Among the Poppies. [Canine RP]

OOC Thread | Character Thread
[OOC: Don't worry about length! I tend to post long when starting anyways to give people something to go off of!]

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This wasn't her native home. But that was okay for now, that wasn't really the focus anyways. A breeze ruffled fur, as she stood on the edge of the field. The day was beautiful, few clouds, warmth, sun. It was red as far as the eye could see really, forest opening up right into a meadow filled to the brim with blood red flowers. Stepping lightly, trying not to destroy them all as she went, Sparrow uneasily began her way through it. Another breeze caused the poppies to wave eagerly, and pushing her fur up again. Rough was a good way to describe how things had been lately. Especially considering something was going on. Something that never was very good. It made her stomach clench with worry, like trying to digest a stone covered in ice.

The wolf made it about thirty feet into the field before she sighed, closing her blue eyes and tilting her head up to let the breeze wash away the anxious smell of herself and the forest she normally prowls. It didn't quite lift the weight in her, but the sun and wind and flower scent was enough to distract. A grin crosses her maw as she opens her eyes again. And off she bounds, bouncing around in the flowers like a pup. Anything to pretend thing are okay again, she's decided. Laughter came easily as she found herself rolling around in the field, petals and flowers going every which way. It'd regrow anyways, no need to worry too much.

 

Windsong watched the unfamiliar cream-colored wolf from the relative darkness of the woods. Of course, ever since he struck out on his own and took to wandering, everything was unfamiliar, and unfamiliar meant potentially dangerous. Just because this strange wolf was lovely to look at didn't mean she was safe to approach.

Still, when she bounded through the tall grass like a puppy, he couldn't help but wag his long-plumed tail, being still half a puppy himself. And when she rolled on the ground making a joyous sound, he couldn't help but join in with an excited bark, totally giving away his presence.

 

Excited barking from over the hill brings Southstar's head out of the cattails with a rattle. The massive King Bullfrog she'd been chasing since dawn hunkered farther down under his log with an unpleasant squelch. Oh well. She'd beem snacking on his subjects all morning.

She snorts muck out of her snout at him, tongue lolling, and schleps her way out of the reeds, shaking vigorously until her thick snowy coat stands out in sharp, muddy spikes.

Hopefully the mudpack would dry and help do something about the remains of the winter undercoat that refused to blow out. Next year she was going to follow the geese south. Her winter coat always came out patchy and she looked mangy halfway into spring. The fact that now, up to her withers in marsh mud and water weeds, she looked more kelpie than canid was irrelevant as she trots up the hill toward the noise.

 

An open poppy field is a bad place to sleep, generally speaking. There's no cover from the elements, and as pretty as it all is there's nothing to stop someone from finding you when you're vulnerable or worse, from stopping some obnoxious pups from coming along and kicking up a fuss being all excitable and waking you up in the middle of your nap. Barkimedes cracked an eye open to peer out into the field from where he was sprawled out with his chin in the dirt. He hauled his head up and crossed his front paws, squinting towards the sound of laughter. Fuckin' youngin's rolling about on his lawn. Or, y'know, this random field he's ended up in. Whatever works.

(( immediately posts under the wrong subaccount. nice.jpg))

 

There was another wolf in the clearing! Windsong regretted his outburst the moment he saw that head pop up from among the flowers. This wolf looked mean, with his short, broad muzzle and wild mane.
Windsong ducked down, curling up on the ground and flattening his wings close to his body. He didn't want to be seen by that tough-looking wolf... or whatever was making those noises, moving up the hill towards the clearing. Too bad about his eye-catching mint-green coat and long, trailing tail hair. He was not one of nature's stealthy creatures.

 

She's coated in algae, cattails, mud, and now flower petals. Truly the epitome of style, with a bellyfull of frogs. Good day.

Theres a big boxy grey head popping out of the--heh--poppies, and more flowers rustling wildly off to one side. Looks like a party.

She trots down the hill.

 

She hadn't expected to start what amounted to a party. Wolves were popping practically outta the woodwork. Sparrow's frolicking had been cut short when she noticed that there were so many others just coming to see what she was up to. Oops. Now her cool and serious facade is gone. A poppy is stuck in her fur as she sits up from rolling in the flowers, turning to check out the newcomers. Turns out she had mostly just missed out on one wolf who had been in the clearing before she got there, and now there's a swamp dog and someone else who had been napping. In the field.

How the hell did she miss all these wolves? Snorting, she tries to go back to looking ethereal and cool. But when you've got flowers stuck in your fur and look like you've rolled around in them while laughing... It's hard. Coolly she wags her tail in greeting, snuffling out at the wolves who seem to be congregating on her playtime.

"Boy, that sure was loud huh? I dunno who was laughing like that." Yep. Smooth. No one will ever guess.

 

Moonsausage looked up from his meal as he heard what sounded like a bunch of puppies making trouble. Normally he would investigate, but he had also wanted to avoid the field if possible. It just wasn't good form for a wolf like him to be seen in such a place. He finished his rat before coming to a decision.

Making his way to the source of all the noise, he nodded to acknowledge the winged wolf he passed by as he left the forest. He also made sure to step on as many flowers as he could along the way.

 

Southstar gives an experimental shake of her filthy coat--nope, still tacky. It's not quite warm enough for a quick dry. Her tail crunches as it waves, scattering globs of mud.

She ambles up to the calico pup, "No idea," she laughs, and noses the flower stuck to the pup's ruff. "You missed one."

(Does this leave a giant glob of mud in Sparrow's fur? Up to you!)

 

Turns out the unidentified noise was a muddy, fluffy wolf who smelled like swamp water. Ew. And oh my goodness, what was that? This wolf looked even meaner than the gray one, with his tusks and red eyes... but he just nodded to Windsong as he walked by.
Windsong rose to his feet and watched the other wolves congregate peacefully in the clearing. Maybe the wolves around here were... nice?
He stepped out into the clearing and sniffed at one of the poppies the red-eyed wolf had crushed with exaggerated casualness, waving his tail slowly.

 

Hey, he's not mean he's just grumpy. Seeing that the other wolves were gathering together he hauled himself up and shook off. Since he's here he might as well make some new friends so he padded over and- wow holy shit, the new coming smells like dying. He wrinkled his nose at the mucky pup and looked her up and down. Goddamn girl what have you even been doing.

He sat a few steps away from them both and gestured to pretty much all of Southstar with his paw. "You missed one to."

 

She bleps at grey-and-grumpy.

"You try to get this much undercoat out while lone-wolfing it out of snowpack. It's this or rub against trees and beg crows for help for three weeks, and those little bastards always grab topcoat too."

Sheepish tail wag. "Er... The smell will fade as it dries."

 

Moonsausage laughs at the exchange as he approaches, pausing briefly to check whether the mint wolf is still following him. He stops his trail of poppy destruction and takes a seat near the other three wolves. Or, well... near the grey and calico wolves at least. Even he can't help but be put off by the smell of the mudpup. "Is this some sort of party? What are you pups doing in this neck of the woods?"

 

Barkimedes blepped right back with his obnoxiously green tongue. "What's wrong with rubbing against a nice tree?"

He was a little startled by the new comer with the tusks. Christ, this looks like the kind of wolf he definitely doesn't want to pick a fight with. Better suck up to him instead! He sat up straighter and gave the newcomer a relaxed toothy grin. "Damn right it's a party, you here to help me teach these pups how to party right?"

 

"Two words: Pine. Resin," she says, grimacing. The bald spot on the back of her left ear had only recently grown back.

She cocks her head at the brightly colored newcomers. Does greeny have wings? Wings, lightning bolts, a pig skull, green tongues--and she thought she'd stand out as an Arctic white wolf this far south. She should have migrated sooner.

 

[Windsong is just an easily intimidated weenie with a very low threshold for "mean-looking."]

Windsong finally sidled up to the knot of socializing wolves, taking a seat-next to the red-eyed wolf. "I wouldn't necessarily call it a party, since we all just kind of showed up separately. The word party implies a planned event, right? If there's going to be a party, it would have to start no earlier than now."
"I'm Windsong," he added.

#cool guy

 

"Moonsausage." He eyes the other wolves suspiciously. "Isn't it a little coincidental for this many lone wolves to gather in the same place at the same time?", he finished with a slight growl. He had thought that grey and calico at least were a pack, but five lone wolves meeting at once? It just wasn't natural. They must be up to something.

 

"Southstar," she says, ears flattening slightly at Moonsausage's tone. "I've been in the area since halfmoon, working my way out of the cold North, but I don't exactly know who's native yet."

 

She had missed some flowers, and angrily Sparrow shakes herself to get rid of them all. So many wolves, so much to say. Ice blue eyes narrow as she glances everyone over in confusion. "The name is Sparrow, and I was here because I wanted to... romp in the damn flowers. They looked nice and smell nice. Okay?"

It's obvious she's a bit grumpy about being noticed, but that's ok. "I didn't really start a party, everyone else showed up when I was running around. Totally not my fault."

 

Damn, shot down. Barkimedes' ears flattened back when Moonsausage snapped at them. So much for new friends. He took a mental note of everyone's names and put his lazy, easy going grin back in place. "I'm Barkimedes. And I'm not a lone wolf I have a pack they're just... Not... Here." Haha yeah. Real smooth. They're not talking to him at the moment and he's really too much of a coward to fight for his place back unless he has to soooo.