deercountry | (no subject)

[Savage mostly ignored the mushrooms, stepping over any that crossed his path as he sniffed at the ground and even dug his head into the underbrush now and again, searching. He shook his big head when he managed to get cobwebs stuck to it, pawing at it a moment later then looking back at Willow.

She seemed to be high strung but having fun with mushrooms.

His ears twitched as he heard a small noise in the underbrush. Suddenly a rabbit hopped across the path a handful of feet ahead of him, and the pair of them froze for a second. Then with an excited hop on his paws, he gave chase as the rabbit shot off into the underbrush.]

[It comes as a surprise when she hits the mushrooms that are actually there, instead of the ones she's been seeing all over town this month that no one else seems to notice.

She pauses as the rabbit crosses their path. Normally, she wouldn't give it a second thought and just let it go, but unlike Savage, even in this form, she's not much of a hunter. She's not about to be left behind, though, so when he dashes off after the rabbit, she quickly follows.]

[Savage chased the rabbit, tearing through the underbrush and bounding along. The rabbit was quick and nibble, dodging this way and that, and he followed along. He felt Willow following after him, and it was good they could enjoy a good old fashioned chase.

Of course, he stamped his paws to try to knock the rabbit off course, and his strides ate up the ground. Unfortunately, this form was distracting with how many scents assaulted him.

Perhaps that's why the rabbit managed to leap down its burrow in the dirt and he overshot his lope. He twisted around with a snap of teeth which came no where close to anything but leaves. Then he turned and sniffed towards the burrow.]

[Willow dashes after Savage as he chases the rabbit. It feels startlingly natural and it's easy to set aside her anxiety about being in the woods and instead let her mind focus on the sound of their paws pounding against the forest floor and the feel of the underbrush tugging at her fur as they go.

She doesn't want to see the rabbit harmed, but it's still a bit of a disappointment when it disappears into the burrow and the chase is over. It's gone now, and she doubts the poor animal will be stupid enough to just come back out for them to continue on the chase, or for Savage to kill. She watches for a moment as he sniffs at the burrow and gives a soft 'woof' as if to encourage him to leave it be.]

[He knew that animal wasn't coming back out any time soon, yet Savage still pranced and bounded back and forth in front of the burrow. No prey was stupid enough to dart out again, but as a wolf, it was terribly freeing to just expend unnecessary energy and enjoy the feel of the earth under his paws, the scents of the forest and having part of a pack to share such a situation with.

At her woof, he bounded over the two steps necessary to get her and practically tried to knock her over in wolfish excitement. There was nothing quite like the exhilaration of a hunt, even a failed one. Then he rested his chin on her rump and wagged his tail in a wholly unwolf gesture; he had one so he was going to do it.]

[In all his excitement, Willow forgets her subconscious fear of the woods. She's never had another wolf to run with as far as she can remember, and she realizes it's far more enjoyable than being alone.

Maybe having another wolf around wouldn't be so bad.

She looks back at him as he rests his chin on her and gives a little wag of her tail in return. She doesn't move for a few seconds, taking in the moment, then she glances back again with a mischievous glint in her eyes and dashes off into the undergrowth.]

[Wolves, like Zabrak males, are meant to be in groups. Savage was fully willing to lean into that, even if he didn't realize it was a characteristic of the species he had been turned into. As much as it should bother him, he still was going to enjoy himself because no one could tell who he was and that kind of anonymity was worth it.

His golden eyes light up when she wags her tail back at him, making a low groaning sound in response. Then he perked at the look on her wolfish features and watched her dash off. He took a moment to watch the sway of the undergrowth before he bounded off after her, clearly to another adventure.

How long he'd be a wolf? Don't know. Would he be bothered by morning? Maybe. Until then, he was going to enjoy this confusion.]

[Willow sprints through the forest as fast as she can lay her feet to the ground. It's a remarkably freeing feeling to be able to enjoy herself like this. She would not have dared ventured into the woods on her own.

She comes to a clearing and ducks behind a large boulder, hoping for the opportunity to be able to pop out and surprise Savage, even if he could still follow her scent trail. She might not be willing to engage in a hunt, given the lack of necessity on her part, but she doesn't mind looking for other ways to try to find them both a bit of fun in all this.]

[Savage extended his stride to keep track of Willow as she pelted through the woods and foliage whipped against his face and flanks as he followed in her wake. This time he wasn't distracted by scents or sights, and his ears were pricked forward as he charged along.

Out in the clearing he came, sprint pulling up when he had lost sight of her but still bounding as his head, ears and whiskers moved in search. At his speed, he couldn't just stop to sniff after her scent, and when she popped out from behind a rock, he jumped up and backwards before realizing who it was.

Then he pranced back and pretended to bat at her with a forepaw.]

[Willow's ears are pricked forward and her mouth hangs open as she succeeds in taking Savage by surprise. She really hadn't expected it to work, but she's both pleased and amused by his reaction.

She takes an exaggerated hop back as he bats at her, and rises up on her back legs to bat back at him playfully.]

[This was play behaviour that he could understand, even in this form. As she rose and batted at him, he hopped towards her baring one of his sides and dropped his muzzle to nip at her knee.

He put himself so that she would have to jump away or land on top of him, either of which was perfectly fine for play in his books.]

[She tries to turn in mid-air as he goes for her knee and instead comes right down on top of him. She could try to jump back, but instead she tries to use the momentum to bowl both of them over.]

[He hopped when her weight landed on him, and he groaned in the fun. He was solid enough to keep to his feet, but when it was clear she was trying to topple them, he did drop and roll, rubbing his back in the grass and nipping towards her without much intent.]

[She would laugh if she could in this form as they roll in the grass. She pulls back as he nips at her, and reciprocates in kind, nipping playfully at his legs, without genuinely intending any harm.]

[He was kicking his paws in the air as he wiggled on the grass, mouth agap as he made noises that where somewhere between what he would make as a Zabrak and what wolves might make. He made a mock wounded sound when she caught a paw, licking at her muzzle to 'plead' for her to let go.]

[She releases him quickly and hops back, with a lazy wag of her tail. She knows it's all in good fun, no way she bit down hard enough to actually hurt him.]