Post by Ashen on Feb 4, 2009 1:24:13 GMT -5
Lazuli needs more logs! Look how far we've fallen behind Amaranth! D: *flails*
Characters:
Helios
Shikoba
Location: Scatter of Trees
With another patrol done Helios is making his way on through the trees as a rather lazy pace. He caught news of his mother given Larkspur and Haze the alpha part, an his fine with his sister being alpha but he has no idea about Haze. The young wolf supposes time will tell all about that.
Shikoba is sitting by one of the trees, staring off into the desert sky. With every passing day, she's feeling herself drawn more and more strongly to the horizon. Of course, she never complies. She hasn't actually heard about Larkspur and Haze's promotion to Alpha; she's been too busy settling and getting used to this place, even after all the time they've been here. She hears somebody approaching, and looks around, snapping out of her daze. "Afternoon." She calls, having not actually seen who it is before issuing the greeting. In her mind, it doesn't matter too much.
Helios ears perk and he glances around a moment before catching sight of Shikoba as he keeps moving. A slight smile and nod is offered. "Hey Shikoba." This said while the redish colored wolf starts making his way towards the other. "How you doing?" they haven't really talked since the pack moved here, and even when they was growing up he was often following after his father and older brother to see what trouble he could get into.
Shikoba stands up, circling around until she finds Helios, and then stops to face him. "Helios." She bows her head respectfully. He is, after all, the Alphas' son. "I'm doing fine. I hope the same for you?" She asks, a polite smile on her muzzle.
Helios tilts his head a moment and smiles a tad at the show of respect he gets, something his never understood his just the son of the last alphas not an actually leader after all. "I'm alright, busy busy with patrols an all.." Which is about all he does anymore, he settles back to his haunches tail flicking a few times. "I'm glad to hear that your doing well."
Shikoba waits until Helios has seats himself before doing the same herself. "See anything interesting lately?" She wonders, genuinely interested. "And how has Alpha Storm been doing?" She hasn't seen much of Storm, although she can admit that it's really her fault, for actually avoiding her, and much of the pack in general. If she hadn't, though, she'd have heard the recent news already...
"Just some deer wandering into the area, suppose that is a good sign." Helios tilts his head and ohs softly a moment. "Well.. Mom is alright I suppose." This is said softly. "But she's never really be fully back to normal after everything with dad." His ears lower a moment. "An the other day she turned over leadership of the pack to Larkspur and Haze." Like Shikoba, Helios has been keeping to himself a good amount of the time though he ran into Cyrus during a patrol change and got the run down on everything.
Shikoba looks a little disappointed that nothing all that fascinating as happened, until Helios mentions the change of leadership. "Haze? Larkspur?" She hadn't gotten to know them all that well, although she'd always thought highly of Larkspur simply for being the daughter of the two former Alphas. Haze, however, she could not think about without picturing that scene she'd walked in on... when Felstride had been... Shikoba banishes those memories, before they can take over her thoughts. She doesn't want to break down again in front of anybody again. It was shameful enough the last time she'd done it. "Well, that's good, I think. She more than deserves rest now."
Helios takes in a slight breath and nods while he looks off towards the forest. "I just hope she doesn't get to depressed now and she doesn't have anything to really do, so to speak.. She's gotten to where she stays away from everyone and only Miakoda seems able to find her." He can understand why at least, but still it bothers him to see his mother like this. His gaze goes back to Shikoba. "But.. I'm sure it'll work out alright." A faint smile is seen.
Shikoba's ears slip back. That doesn't sound good, she had no idea. But of course, she can understand why Storm took it so hard. Her eyes narrow, and she looks to the ground for a time. Now she's concerned, and makes a note to try and ask her mother about the former Alpha at her next chance. She looks back up, though, at his hopeful words. "Yeah. I'm sure she just needs time."
Helios maw twitches and he nods slightly, a faint smile still seen before he takes in a faint breath. "So.. I heard something about you trying to go see the world.. You still thinking about doing that?"
Shikoba looks away for a moment. She was surprised anybody would remember that, although it does make her feel a little important that some aspect of her life was of at least some note. She nods, turning back. "I think about it all the time. I still would like to." She shifts on her paws. "There's so much I need to see."
Helios watches her curiously and nods with a smiling. "Well.. If you still want to go, will you let me know?" He questions at first before looking around the area. "Would be sorta nice to see something outside of everything here." He had always wanted to go wandering, but Cyrus beat him to it, an so did Larkspur. Listioning to there stories have made him want to leave more and find out what is on the other side of some far off mountain.
Shikoba can't keep herself from smiling. "You'd come?" To be honest, she would leave right now if she didn't think there were still somethings that she needs to do first. The most important of which, she feels, is finding the new Alphas and congratulating them. And, obviously, she'd have to let them know. "Of course. Whenever it is I decide to go, I'll come tell you."
Helios smiles and nods. "Well.. Ya.. your not the only one that is wondering whats over that next mountain after all." This said with a slight grin. Well his parents got to wander, older sister and brother so its his turn as far as he sees it!
Shikoba laughs. "I guess I'm not, I should thought of that. It seems nearly everybody else has gotten to see more the world outside our pack." Yes, that's what it seems like. Not something she can actually prove one way or the other, but it doesn't change how she feels. And talking about it has just reignited her wanderlust, something she'd forced herself to quell for a while. "It's only fair if we get to go, especially if they don't need us for anything." She, at least, has never felt she could do much for the pack. Not the way she is now.
Helios chuckles. "Its alright." He says with a smile while huffing softly. "Oh I'm sure they could find you something to do if you really wanted to stay.. Though going off on an adventure sounds like more fun doesn't it?" He is actually really enjoying the idea now.
Shikoba shrugs lightly. "Well, maybe. I can hunt, but anybody else can do that." She's more skilled at hunting than she gives herself credit for, but it's not something she recognizes, nor shows off all that often. "Not good at much else." She admits, modestly. "Even if I was, I'm sure they wouldn't miss me too much, for a little while."
Helios watches her a few moments before lowering his head. "Hey.. your good at plenty of things Shikoba." This said with a friendly tone and slight smile. "An they would miss you, but I think they would also want you to be happy."
Shikoba always has a tendency to feel very small, that everybody around her is more important in some way or another. "Maybe..." She never knows how to react when that viewpoint is in anyway contradicted. "I won't be gone forever, of course. I'd be back, so I'm sure it wouldn't hurt anything." She ponders this a while, then grins faintly. "Then I could be good for something. I'll have all kinds of stories to tell the pups when we get back."
Helios ahs softly while taking in a breath and smiles as he lifts a forepaw to faintly bat out at the other. "We'd have some pretty interesting stories." This said as she grins. He still wants to go, and most likely will even if someone told told him not to. There are plenty of wolves here to take care of the pack so he could disappear for a while.
Shikoba nods, still grinning. "That we will." Not realizing she may end up corrupting the next generation into her same mindset. "And if we left soon, they might still be pups when we get back." Not that she plans to be gone /that/ long.
Helios chuckles and nods with a grin. "Well that's true too.." He has to admit the pups are somewhat cute, just rather loud at times. Silly things.
Shikoba would really like to meet the pups, although she figures they'll be mostly off-limits for a while. "Oh, I don't suppose you could relay my well wishes to the new Alphas? With the pups, I'm sure they won't have the time to see me." But Helios is Larkspur's brother, so surely he'd be able to relay it along.
Helios nods at this. "Sure I can do that.. But your welcome to see them too you know?" He says in more of a statement then question really.
Shikoba scuffs a paw into the ground, clicking her teeth a few times, as if chewing on some invisible object. "Are you sure it would be alright?" She questions, uncertain.
Helios blinks a few times before wruffing softly. "Well of course it would be alright.. Your part of the pack, an your Mia and Thorne's daughter. Your just as important as the rest of us you know."
Shikoba lowers her head a bit, but still nods. "That's nice of you to say, but is that what they would think?" She still hasn't determined her place in the pack. She's the Betas' daughter, true enough, but she also wonders if that really means anything more than just sounding important.
Helios lowers his head more until he can look her in the eyes with her own. "Why wouldn't they think the same?" He questions softly. "I'm the past alpha's son, truthfully its just a title. Everyone cares for everyone, we're all family and family is what happens to be the important part. Not the title."
Shikoba returns the gaze for a length of time that's irregular for her. But true to her nature, she eventually looks away, at his paws instead. "I don't know either of them very well. Storm and Felstride, they were both like second parents. I don't if Alpha Larkspur or Haze would even like me."
Helios tail sways a few times and he smiles as she looks at him, his ears lowers lightly when she looks away. His forepaw lifts to softly bat at her ears. "If they don't like your I'll sit on them until they do."
Shikoba's shoulders tremble. At first she tries to hold it in, clenching her teeth and shutting her eyes. Nevertheless, her efforts are of no use; the laughter spills out anyway. It takes a while before she brings herself to speak again. "Okay... Okay, I'll go see them at my next chance."
Helios blinks and chuckles softly while grinning and nods while his tail flicks about. "Good.. I'm glad to hear that." He says happly. "Nice too hear you laugh again to."
Shikoba flushes, a fact hidden by her light fur, although just barely. She was being a little silly, although what Helios said had been quite entertaining. "So it is." She'd been so busy wishing to be more grown up, she forgot that it's okay to laugh once in a while. "Well, I expect you to follow through with your promise if it turns out I'm right."
Helios grins and nods while winking at her. "Sure! Even if Larkspur is alpha she's still my sister.. Which means I can still take her on without a problem!" This said with a playful tone while he puffs himself up.
Shikoba looks him up and down, discerningly. "I imagine so." She observes, a chuckle on her tongue, followed by a sly grin as she reaches up a paw to poke him in the chest. "I'll be sure to pass that along."
Helios grunts a bit and lifts a forepaw to rub at his chest while his tail flicks about. "Oh.. Now don't do that, it would ruin the surprize.."
Shikoba stands up, her head held at an angle, amused. "Surprise? You're not planning to do it anyway, are you?"
Helios peers innocent like. "Well /of/ course I am! I always plan on sitting on my sister when ever I get the chance!"
Shikoba lets out a hyperbolic sigh, shaking her head. For now, she's forgotten that she's talking to a wolf who is, in her mind, her social superior. "Well... and here I was wondering if she liked /me/." Then again, if she can tolerate a brother who sits on her all the time, Shikoba might just have a chance.
Helios smirks at this. "Oh come on Shikoba.. Of course she likes you." This said while he does a playbow, his tail swaying about in the air. "Who wouldn't?"
Helios' playful demeanor is infectious, and Shikoba's own tail gradually begins to wag. "Um, I don't know..." Actually, she can't think of anyone off the top of her head that actually /dislikes/ her. Not openly, or that she's aware of anyway. It's, perhaps, more of a fear than anything else. A fear of rejection. "What if she thinks I'm annoying?"
Helios bounces upon his paws a few times and huffs. "Naw.. I'm more annoying then your ever be.. Trust me in that!" He bats out at her with a forepaw to try and get her to play with him.
"I can see that." She teases. Slowly, he chips away at Shikoba's serious bearing. Finally, she starts nipping at Helios' paws, and then at his ears, her tail swishing merrily behind her.
Helios acks faintly and laughs while pulling back a bit to try and escape the sudden attack to his ears. He bounces about while pawing out at her a few times with both for paws. "Well then I shouldn't have to explain it to you right?" This said with a teasing tone.
Shikoba advances a bit, but then gives ground to his pawing. "What? That you're annoying, or that I'm not so much?" She grins, circling around to try and 'tackle' him from the side. Although really, all she would accomplish would be pushing off him with her front paws.
Helios blinks while watching her and oofs faintly as the 'tackle' which causes him to flop over on his side and he half swings a forepaw out at her cheek softly. "Humm.. what about a bit of both?" He winks at her playful like.
Shikoba is surprised a moment when his paw lightly cuffs her cheek, which she responds to by trying to grab his leg, at the wrist, in her mouth. Although she puts no strength behind her teeth. "That could work." She replies, although her focus is starting to tumble off the conversation, distracted by the play. What were they talking about?
Helios eers softly as his leg is grabbed, but he isn't worried about it. He grins and wiggles about on his paws working on trying to get his paw free from her grasp. "Of course it could." He says before leaning over to nibble at her ears.
Shikoba growls impishly, tugging on the limb. She nearly lets go when he goes for her ears, where she's particularly ticklish. Rather than retreat, she loosens her grip just enough that she can roll to the ground, onto her back, without wrenching his paw along the way.
Helios laughs now and tries to pull his paw free when she rolls onto her back. "Hey.. I'm getting all drooled on." He says with a playful tone.
Shikoba lets him reclaim his paw at last, but frowns with pseudo offense. "I do not drool!" She objects, still staring up at him, somewhat askew.
Helios wiggles his now free forepaw and peers at her playful like. "Oh really?" He questions while lifting his other forepaw to faintly bat out at her nose a tad.
Shikoba rubs at the side of her muzzle with one paw, just in case she *might* actually have drooled. "Yes, really." She responds, as if she was entirely confident of her position. She puffs at his paw, then thrusts her own upward, to rap at his chin.
Helios blinks and snickers faintly before getting bapped and huffles a bit while he flops down onto the ground. His tail thumping a few times while he pokes out at her. "Alright alright.. You didn't drool."
Shikoba rolls onto her side, and lifts her head off the ground, giving a few half-hearted nips in response to the poking. "Of course I didn't. I never drool, ever."
Helios chuckles and smiles while nodding. "Of course not.. My mistake." He offers softly, while a faint burr like sound escapes him.
Shikoba grins triumphantly, although that was barely any kind of victory at all. After a while, her head grows weary and she expels a long breath, her muzzle coming to rest between her paws. "Thanks, Helios..."
Helios watches her and smiles while nodding. "Any time Shikoba." He said with a soft happy tone, his tail slowly swaying.
Shikoba returns the smile. She really needed a little cheering up, although she'd not even realized it herself until now. After regarding him for a long while, the she-wolf pushes herself up, shaking the gritty dust from her fur. "I should go take care of some things... I'll see you later."
Helios ears perk and he ohs softly while shifting up to his paws and bows his head slightly. "Alright, take care Shikoba." He says with one of his charming smiles.
Shikoba is tentative about leaving at first, but she forces herself anyway. She has feelings to sort through. "You too, Helios." She can't resist another grin, and impulsively starts forward to give him a nudge just below the ear. With that, she twirls around and saunters away.
Helios blinks at the nudge and ohs before smiling and lifts his head to look after her. He smiles a few long moments before he starts moving in the direction he was going to see who else might be awake near the caven.. Though a few other things are on his mind at the moment while he goes.
Characters:
Helios
Shikoba
Location: Scatter of Trees
With another patrol done Helios is making his way on through the trees as a rather lazy pace. He caught news of his mother given Larkspur and Haze the alpha part, an his fine with his sister being alpha but he has no idea about Haze. The young wolf supposes time will tell all about that.
Shikoba is sitting by one of the trees, staring off into the desert sky. With every passing day, she's feeling herself drawn more and more strongly to the horizon. Of course, she never complies. She hasn't actually heard about Larkspur and Haze's promotion to Alpha; she's been too busy settling and getting used to this place, even after all the time they've been here. She hears somebody approaching, and looks around, snapping out of her daze. "Afternoon." She calls, having not actually seen who it is before issuing the greeting. In her mind, it doesn't matter too much.
Helios ears perk and he glances around a moment before catching sight of Shikoba as he keeps moving. A slight smile and nod is offered. "Hey Shikoba." This said while the redish colored wolf starts making his way towards the other. "How you doing?" they haven't really talked since the pack moved here, and even when they was growing up he was often following after his father and older brother to see what trouble he could get into.
Shikoba stands up, circling around until she finds Helios, and then stops to face him. "Helios." She bows her head respectfully. He is, after all, the Alphas' son. "I'm doing fine. I hope the same for you?" She asks, a polite smile on her muzzle.
Helios tilts his head a moment and smiles a tad at the show of respect he gets, something his never understood his just the son of the last alphas not an actually leader after all. "I'm alright, busy busy with patrols an all.." Which is about all he does anymore, he settles back to his haunches tail flicking a few times. "I'm glad to hear that your doing well."
Shikoba waits until Helios has seats himself before doing the same herself. "See anything interesting lately?" She wonders, genuinely interested. "And how has Alpha Storm been doing?" She hasn't seen much of Storm, although she can admit that it's really her fault, for actually avoiding her, and much of the pack in general. If she hadn't, though, she'd have heard the recent news already...
"Just some deer wandering into the area, suppose that is a good sign." Helios tilts his head and ohs softly a moment. "Well.. Mom is alright I suppose." This is said softly. "But she's never really be fully back to normal after everything with dad." His ears lower a moment. "An the other day she turned over leadership of the pack to Larkspur and Haze." Like Shikoba, Helios has been keeping to himself a good amount of the time though he ran into Cyrus during a patrol change and got the run down on everything.
Shikoba looks a little disappointed that nothing all that fascinating as happened, until Helios mentions the change of leadership. "Haze? Larkspur?" She hadn't gotten to know them all that well, although she'd always thought highly of Larkspur simply for being the daughter of the two former Alphas. Haze, however, she could not think about without picturing that scene she'd walked in on... when Felstride had been... Shikoba banishes those memories, before they can take over her thoughts. She doesn't want to break down again in front of anybody again. It was shameful enough the last time she'd done it. "Well, that's good, I think. She more than deserves rest now."
Helios takes in a slight breath and nods while he looks off towards the forest. "I just hope she doesn't get to depressed now and she doesn't have anything to really do, so to speak.. She's gotten to where she stays away from everyone and only Miakoda seems able to find her." He can understand why at least, but still it bothers him to see his mother like this. His gaze goes back to Shikoba. "But.. I'm sure it'll work out alright." A faint smile is seen.
Shikoba's ears slip back. That doesn't sound good, she had no idea. But of course, she can understand why Storm took it so hard. Her eyes narrow, and she looks to the ground for a time. Now she's concerned, and makes a note to try and ask her mother about the former Alpha at her next chance. She looks back up, though, at his hopeful words. "Yeah. I'm sure she just needs time."
Helios maw twitches and he nods slightly, a faint smile still seen before he takes in a faint breath. "So.. I heard something about you trying to go see the world.. You still thinking about doing that?"
Shikoba looks away for a moment. She was surprised anybody would remember that, although it does make her feel a little important that some aspect of her life was of at least some note. She nods, turning back. "I think about it all the time. I still would like to." She shifts on her paws. "There's so much I need to see."
Helios watches her curiously and nods with a smiling. "Well.. If you still want to go, will you let me know?" He questions at first before looking around the area. "Would be sorta nice to see something outside of everything here." He had always wanted to go wandering, but Cyrus beat him to it, an so did Larkspur. Listioning to there stories have made him want to leave more and find out what is on the other side of some far off mountain.
Shikoba can't keep herself from smiling. "You'd come?" To be honest, she would leave right now if she didn't think there were still somethings that she needs to do first. The most important of which, she feels, is finding the new Alphas and congratulating them. And, obviously, she'd have to let them know. "Of course. Whenever it is I decide to go, I'll come tell you."
Helios smiles and nods. "Well.. Ya.. your not the only one that is wondering whats over that next mountain after all." This said with a slight grin. Well his parents got to wander, older sister and brother so its his turn as far as he sees it!
Shikoba laughs. "I guess I'm not, I should thought of that. It seems nearly everybody else has gotten to see more the world outside our pack." Yes, that's what it seems like. Not something she can actually prove one way or the other, but it doesn't change how she feels. And talking about it has just reignited her wanderlust, something she'd forced herself to quell for a while. "It's only fair if we get to go, especially if they don't need us for anything." She, at least, has never felt she could do much for the pack. Not the way she is now.
Helios chuckles. "Its alright." He says with a smile while huffing softly. "Oh I'm sure they could find you something to do if you really wanted to stay.. Though going off on an adventure sounds like more fun doesn't it?" He is actually really enjoying the idea now.
Shikoba shrugs lightly. "Well, maybe. I can hunt, but anybody else can do that." She's more skilled at hunting than she gives herself credit for, but it's not something she recognizes, nor shows off all that often. "Not good at much else." She admits, modestly. "Even if I was, I'm sure they wouldn't miss me too much, for a little while."
Helios watches her a few moments before lowering his head. "Hey.. your good at plenty of things Shikoba." This said with a friendly tone and slight smile. "An they would miss you, but I think they would also want you to be happy."
Shikoba always has a tendency to feel very small, that everybody around her is more important in some way or another. "Maybe..." She never knows how to react when that viewpoint is in anyway contradicted. "I won't be gone forever, of course. I'd be back, so I'm sure it wouldn't hurt anything." She ponders this a while, then grins faintly. "Then I could be good for something. I'll have all kinds of stories to tell the pups when we get back."
Helios ahs softly while taking in a breath and smiles as he lifts a forepaw to faintly bat out at the other. "We'd have some pretty interesting stories." This said as she grins. He still wants to go, and most likely will even if someone told told him not to. There are plenty of wolves here to take care of the pack so he could disappear for a while.
Shikoba nods, still grinning. "That we will." Not realizing she may end up corrupting the next generation into her same mindset. "And if we left soon, they might still be pups when we get back." Not that she plans to be gone /that/ long.
Helios chuckles and nods with a grin. "Well that's true too.." He has to admit the pups are somewhat cute, just rather loud at times. Silly things.
Shikoba would really like to meet the pups, although she figures they'll be mostly off-limits for a while. "Oh, I don't suppose you could relay my well wishes to the new Alphas? With the pups, I'm sure they won't have the time to see me." But Helios is Larkspur's brother, so surely he'd be able to relay it along.
Helios nods at this. "Sure I can do that.. But your welcome to see them too you know?" He says in more of a statement then question really.
Shikoba scuffs a paw into the ground, clicking her teeth a few times, as if chewing on some invisible object. "Are you sure it would be alright?" She questions, uncertain.
Helios blinks a few times before wruffing softly. "Well of course it would be alright.. Your part of the pack, an your Mia and Thorne's daughter. Your just as important as the rest of us you know."
Shikoba lowers her head a bit, but still nods. "That's nice of you to say, but is that what they would think?" She still hasn't determined her place in the pack. She's the Betas' daughter, true enough, but she also wonders if that really means anything more than just sounding important.
Helios lowers his head more until he can look her in the eyes with her own. "Why wouldn't they think the same?" He questions softly. "I'm the past alpha's son, truthfully its just a title. Everyone cares for everyone, we're all family and family is what happens to be the important part. Not the title."
Shikoba returns the gaze for a length of time that's irregular for her. But true to her nature, she eventually looks away, at his paws instead. "I don't know either of them very well. Storm and Felstride, they were both like second parents. I don't if Alpha Larkspur or Haze would even like me."
Helios tail sways a few times and he smiles as she looks at him, his ears lowers lightly when she looks away. His forepaw lifts to softly bat at her ears. "If they don't like your I'll sit on them until they do."
Shikoba's shoulders tremble. At first she tries to hold it in, clenching her teeth and shutting her eyes. Nevertheless, her efforts are of no use; the laughter spills out anyway. It takes a while before she brings herself to speak again. "Okay... Okay, I'll go see them at my next chance."
Helios blinks and chuckles softly while grinning and nods while his tail flicks about. "Good.. I'm glad to hear that." He says happly. "Nice too hear you laugh again to."
Shikoba flushes, a fact hidden by her light fur, although just barely. She was being a little silly, although what Helios said had been quite entertaining. "So it is." She'd been so busy wishing to be more grown up, she forgot that it's okay to laugh once in a while. "Well, I expect you to follow through with your promise if it turns out I'm right."
Helios grins and nods while winking at her. "Sure! Even if Larkspur is alpha she's still my sister.. Which means I can still take her on without a problem!" This said with a playful tone while he puffs himself up.
Shikoba looks him up and down, discerningly. "I imagine so." She observes, a chuckle on her tongue, followed by a sly grin as she reaches up a paw to poke him in the chest. "I'll be sure to pass that along."
Helios grunts a bit and lifts a forepaw to rub at his chest while his tail flicks about. "Oh.. Now don't do that, it would ruin the surprize.."
Shikoba stands up, her head held at an angle, amused. "Surprise? You're not planning to do it anyway, are you?"
Helios peers innocent like. "Well /of/ course I am! I always plan on sitting on my sister when ever I get the chance!"
Shikoba lets out a hyperbolic sigh, shaking her head. For now, she's forgotten that she's talking to a wolf who is, in her mind, her social superior. "Well... and here I was wondering if she liked /me/." Then again, if she can tolerate a brother who sits on her all the time, Shikoba might just have a chance.
Helios smirks at this. "Oh come on Shikoba.. Of course she likes you." This said while he does a playbow, his tail swaying about in the air. "Who wouldn't?"
Helios' playful demeanor is infectious, and Shikoba's own tail gradually begins to wag. "Um, I don't know..." Actually, she can't think of anyone off the top of her head that actually /dislikes/ her. Not openly, or that she's aware of anyway. It's, perhaps, more of a fear than anything else. A fear of rejection. "What if she thinks I'm annoying?"
Helios bounces upon his paws a few times and huffs. "Naw.. I'm more annoying then your ever be.. Trust me in that!" He bats out at her with a forepaw to try and get her to play with him.
"I can see that." She teases. Slowly, he chips away at Shikoba's serious bearing. Finally, she starts nipping at Helios' paws, and then at his ears, her tail swishing merrily behind her.
Helios acks faintly and laughs while pulling back a bit to try and escape the sudden attack to his ears. He bounces about while pawing out at her a few times with both for paws. "Well then I shouldn't have to explain it to you right?" This said with a teasing tone.
Shikoba advances a bit, but then gives ground to his pawing. "What? That you're annoying, or that I'm not so much?" She grins, circling around to try and 'tackle' him from the side. Although really, all she would accomplish would be pushing off him with her front paws.
Helios blinks while watching her and oofs faintly as the 'tackle' which causes him to flop over on his side and he half swings a forepaw out at her cheek softly. "Humm.. what about a bit of both?" He winks at her playful like.
Shikoba is surprised a moment when his paw lightly cuffs her cheek, which she responds to by trying to grab his leg, at the wrist, in her mouth. Although she puts no strength behind her teeth. "That could work." She replies, although her focus is starting to tumble off the conversation, distracted by the play. What were they talking about?
Helios eers softly as his leg is grabbed, but he isn't worried about it. He grins and wiggles about on his paws working on trying to get his paw free from her grasp. "Of course it could." He says before leaning over to nibble at her ears.
Shikoba growls impishly, tugging on the limb. She nearly lets go when he goes for her ears, where she's particularly ticklish. Rather than retreat, she loosens her grip just enough that she can roll to the ground, onto her back, without wrenching his paw along the way.
Helios laughs now and tries to pull his paw free when she rolls onto her back. "Hey.. I'm getting all drooled on." He says with a playful tone.
Shikoba lets him reclaim his paw at last, but frowns with pseudo offense. "I do not drool!" She objects, still staring up at him, somewhat askew.
Helios wiggles his now free forepaw and peers at her playful like. "Oh really?" He questions while lifting his other forepaw to faintly bat out at her nose a tad.
Shikoba rubs at the side of her muzzle with one paw, just in case she *might* actually have drooled. "Yes, really." She responds, as if she was entirely confident of her position. She puffs at his paw, then thrusts her own upward, to rap at his chin.
Helios blinks and snickers faintly before getting bapped and huffles a bit while he flops down onto the ground. His tail thumping a few times while he pokes out at her. "Alright alright.. You didn't drool."
Shikoba rolls onto her side, and lifts her head off the ground, giving a few half-hearted nips in response to the poking. "Of course I didn't. I never drool, ever."
Helios chuckles and smiles while nodding. "Of course not.. My mistake." He offers softly, while a faint burr like sound escapes him.
Shikoba grins triumphantly, although that was barely any kind of victory at all. After a while, her head grows weary and she expels a long breath, her muzzle coming to rest between her paws. "Thanks, Helios..."
Helios watches her and smiles while nodding. "Any time Shikoba." He said with a soft happy tone, his tail slowly swaying.
Shikoba returns the smile. She really needed a little cheering up, although she'd not even realized it herself until now. After regarding him for a long while, the she-wolf pushes herself up, shaking the gritty dust from her fur. "I should go take care of some things... I'll see you later."
Helios ears perk and he ohs softly while shifting up to his paws and bows his head slightly. "Alright, take care Shikoba." He says with one of his charming smiles.
Shikoba is tentative about leaving at first, but she forces herself anyway. She has feelings to sort through. "You too, Helios." She can't resist another grin, and impulsively starts forward to give him a nudge just below the ear. With that, she twirls around and saunters away.
Helios blinks at the nudge and ohs before smiling and lifts his head to look after her. He smiles a few long moments before he starts moving in the direction he was going to see who else might be awake near the caven.. Though a few other things are on his mind at the moment while he goes.