sweet talk

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He ventured out early most days, akin to how he'd move with the birds the ranch had, guarding their frantic clucking and pecking and rushing around once they'd been released from the coop; a habit he couldn't shake now that it didn't matter, it mattered significantly to the marrow of his bones but it didn't mean he took much love for the days it rained. It soaked him good, turning him all soggy and dripping and but a mess of a creature, but he padded on, scenting the earth and licking his lips in hopes of finding something to make a meal even if it only soothed a slim portion of the hunger biting at his gut.

He was far from a good hunter—he never had to be one until now but he'd make do.

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Perhaps if he knew this wasn't a dream, he would be more conscience. However, he assumed this to be a dream. A pretty one at that. The water dropped onto the foliage in waves, circling the leaf's body and falling. He watched this motion since opening his eyes, staring at the raindrops before a bird shot across his field of vision. The young man jumped to all fours shortly after, following the trail.

Birds often could subconsciously lead other prey and predators to food sources. Though this wouldn't work so well when he tried to snap his jaws around the cardinal. It had come close, and he acted on instinct. A few feathers of bright red hung from his jaws now. He spits them out and chased the bird, fully invested in the hunt. His prey scattered around the air in a panic, but the wolf below locked on and followed the erratic behavior — to another being.

Tate stopped dead, eyes flickering open in surprise. Oh, this wasn't a dream... 

They smelt too real to be dreaming. Not that they smelt bad, but it was just a shock. His senses were not this on fire while dreaming. The cardinal buzzed around his head, tweeting angrily before darting away. Off into the Pasture, an escape route. He huffed after it, squinting before his eyes returned to normal as he looked at the brown-hued man. His tail wagged twice before lowering. "Hello there" he greeted "I don't suppose you know where I am?"

Because he was not where he started.

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---

The beat of wings earned his attention far before another did, an unmistakable flash of red darting overhead, narrowly escaping his clumsily leap into the air that saw him hitting the earth with a heavy thunk. Nikolai shook out his fur, grumbling something under his breath not even the air cared to remember when a pale figure stood backlit by the rising pink sun, painting the stranger real nice-like.

"Yer' in Mountains, darlin'," said Nikolai, offering a slight smile and the friendly wag of his tail, curiosity quick to claim his features. "Ya' just wake up, did ya'?"

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Interesting. He was in the mountains, but no formal land name was given. Tate looked to his left, seeing the tall spires before looking back. "I did, yes" he flicked his tail back the way he had come "is that common?" Strange indeed, if they were so calm about this. He tilts his head to the side, regarding the other being.

Not totally wolf, but not totally dog. So perhaps other species were here, outside of wolves. "My name is Tate" he added politely, dipping his head for a few seconds before raising it "have you been here long, then?" More familiar than he appeared, despite his calm attitude. Tate didn't like to be riled up about things beyond his control. It wouldn't do to get upset. He was here for a reason.

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"I reckon so, s'how I got 'ere an' all," Nikolai told him, offering no speculation nor open discussion on the circumstance. It wasn't like his thoughts were particularly brilliant nor were they going to be the answer to a question many wiser than him have surely contemplated longer; one of his short ears twitched to a noise in the distance, gaze following it, too. "Nikolai, folks always call me Nick..."

A rabbit. He caught the velvety ear tips vanishing beyond the long grass.

"Not long really but what can ya' do I say," he looked back to Tate, brows raised. "Can ya' hunt, darlin'? I say I might've just found breakfast."

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"Well, Nick" Tate grinned, uneasy about the situation but finding no fault in his company "it's quite nice to meet you. Though I wish under a better circumstance for myself." A light chuckle before he, too, followed the man's eyes. He smelt the rabbit in the air, and his belly did a grumble. Oh... How embarrassing. He chuckled again, sheepish.

What can you do Nick said, and Tate found himself agreeing.

He gave a nod. "I can hunt" he moved closer, following the scent trail the rabbit left behind "if you can cut it off, I can chase it to you" Hunger would drive the young man to great speeds, especially since he felt like he hadn't eaten in a day or so! "let's get some breakfast." He added this with concealed glee and hope. Maybe there was a chance he could survive here, after all! 

Let's get going! he thought, lowering his belly to the earth and stalking.

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"Now why ya' sayin' that?" Nikolai asked only for suspicion to dawn on him, he hissed a breath between his teeth, and his short ears slicked awkwardly to the side. His voice... soft. Sad, in a way. "Ya've woken up 'ere, huh?"

Well, if there was anything that'd bring some solace to the upheaval this world brought to anyone without discrimination, it'd be the relief of a meal on the stomach. "'m right behind ya'," he said, taking a second to compose himself before following in Tate's shadow; dropping low and narrowing his eyes to keen slits. Surely two wolves could catch one rabbit.
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"Because I find right now I am... a rather confused individual and a poor conversationalist as a result" Tate replied quietly, aware his words could be seen as insulting previously "it will take me some time to grasp this new world, and I fear I am not adding much, Nick." He pinned his ears back apologetically, eyeing the man as he turned to stalk toward the rabbit as well. It was nothing against the other man. Nick had been kind and accommodating thus far.

Tate leads them. He tried to do his best, able to catch a rabbit without much fuss. But he finds his steps are slow and awkward, still waking up in the sense. A few times, he assumes the prey could spot them. Especially him, with his bright coat. He flicks an ear to Nick, asking him wordlessly to circle the rabbit ahead of them. Tate would ambush, better suited to hunting in northern climates with snow and lighter colors. He hunkered among the foliage.

And hoped for the best.

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"No need ta' make yerself add nothin' to it now, ya' just got 'ere," Nikolai tried to soothe to the avail of a silent form dipping to the hunt.

Nevertheless, he swallowed and focused intensely on the play at hand. Tate lowered beneath the foliage and Nikolai took his cue, blending better into their surrounding, quietly as he could, he snaked around to snap the rabbit back toward the other. His skill set was limited. He was a blitz predator by nature rather than one of quiet and grace, much to the contrary of the other's goals, but he managed to get it going right where he wanted... and he ensured to stay loosely on its hills.
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You're too kind.

Tate wished to say it, but the hunt was on. He let Nikolai circle the rabbit and will it back by force. With his earthen coat, the other was suited for such a task. Tate would stick out like a sore thumb, and scare the prey before they could grab it. He knew his limitations better than others, which is why he tried to assign Nick that role.

The rabbit was nudged — in the loose sense of the word — toward him. It bolted once Nick did his job, into the waiting 'arms' of Tate. The young man lunged out of the foliage, wrapping his jaws around the critter's neck. A sickening but quiet crunch alerted the other canine that the job was done. The rabbit was dead.

"Well done, Nick" he said to his hunting partner, licking stray drops of blood from his mostly ivory jaws "I'll divide this fairly for us" He added, beginning to hunker down and separate the rabbit equally. It took a small fraction of time before he pushed the upper half to Nick "here you are. Thank you for your help."

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