Stonewatch Timbers Fancy a swim?

@Gent @Astraeus – Sub-territory discovery and fishing trip!

This is backdated to – 5/22/2015 (After the rank challenge but before Gent talks to Lugh) 
Weather:
Patchy rain nearby, Mild wind 
86 °F, 30 °C
4:46 PM

Oh this was a good excuse to get her two friends to spend some time together. It must have been common knowledge to the both of them that the girl loved exploring; loved seeing what nature had to offer her each day. She knew at least Aeus shared her passion for the natural world, but Raela hadn't managed to find out that much about Gent's opinion on it; their outings were usually business – hunting. Her meeting with Astraeus played out as it usually did; with the chocolate man nearly bouncing with excitement at the idea of another excursion. He seemed to grow much less elated when she suggested bringing the soon-to-be patriarch out with them, however. Nonetheless they found the ebony-coated man, recruiting him to their cause without much trouble. It was a disgustingly hot day though, so the trek was slow and broken up by numerous rest stops in the shade. Part way through the journey they caught a reprieve  in the form of patchy cloud cover and drizzles of rain. Rae was beginning to grow certain that a storm was scheduled for some time later that night. The way the wind kept picking up spoke of a turbulent atmosphere – a front rolling in. It only seemed appropriate with the heat wave they were experiencing. It felt like summer already! Still, it seemed they would have some hours left before any deluge made itself known, and the brief gusts of air were glorious against her pelt. Moving eastward seemed the most interesting choice, given that she'd already been to the tundra and the fields down south. Nothing interesting seemed to call from the western border either. Panting from the heat that seemed to hang all around them, the scent and sound of water nearly forced the girl into a sprint. Ears perked forward with excitement and focus, she padded ahead at a swift trot; confident that her companions would follow suit. The trickling noise led her to the tiniest of streams; clear and cool. After taking a few much-needed gulps of the refreshing liquid, her gaze was lifted upstream. A giddy smile lit the ruddy woman's face as she started for the beautiful sight. It was a wide pool, nestled and carved into the hills to the south. It must be the tail end of the river that runs through the Palisade, she quickly concluded. The leafy timbers bustled right up to the water's edge, which she noticed to be moving, albeit very lazily. It was a harsh turn in the thinning creek that caused this little sanctuary; the water collected lethargically around the turn, resting there before continuing down the tiny brook they'd found. The water was not dirty or stagnant, save for the leaves that had fallen down from the great, low hanging branches of a maple that stretched out over the twinkling surface. This was no middling pond! Eyes glowing with awe, she stood at the bank; admiring the blessing at her feet. Little minnows danced about the rocks and scarce aquatic foliage near the water's edge. The sight gave her an idea. Craning her neck back at the boys, Rae spoke with excitement and mischief. “Bet there's a lot of fish in here. Who wants to go swimming?” Her overheated body nearly trembled at the idea, prodding her paws forward into the cool pond. Having tested the water sufficiently, and feeling practically elated at the success of their mission so far, the Crest subordinate lurched forward without warning; splashing down into the deeper waters with every stride. The sooner she got in, the easier it would be to get used to the temperature. Her pelt now thoroughly soaked, Raela waited at the last place where her feet still had purchase on the grainy bottom; head just above the water. Her playful eyes fixated on Aeus and Gent and she giggled; waiting excitedly for the others to join in.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

(This post was last modified: May 28, 2015, 08:05 PM by Raela.)

            

Sassy Aeus is sassy XD It was splendid that Raela invited him yet again to go out. He was glad that the two were spending more time together, it made for better bonding. She had plans to go and adventure and maybe find a new territory- but, that wasn't her only plan. She aimed to invite Gent as well. He could still feel the strained scowl on his lips, as if it was still there. He didn't approve of their friendship- but he didn't and would never have the right to tell her who she could speak with or see. It was her decision to make her choices and he respected that.. but he didn't have to like it. The threesome moved at a steady pace through the forest, chatting every so often. Aeus stayed close to Raela's side, not allowing Gent any room to stray. In the past week or so, he had taken a much more protective bow with Raela. He wanted to be with her more and had a more difficult time separating with her. He couldn't describe the feeling he got when he was with her- it was like butterflies were fluttering around in his lungs, restraining him to speak fluently. He smiled, laughed and found the light in everything. He couldn't put his finger on the feeling but he felt it briefly once before. Way back when he was still in Nunavut. Whatever it was, he liked it a great deal. Raela seemed to be veering off in the direction of the pond, beckoning the two to follow her. He trailed at her heels, letting his eyes linger at the gleaming water. It shimmered in the evening sun, trying to convince him to take a step in. His favorite sweet voice rose into the empty air, practically pulling him into the pond. He gave her a pleasant smile, bounding in after her. He soon realized what a mistake he took. The water was freezing. He winced and trekked on to meet her. Where her head was almost submerged, his chest ended. In conclusion, leaving him able to move more fluidly. He opened his maw to play bite at her back, splashing water with each jagged movement. "Git over here!"”Speech”

Colourize-Stock @DA, ScifiStock @DA  & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: May 30, 2015, 06:44 PM by Astraeus.)

ITS NOT LIKE I WANTED US TO HAPPEN

OOC: the boys seriously need to patch this shit up xD;

Gent had certainly been confused when the two of them had approached him, a bit nervous even as he wondered if maybe Raela had some bit of 'good' news to share with him about what the two might've been up to since the rank challenge between himself and Astraeus. However, the woman quickly revealed that she simply wanted a day spent in the company of her friends exploring. He didn't have a problem with this, and certainly would've been thrilled by the prospect of adventuring and testing out his muscles in Raela's company if had been just her. With the other male along, there was merely a dull nagging feeling at the very bottom of his stomach every now and then due to Aeus' previous actions concerning Raela.

As they walked, Gent knew that Astraeus was determined to make this day more of a headache than a joy to him. It greatly aggravated the Lieris heir to watch Aeus act as though Raela had already sworn to be his, and a part of him wondered if maybe she secretly had. After all, she didn't seem to notice how determinedly Aeus kept between Gent and herself, nor how unnaturally close for mere friends he pressed himself into her space. Was she really that oblivious, or was she okay with this possessive treatment? Gent feared the latter, he didn't want this male to have such a powerful sway with her, for it risked the chance that Gent might lose her altogether.

Tired of the passively silent messages of ownership Aeus was sending him, Gent merely circled around to Raela's other side, and walked as close to her as he damn well pleased at that point.

When they came to the collected lake, Gent's tail picked up and a backlight illuminated in his eyes. Very interesting, very useful. He placed his nose close to the ground, taking in all the information the muddy banks had to offer him. What lived here, who had passed through, what grew and what lurked by and in the water. Not moments later, Raela was in the water after extending to them both an invitation to swim with her. Gent would have joined her, but Aeus was eager to rush in after her, splashing and nipping at her like one of Minka's children at play. Now standing erect, Gent watched them, a single ear flicking back as he felt thoroughly out of place. Never before had someone else's interactions made him feel awkward in this way. Unwilling to intrude, as surely Aeus would have some underhanded way of focusing Raela's attention solely on himself anyways, the blue black shadow sought something else to occupy his time, something more productive.

He circled around the water's edge, away from the commotion of his pack mates. They were scaring the fish away, shooing them to the other side of the small lake, and Gent would strive to take advantage of this unintentional herding. Once on the opposite bank as Raela and Astraeus, he crept down, watching the scaly vertebrates swim and memorizing the patterns of their movements as he prepared to strike out at the most lethargic one.

OOC: 'bout time the fishing started!

The possessive actions of her chocolatey companion were not lost on the girl. It would have been fine with her if it had not been Gent, her friend, he was shoving away. Still, she made no complaints as she was sandwiched between the rival males while they walked. Hopefully it wouldn't bother the larger man too much. Their lack of speech and interaction wasn't boding well for the feeble spark of friendship she was trying to foster. Standing there in the water though, her spirits had been lifted. Maybe playing in the pond was just the relaxing and carefree invitation they both needed. To her delight, Aeus chased the woman into the water with gusto. Her smile only broadened upon noticing his uncomfortable wince. The subordinate's voice lifted up over the waves they were making. “Oh come on! It's not that bad,” she chided, tail floating up to the water's surface. Really the temperature was fine with her; especially figuring in the disgusting heat that had swallowed them up until now.  She looked on as the older male drew closer and closer, his bounds becoming slower and weaker as the water lapped at his sides and engulfed his limbs. The mischief that had begun creeping onto his face served only to prolong her own chipper expression. She nearly took a hesitant step backward before realizing that she'd only sink further. Aeus tossed his weight forward again, splashing water everywhere as he made the last final leaps to close the distance. She was giggling now; well aware that he planned to attack. Raela tried to move aside, but it was no use in such deep water. His exclamation was followed immediately by the sensation of teeth behind her shoulders, eliciting a startled yelp from between grinning jaws as she plunged below the surface.  Her legs flailed about as she wriggled, rolling over under his weight. His grip lasted only a mere moment, releasing the girl just in time for her to regain purchase on the silty bottom. Legs now collected squarely beneath her, the russet woman launched upward, piercing the surface and biting at his neck while her lithe limbs attempted something of a hug to push him back. It was Gent's determined movement that served to temporarily halt the playful tussle. Lifting herself away from Aeus' side, she watched as the guardian focused in on the cool liquid. It seemed the larger man was more interested in business than play; which hardly surprised her. Still, she wished he'd taken her invitation. Gent almost seemed put out by their play. A pang of remorse sombered her expression as she regarded his stealthy movement. However, it changed back again as the woman swiftly picked up on the usefulness of their roughhousing. They were certainly chasing off the fish with all their splashing and wrestling. Raela glanced back to her closer companion to voice this discovery. “Hey Aeus, we can try scaring the fish over toward Gent.” Raela looked over to the ebony-coated man as he plunged his muzzle into the water after one of the little buggers. “Grab one if ya see it,” she winked, slapping her front feet on the bottom and splashing as she advanced, stopping only to shake the water from her ears and eyes. Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

Raela leapt to the side, trying to dodge him. He gave a cheerful laugh as he lifted his front feet from the bottom in little bursts of energy. She found it undoubtably avoidable to hide from his jaws, leaving her to think outside the box. In a split second, she found the answer; to dive underwater. She plunged below the surface, leaving Aeus with a slight residue of shock. He stood still, not wanting her to get stuck in the webs of his limbs. He waited for her to surface, her ear poking out from the water... and then heading directly towards him. He stumbled back in the water as she flung herself at him he laughed and gave her a few play bites around her shoulder. He was having a splendid time so far, enjoying the closeness of his lady friend. She stopped the play momentarily, turning back to see Gent bowed over the water. Just another period where he was wedging the knife between Raela and himself. He scrunched his nose up and released it with a short breath. Her soprano voice drew his head to turn and face her, distracting him from any negative feelings he had previously felt. He gave her a curt nod and a kind smile, craning his neck back to face Gent. "Oi Gent! I'm going to round the right edges of the lake to herd them to you- get a big one ey?" He smiled, even if it was fake- it looked convincing enough; he was trying to try. He split from Raela, romping about in the water in hopes to scare the fish off. He could see their silvery tails beneath the light reflecting ripples. "I'm thinkin' trout, how about you guys?" He asked, still casting his eyes down in the attempt to make small talk. ”Speech”

Colourize-Stock @DA, ScifiStock @DA  & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

ITS NOT LIKE I WANTED US TO HAPPEN

His black paw, shining cobalt each time the wrathful sun scorched through the cloud cover, was held poised over top the water, waiting for that perfect moment. What he had learned of fishing, was that the art lay in patience, and despite his ambitious nature, Gent had a surprising wealth of it. That was, when the gain was obvious. And there they were, huddling before him, startled but now calming back into their lazy natural state. Some remained darting this way and that, but his pallid eyes ignored them and focused instead on those who thought they were safe.

The man's ears had been flattened against his ink-slicked skull, blocking out the world around him to better concentrate on the task at power. Suddenly, the popped back into place, standing tall to receive his companions' words. He glanced at them momentarily, his icy gaze solemn in nature. They lingered momentarily on Aeus and his unnatural smile, genuine as it may seem it was out of place on the chocolatey face to be directed at Gent. Disregarding the slight abnormality, he returned his focus to the utterly stupid prey skimming under the water's surface before him.

After a further moment of waiting, Gent struck, not in one places but two. Having targeted the two most lackadaisical ectothermic creatures. The rigidity of his prepared limb sublimated into movement so sudden it was but a flash of color, and certainly his prey was unable to anticipate the motion. At the same moment, he his forefront lunged forward to allow parted jaws to slash through the infested waters. While his claws properly gouged and scooped out a decent sized pisces, his fangs just barely missed their mark.

He sat back then, cast his shadow on the muddy bank instead of the water to give the impression to the dull invertebrates that the danger had dissipated as swiftly as it had descended. They had all scattered, but already the minnows were returning, and soon the larger ones would follow, their memory lacking. He looked up to see his packmates both still approaching him noisily, aiding him in gathering a bounty. While waiting, he clamped his jaws around his single prize and squeezed enough to severe its string of life in two before dropping it back onto the packed dirt.

OOC: 5/8 total hunting posts:

The smile her chocolatey friend responded with served only to make her beam even more. Sadly, their time to cavort was over, but in spite of that she was glad he was so eager to do this together, even if it meant sharing her time with Gent. Aeus even went so far as to call out to the mammoth on the bank with a good-natured smile. It didn't occur to the girl that he might not have truly meant it; she was just happy that they were speaking. Kind of. Her eyes slipped toward the would-be fisherman between splashes. The Lieris man was poised; motionless save for the way his frozen optics trailed the potential prey as it circled below. He took note of Aeus' jubilant exclamation, but offered no response. She couldn't blame the man for it though; any movement or gesture could easily ruin his hunt. Regardless, she chose to respond to Aeus' invitation. “Whatever we get, I'll eat it!” She nearly laughed again, casting her friend a delighted grin as she continued splashing. The great black wolf then lashed out like a spear; front legs and head crashing full-force against the surface. The sight and anticipation of his catch gave her pause, and Raela halted her advance. It occurred to the woman that his attack would scatter them back, and a continued approach could force the fish between her and Aeus instead of back the other way. For this reason she stopped, standing at her full height in an attempt to glimpse the outcome of his lunge. Luckily, a fat, flopping fish joined Gent on the banks, trying fruitlessly to free itself from under his paw. “Nice one!” She called, a pleased and excited smile exposing her teeth. The girl's soaked tail tried wagging in the water, but it was slow and much more difficult than usual. She looked on as he murdered the catch; permanently ending its ridiculous thrashing. Now her eyes found the water again. They'd need to intercept the little buggers before they swam back to the other side. Quickly she attempted to gain the mahogany-eyed man's attention. “Hey Aeus!” She gave no explanation, choosing instead to glance at the water before resuming her bouncing in his direction this time. Astraeus was a smart wolf; he would get the idea.  She launched into the deeper water between them; each jump becoming less and less impressive as the pond swallowed more and more of her body. Rae was headed for the deepest section, and it was all she could do to keep her head above the surface. Abruptly, she reached the point where her feet could no longer touch, crashing through the surface this time. Again she submerged, falling deeper into the now murky and silt-filled water. Choosing this time to keep her eyes closed and sand-free, she paddled on in darkness, attempting to reach toward the bottom with her flailing paws and startle any wayward prey. The need for air drove her to the surface in no time. Her russet-colored head burst up, followed by a much needed gasp of air. Still paddling, she glanced around for Aeus to make sure he had met her in the center.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

No response. It was expected, I mean the two men weren't on golden terms after all. Raela responded anyways, sending him a smile. He returned her grin and sent it with a pricked brow- she's friends with this guy? It was an overall awkward circumstance. Just as Astraeus was beginning to see the silvery bodies beneath his chest, a large splash sent droplets of water at his face. He looked up to see Gent wrestling with a fish. The flapping sound of tail against dirt was slowly silenced as Rae piped up a rewarding phrase. The swarthy man joined in with a smile and turned back to where the fish had been. The man's forehead creased, straining to find the scaly creature once more. He narrowed in to cease it, standing completely still and just when he was going for it- Raela called out to him. Aeus looked up slightly concerned, she was running at him..?  It took a few moments to get to his head, but he got the message. The Taranath departed from the fleeting fish, trotting to the center of the pond. It was obvious to see that Raela was struggling to swim atop the surface, and eventually dived underneath. Aeus, having difficulties remaining calm, picked up the pace to meet her in the center- head above the water by only a few inches. "Let's try and get em' up a sand bar." She smiled and spat up water. The man turned his head to see if there in fact, was, a sand bar. ”Speech”

Colourize-Stock @DA, ScifiStock @DA  & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

ITS NOT LIKE I WANTED US TO HAPPEN

remind me to never rp fishing again
ever

The corralling attempts of his pack mates were actually proving to be quite effective. Not only did those he displaced with his abrupt strike return, but others were joining them, spastic and unsure of the shallow waters they found themselves in. It was clear that they suddenly did not feel safe anywhere, and once more Gent found himself scanning the churning waters to sort through what was and was not worth aiming for. Those who were too fickle, and those who were too small, were dismissed by the dusk-coated man, as he knew better than to waste his time on something with so little a chance of success.

It wasn't until he had zeroed in on four fish in particular that seemed to feel far more relaxed in the muddy shallows that Gent once more raised his forepaw into the air, digits flexed and claws poised. Around and around his hailstone eyes traveled, focused on following the quartet as they lazily swam in repeating, predictable patterns. There were moments more of silent concentration, even after the fish had replayed the same course several times over, just to be absolutely certain that his aim would be dead-on. When absolute precision was all but guaranteed, Gent lashed out.

His method was the same as the last, both teeth and razor-ticked paw breaking through the water's surface. This time, with a perfect combination of luck and skill, Gent bit both marks. His fangs sunk through the scales of one victim, while his talons lodged in front of the caudal fin of another. Reflexively, he pulled back immediately, and both invertebrates were brought up out of the water and deposited on the sandy bank. With a few quick crunches, their floundering was ceased and he his bounty had been raised to a total of three.

"Alright," he finally spoke. "We have lunch.

Bright yellow eyes flashed open; locating their target and blinking to clear her sight. Aeus was there. Good. His words managed to reach her clearly despite her noisy paddling. Raela followed his mahogany gaze; curious herself. Again the crashing of the black mammoth's body against the water whipped the woman's head around. She scrambled toward the shallower water; attempting to get a good look at this attempt's harvest. Once her toes had caught the silty bottom, it became clear that Gent had delivered quite nicely. A beaming smile broke her features again at the sight of the panicked fish. Even before the man spoke she could see their names on the bounty. “Sweet!” She called, glancing back to her chocolatey friend before bounding for the bank. Swimming always made her hungry.  The water poured from her fur the moment she heaved her soaked body onto shore. A good hard shake served to spew the rest in all possible directions. From there her lithe form glided cheerfully to Gent's side, inspecting the aquatic buffet for her preferred meal. She felt bad taking anything but the smallest catch; the males were far larger and probably needed much more energy on a daily basis than her slender self. And so, the diminutive critter was snatched up and placed between her paws while she waited for Aeus and Gent to settle. “Nice job Gent,” the agouti girl commented. It was sincere as anything; she'd never really been a fisherman, and her friend had gotten these three so quickly! “I didn't know you were this good at fishing.” The tasty meal beneath her feet went unconsumed until the very next moment.  In between contented bites of seafood, Raela found her eyes wandering over the slow-moving water. A more forceful gust of wind; still threatening to rain on them in the near future; chilled her wet fur further. It was welcome in such humidity and heat. Another mouthful of fish passed her teeth while her attention lingered over the water. They really ought to have a name for this place. They discovered it, after all. They could just refer to it as that “place where the river slows down out east” but that was long and tedious. No, it needed a name. Her own pools flickered back to the two boys; looking patiently at both before she had the nerve to pose the idea. “What do we call this place?” She turned back to the cool liquid as if to indicate what exact place she meant. Words danced nervously in her head. Cove, bend, pool... What was best to describe it? Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra