly being overtaken by Panic. Of course there was still the chance he could out manuever her by zigging, and zagging across the snow kissed fields. [b]"Lets see how agile you are Panic!" Vale taunted as he started to move in a Z pattern, making tight turns whenever she would come close to getting him.

His master plan however would prove to be the cause of his loss, as he had overlooked the fact that making such tight turns in the winter could prove problematic. A fact that he was reminded of when he "discovered" a patch of ice beneath the powdery snow, which was simply not a good place to try and turn so rapidly on. What was supposed to be a clever escape from the wolf nipping at his heels instead turned into his hind legs slipping out from underneat him, and sending him half sliding, half tumbling to a stop. It would definatly not be much of a challenge for Panic to close the remaining distance while Vale was dazed by the slip.

[Pandemic]

The lady was determined. Vale was a playfully wolf and she certainly didn't mind. It was nice to have the break from the seemingly always serious business of wolf life. More wolves would be better off if they would just take some time to play a game once in a while. And here was Panic, alpha wolf of a nicely forming pack, playing tag with a member of the neighboring pack. What a sight the two must be. She was trucking after her prey. He was fast, but so was she. Very, very slowly she was closing the distance between the two. It was proving difficult though.

And then, Vale threw a kink into the mix. He decided to start zigzagging. Great. Presumably, she could just run straight and catch up to him, but she didn't know for sure that he would continue his path, he could easily turn farther away from her and she would loose more ground. Instead, she choose to mirror his pattern. She could turn on a dime but was much more careful than she normally would be, thanks to the winter weather. Ironically, as this thought flickered through her mind, it seemed that her counterpart hadn't had the same insight. in front of her, she saw the disaster happening. Vale's paws couldn't keep traction on the slick ground beneath the powdery snow. As he attempted to change paths once again, his paws simple continued their original path. His body was trying its hardest to go the other dirrection but he just couldn't make it happen. The male slid to the ground, landing in a heap of fur and an explosion of snow.

His pursuer was in for the same fate but for a very different reason. Immediately, she burst into laughter. It was an unstoppable fit but it would be her own downfall. While her senses were overwhelmed by the laughter, she could no longer concentrate on her own path. She was heading straight for Vale at top speed and she wasn't even aware. The muscle spasms that accompanied laughing so fully caused her to misstep, her paws tangling themselves under the wolf. She went tripping forward, unable to stop, tumbling over Vale and into her own poof of snow. Still laughing, she rolled onto her side, her paws furiously batting the air. She couldn't stop. Her breath came in heavy gasps as her guffaws continued. Honestly, how could anyone not find this hilarious? Both wolves had slid on the ice and collapsed into piles of fur. And one was still laughing.

[Vale]

OOCReally sorry I took so long and kept delaying. D: Also sorry if its a bit haphazard/short. Its 3am. xD

IC

Vale heard Panic's laughter as he tried to shake the daze from himself, half expecting to be tackled any moment by the victor of their latest chase, but he was surprised instead by what happened next. He wasn't sure what had happened at first, only feeling the half collision of Panic as she tumbled over his prone body, but he quickly joined her in laughing as the scene became more apparent to him.

"At least I wasn't the only one that underestimated the snow!" Nakan chimed in while panting between his laughter. Eventually rolling over so he could watch Panic's hysterical behavior. The cheery situation was more then enough to make the brute's tail thump lightly against the snow covered ground, though his laughter began to slowly died down, a smile remaining on his maw in the process.

At the same time, his brain got to thinking, she wasn't too far from him, and seemed busy laughing at their combined clumsiness. It wouldn't be too hard to close the short distance and pounce, which would make him the victor! Or so male thought as his smile slowly turned to a grin, and he began to continue the playful behavior.

"Lets switch places again!" he mischievously declared in reference to their switching between hunter and hunted, half standing from his laying down position, and then leaping the short distance towards Panic. Hoping that he would land at least close, if not onto the flailing wolf.