Now I need someone to breathe me back to life

Heat Day 1

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Throughout the day she didn't feel quite like herself. Something was off like perhaps she was ill? Thinking that perhaps stretching her legs would help, the little Empress wandered away from the pass to find some food to bring back to the pack. A part of their daily routine as of late is to keep herself occupied and useful to the others in more ways than just one.

From morning until sunset she had occupied herself with hunting, catching only two rabbits through the day and wondered about venturing off further to catch others off of claimed hunting grounds and in lands less touched by them.

But as time went on this odd sensation didn't leave. If anything it grew stronger. An invasive feeling that took a little less than a day to realize what had occurred and frantically she gathered her two little carcasses to begin her journey back to the makeshift dens of the Pass.

Of all the time, it had to come now.

She wanted to hide, needed to hide for the next few days.

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Where the absolute fuck was he? This most certainly wasn't his home, the scents were different and he certainly didn't like it. His hackles raised slightly as he took in his surroundings, trying to figure out what was going on. It seemed like he was in the mountains of this new land, something that he locked away in his mind. This would be information he would likely need later. 

Slowly he began to explore, taking note of where he was going and where he had been. In the process of doing that though, he caught a scent that pulled him forward, almost as if it coaxed him towards it. The scent of a female in heat. Now he certainly was the type to typically take what he wanted when he wanted it, but for now, he would choose to wait and watch, tracking down the scent before diving head first into anything. 

It didn't take him long to find the woman, a pale lady with what looked like two kills. Stalking out of the shadows, the dark voice would reach out, wrapping around her like the wind. "You look like you could use help with dat." He had a little bit of an accent, a slight Russian one but it seemed like he could speak fluent English nonetheless. 

Even with his large, muscle filled body and his dark demeanor, he was still kind, offering her assistance at it seemed like she certainly could use it.

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Scrambling to find safety back within the borders - and even then past everyone else before this stench of hers garnered too much unwanted attention, the little woman had to act fast. Hide repeated over and over in her head. Even if she and Quicksilver were doing better, gradually preparing themselves for a wedding, to extend their family further - now was not the time. They no longer had a home, and didn't have one that felt safe enough to bring new life into since her arrival even when Tsukiishi was claimed by them.

Then a voice interrupted her pace. Masculine and close. Rigidly she turned to face the intruder who approached, and her heart stopped. "You look like you could use help with dat." He said, to which she took that he wanted the kills over anything else. Immediately she dropped the rabbits, stepping away from them in some kind of offering. “Take them... Please.” They couldn't deal with another feline like this.

What if this one was like Kuhn? Here to push them beyond their abilities to cope. To threaten their peace, their safety they worked so hard to achieve even if now it was as strained as ever.

Her head spun with the desire to run, but to turn her back on this feline felt like the wrong move. Remembering how Kuhn often charged from behind - would this one do the same? Fear mixed with shame as she couldn't meet the feline's gaze any longer, feeling something warm trickling down her legs. She was frightened beyond control. Beyond her abilities to scream - and even if she did, couldn't it could deal with her before anyone arrived?

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That smell... The sweetest smell of all smells...

The anticipation to seek what creature this divine aroma was emanating from was strong enough for the lad to accidentally trip up on his way down from the mountainside. A hard lesson learnt in his early days in the depths of winter too, nearly resulting in his perishing. However, it was all because of his lengthy teenage legs that grew too quickly for him, too fast for him to keep up with maintaining that balance he took precision in mastering when taking on the perilous hills here. 

Dusting himself off, he carried on with his pursuit. Tongue lolling, with saliva pooling in his mouth all because of the mysteriousness of what was to come. And ahead he noticed two figures, one belonging to a feline and the other a wolf he had seen before here. The silver prince slowed his excitable gait, walking closer to the duo, but kept his distance since his interest was elsewhere. His nose then made a dive for the ground, gliding it around, allowing it to guide him closer to the source. The smell was driving him crazy. But he still didn't know where it was coming from. 

It was close though. 

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He took a step back as she spun around, dropping the rabbits like they were on fire. What the fuck was up with this chick? At first, he was annoyed, thinking she was just crazy, however one couldn't miss the scent of fear even if they wanted to. Quickly, the man would sit himself down, trying to show her that he meant her no harm. Flicking his tail, he would cock his head to the side before speaking up again. "I am not tryin to take from you. You need them more than I do. I simply wanted to help." He would move to lay himself down, showing her that he wasn't going to attack her as it seemed like that's what she expected him to do. Talk about being speciest. 

He wasn't sure who hurt her, but he would gladly find them and show them what a real tiger was. For now though, his attention was on her. "Breath дорогой — darling, you going to get yourself in frenzy." He would slow his breathing, in and out, as if he were showing her how to do so. 

Part way through though, the scent of another caught his attention, a male wolf. Probably following the same scent that he did. However, he didn't trust that another would be as understanding as he was, ignoring the pull towards her like he was. "Another coming, young male wolf. If you do not want deal with, I will stop him." He knew she didn't know him, but she was a woman in heat and he believed they shouldn't be harassed.

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This one was absolutely massive. Even from this little distance, she could tell he was taller than any wolf she had ever seen - taller than Kuhn and in all sense of the word bigger this one was. The fight with Kuhn flashed before her eyes, how much damage he could do on his own - what kind of disaster could this one create in his wake if he so chose to turn too? “Why?” She managed to squeak out at his response with the only breath left in her lungs. Why would he want to help her?

There was a painful sting in her chest as she felt frozen. Did she need to breathe? Was it the frantic beating of her heart threatening to explode into fragments within its cage?

"Breath дорогой, you going to get yourself in frenzy." He said, she couldn't understand every word. “I cannot.” A whisper. An instinctive response as though his words cut through her like some unintentional demand. He sat and laid down, a move that almost made her want to do the same.

Another is approaching he said, to which the young woman wasn't certain how to react. Was it someone of Vanderfell who came to check on their hunting grounds? Someone of Shiroshika who needed to talk to her? A stranger perhaps? Predator? “Who are they?” Like a doe in headlights, she didn't know why she asked as if this feline knew the answer. All she knew is that she couldn't take her eyes off of him to see who else might be approaching.

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Renns nose continued to direct him in a line that was heading straight to the two. The scent was now overbearing, with his mind slowly unravelling and ravelling into oblivion, he could not understand it and began to whine at the frustration of it all. 

He grew closer to the duo, his pitched cries breaking erratically with each breath, his tail swished in the same pattern his brain was convulsing. He was unheeding of the conversation going on, and partook a role when he became rather close to the female wolf. 

Bicoloured eyes now scrutinised her, it became apparent the rather seductive smell was coming from her. He sat, twitching nervously, his back paws kneading the earth behind him. 

'H-hi', he truly lacked skills when talking to girls. He remained as he was, mesmerised and entranced by her odour. He paid no attention to the imposing tiger.

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The male watched the woman as she continued freaking out, though he wasn't ready for her to ask him why. Why? "Because, дорогой — Darling, not all tigers same as what you believe." He wasn't sure what she dealt with before, but she clearly had something against tigers. He didn't care, but he would leave if she wanted him to, and it was starting to seem like she did. 

Her whisper caused him to shake his head, his voice soft but rough. "Yes you can, focus on what not in mind." His face would turn towards the new wolf, a child that seemed to come to try and court the woman. A low warning growl could be heard as he moved to stand up, beginning to stalk towards the young wolf. However, he moved in a way to make it clear that he didn't want to attack the boy, simply scare him into being respectful. 

"I do not believe she asked for you to court her." His gaze would flicker back to the woman, silently asking him if she wanted him to remove the boy from her presence. His body was loose still, as he had no reason to be ready for a fight. The woman was too scared to do anything but hyperventilate and the boy, well he could maybe cause his toe to bleed, if the brute let him that is.

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sorry for probably shadow posting my way in LOL

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In light of everything, Antares was adjusting best he could. He had balmed the first defeats with the unfamiliarity of Vanderfell's mountain, and now he found himself continually mapping the nearby roost they had taken to--which, at least he enjoyed the challenge of these new paths.

However as the dust was settling in the aftermath now, they felt like were in a strange sense of limbo. One he didn't know what to make of, and one he didn't know what Shiroshika would look like when they healed from it all. He knew what his purpose in it was, and it was to guard, to fight when it was time. He could serve that well enough, at least when the enemies were in front of him. They had failed once already, and more than just a losing battle, they were down another guardian.. and in his place spawned more strange unease. It was difficult enough to keep track of their everyone's safety already.

For today, he had widened his path from the tricky peaks, then ranged out but before he made it far, his nose alerted him. Suspicion swiftly escalated into a whole lot more. In the next beat, his ambling jog was rolling into a canter and he went streaking after the source.

He found Reiko easily enough, her scent noteworthy already for a discerning nose who knew half a thing about anything, and his hackles went stiff. With her was a feline, a borderline worst-case scenario, short of it being the exact one they battled mere weeks ago. This one was different. Dark.. striped, not one he had seen before, and before his head could spin -- how many types and colors did these beasts come in?! -- he pinned a severe look on the space between the empress and cat that he wanted to occupy, then noticed the younger wolf nearby too when he started to slow himself up. Just from a glance, Antares already had a feeling this was more escalated than he liked, but he focused on Reiko, and finding her an exit strategy or else a better way to involve himself--whether he wanted to or not.

The samurai came striding up on a long trot, his expression schooled into something careful as he aimed to approach. “Reiko,” he called out to try to get her attention above all, with a worried undertone he hoped relayed his familiarity. He only hoped she would be halfway relieved to see him, even if he identified her by name, not title out here given the... circumstances that he didn't know enough about. He wasn't sure if he wanted them to know he called her empress. “We should get back.” he offered, wary glance from tiger to young boy then before he settled back on the pale Izuka--him still very much trying to take stock of this even before his paws could stop completely.

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"Because, дорогой, not all tigers same as what you believe." He could see right through her. The fear that radiated was probably overpowering. He seemed to know it wasn't just him, it wasn't personal. The healing wound on her face burned as a searing reminder of what he could do if he really wanted to - the faces of the fallen comrades in the snow.

Someone was indeed approaching. Reiko had a hard time tearing her eyes away from the feline that her eyes burned, needing to blink, to be given a moment before they dried up! The little cries and barks that couldn't be mistaken for anything other than a child drew her attention away finally, one of Ira's children who came to sit just behind her and awkwardly start a conversation. It would be so sweet if it wasn't for the tiger who was approaching - kindly trying to keep a woman from being harassed by an unwanted male (something that had been noted, and appreciated despite it not being necessary as Renn was a child).

The presence of Renn snapped her out of the deep freeze that took her in the presence of the feline. Protectively she wrapped herself around his smaller body, “Hello sweetie.” she tried to smile and not let the situation become too obvious to him - eyes casting their attention back to the feline with a pleading stare instead of simply just fear. “He is but a child... it's okay... thank you.”

A wave of relief washed over her as a voice called out to her, familiar, strong - Antares had come and placed himself between the smaller participants and the feline. “Yes, Ira must be worried about Renn.” A hitch in her throat as she spoke indicated of the nervousness that still clung her core. Trying to usher the young Vanderfell prince with a nudge toward home, she gave him soft encouraging words to hopefully coax him to follow.

But she wouldn't leave just yet, and instead turned to cast her eyes back on the strange coated feline. He still frightened her, but the lack of violence or threats had gone noticed... appreciated. “Farewell.” There was little she could say, but the light in her eyes, the soft smile that tried to peak through said enough - she was thankful to him too for his patience and concern.

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Only then did the shadow become largely visible to him, and he instantly diminished his appearance, sinking inwards between his shoulder blades. Court her?

His eyes betrayed his exuberant demeanour, now flashing with apparent terror and quickly danced to and fro between the wolf and the feline. 

'Uh-I-Uh... I just thought she smelled really pretty', his features began to crease, with embarrassment at first but this soon morphed into upset; pleading eyes looking to the divine one again, 'I-I'm sorry'. So hesitant, and unknowing of the wrong he was doing. 

Another arrived and they seemed keen to escort her away, and the boy grew confused, was he the reason or was it the tiger? 

But his world changed in a whirlwind when the beauty spoke, his heart fluttered eagerly and skipped several beats when she spoke his name.

She knows my name.

And thus, his first-ever baby boy crush was born. With heart-shaped eyes, he followed Reiko.

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please note, renn is not sexually mature to know why he is enticed by Reikos heat. This is the first female he's smelt in heat. He doesn't know whats going on LOL

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The man glanced down at the young boy, watching him closely for a moment until the scent of another pulled him away. He let out a low snarl, catching the scent of a male wolf. He hated men and their inability to restrain themselves. It was quite funny to him that as the largest man here, he could restrain himself around an in heat female. One didn't have to throw themselves at a woman and he knew, with his body size, he easily could. But he respected women, men, not so much. Which is why, when the other male approached, he would huff in annoyance, ears pinning to his head. 

He turned to look at the woman, seeing that she was comfortable with the other two. Well that was his answer now wasn't it. He found himself scoffing silently as he turned to leave, already hating this new land. He paused for a moment, however, as he heard her goodbye, glancing behind him to look at her. Without another word though, he would leave, his tail flicking towards her as a simple farewell. He doubt he would ever be seeing her again.

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Antares tried to divide carefully when in truth, deep down beneath the veneer of a guardian, large felines like these still did not settle well with him at all--and so fresh from battle against one, too where he had seen their killing power up close and personal. Even if he struggled to read them thanks to lack of experience past that, he could tell that this one remained displeased to see him though.

Which once he didn't find any more growls for him, he decided it.. was fine, ultimately. Nothing escalated from there. Antares' arrival had been offense enough. He kept the stare firm, just to drive beyond the point of his invasion to the scene anyway. The dark Ostrega still didn't know the lengths of what he had interrupted, but if he had served to diffuse before anything could get worse, then all the better. He just wanted the empress home and she didn't appear to resist the idea any. Especially like this. Getting Renn back to his parents was just another purposeful bonus and he nodded deeply, still watching the tiger first and foremost with a wary, cautious reverence.

He very much agreed. They all needed to get out of here. Him included, but it didn't need to be said: only when he finally trusted all the right momentum...

Even once the great beast turned to take his leave, Antares watched him go a while longer with a thoughtful frown. Who knew what would be useful in these troubling times, but today, he wasn't about to deal with any of it. After a sharp sigh of his own, he finally spun on his own heels to go rejoin Reiko. A part of him was relieved to find the boy was already going with her willingly, and he was not about to think too deeply about why, either; it was not the problem for the moment as he picked up his own pace to join with them on the way to the summit--a step in the right direction for what he wanted out of this, anyway.

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