+475 Lazy, tubby wolfdog is lazy and tubby.

Answering the door? Puh. That was for not lazy skinny people. Sky was feeling very lazy that day, and so she'd taken to laying upside-down on her couch, head off the edge and feet propped up on the back, tail splayed out beside her, and hair decorating the floor like some sort of evil mess of gold. She had her mouth open, tongue pulled out by the metal bar that was the piercing, and with great effort, the light-headed girl was screwing on the second ball to the piercing, having just changed it over from a yellow one to a lime green one. Gods, she was bored.

So when the knock came at the door, a very garbled reply was shouted back. "It'ss oben! Co' in!" Her voice drawled a bit, cutting off with a yelp as she pulled on the piercing a bit, pinching her tongue. Ow...

Girl was dressed in a simple pair of jogging shorts (light pink, white trim) and a t-shirt (black), tight on her torso, with a cute butterfly pattern on the chest, stitched in with thin light pink thread. Her belly showed, a tad bit rounder below the ribs, but not by much. It also showed off the scars there; nasty looking old gashes that once ran from her sides to the middle of her stomach, now slightly parting the short fur that she had in optime form. The shorts also showed off the scars on her ankles, as if someone had wrapped her shins and heels in barbed wire and pulled hard on it.

Rather suspicious scars could also be seen on her wrists. This was probably the first time she'd gone without something covering them all, and with the way her head was back, the scar on her throat was also obvious, running horizontal across the front, a clean scar that looked to have been made with a knife, rather than claws or teeth. The same went for the vertical scars on her wrists... hm.

She didn't seem to notice how obvious she was making her scars out to be, too focused on the task of putting a ball stud onto a narrow rod of metal. It was normally easy for her, but with being upside-down like she was, it made for an interesting challenge. One she was happy to attempt, and stubborn to complete without fail. With a click, she'd grin, finally having managed the difficult task.

"And once... again...! I am... victorious! Hah! Ha ha...!" Her arms shot above her head (below her head) in victory, then fell limply to the floor as her head did the same. "Nnghh.... heeadd ruushh...." Upper canines were visable under her lips, pulled up from the gravity of being upside-down for so long, and sapphire eyes were closed. "....too lazy to sit up... nyeh...."

Admittedly, it was rather cute.

+ 403 Goat beating is highly frowned upon when one is being host to guests. As is streaking and playing karaoke with said goat. Don't do it.
You've been warned.

The door opened and closed without her paying any mind to it. She was still trying to urge herself to sit up straight when a presence suddenly hovered beside her. A not-goat-like one. The heat from his body was noticed, and then his voice. Shawchert!? Girl cleared her nose with a half-hearted sneeze, and sure enough, it was him. She peeked open an eye and tilted her head to her chest a bit to look up at him, effectively adding to the cute pose. It took her a second, but eventually she frowned up at him and set her head back down.

At first it seemed as if she was ignoring him, still mad or something. Rather, with some serious effort, she reached an arm into the air and wiggled her hand. In a quiet, pouty voice, one that told of hurt pride, she whined. "Yes please." Then, in a more childish tone than before, she pouted. "I can't feel my toes..." Ah, there was that accent! It was bound to slip out eventually, with so little concentration. Sleek and smooth, like silk being added into her voice.

Pretty.

Hybrid girl glanced up at him, half-lidded eyes scanning him over. He looked... better. The last time she'd seen him, had been for punishment reasons. She'd been acting cute and funny the whole time, not paying much attention to the alpha. Putting up a mask meant not letting anybody in. Right now, in her own home, there was a sort of aura that kept her from masking herself. Maybe it was the curtains.

Or maybe Casper, who at hearing more than one voice, decided to come check things out in the front room. Little goat clopped out across hardwood floors and stopped in the doorway, cocking his head to one side. He bleated in protest to the stranger man in his house, and shook his head. Sky grinned over at him, teeth gleaming. "Awww... Casper, be nice."

Another disgruntled bleat. Sky whuffed softly, scowling sluggishly at the little black and white goat. Darn pets never listened. She made a note to find a newspaper and beat him with it later. Right now, guest was here. No beating goats with guests in the house. Just wasn't proper.

+427 HURK

Woah...! Sky wobbled a bit after he helped her up, grabbing hold of the arm of the couch tightly and closing her eyes. That dizzy headachey feeling overwhelmed her, and she groaned, placing her head on the arm of the couch and curling up. "Gonna be siickkkk...." And sure enough, Sky was up and running for the window, sliding it open and hanging out of it in under a second, it seemed.

Some horrible sounds later, girl was still hanging out the window, eyes closed with ears pinned back. With a groan, she hauled herself back in and and slid down to sit against the wall, one hand on her stomach, the other on her throat. "Nnghh... so much hate..." She rolled her head back and grimaced, now looking very pale. "Mm... right..."

Blue eyes looked up at Shaw, half-lidded. "That's Casper... pet goat. I got him from Bangle as a uh, as a gift." She waved an uncaring hand towards the animal, then plopping it down on her lap, the other still holding her stomach. "What... What can I do for yah?" Then, last moment, she added with a hung head and a hand to her forehead. "No guilt fest about Orin today, though. Not feeling up to comforting people. Been sick all week."

It was half-true. She'd thrown up probably twice this week, though she thought nothing of it. That sometimes happened when she was stressed, and she'd been stressed out plenty. Even so, now that she wasn't feeling stressed out, girl was left to wonder why. Inhaling deeply, she shook her head, trying to rid herself of the fuzzy feeling in her mind.

"Sorry. I didn't mind you coming over last time, really. I didn't mean to freak out like that, either. So much going on right now, what with winter, and the pack, and then you and Orin, then the fight..." She scowled rather fakely, her voice taking on a sarcastic tone. "I may be part happy-go-lucky dog, but we ain't meant for this kind of drama, damn it." She weakly slammed her fist down on the floor, pouting.

At that, Casper trotted over to her, reaching over to nibble on her hair a bit. "Mn. No. Bad goat. No hair munchies." She grabbed the animal's head and brought him down to lay on her lap. Casper happily seemed to agree to this idea, and curled his legs under him to relax there, now very used to his kinder-than-other-wolves owner. The hybrid luperci went about rubbing his ear idly, waiting for Shawchert's answer.

+525 Bad goat! |<

Sky listened to him push away the reasons while boredly rubbing Casper's ears, liking the soft feeling of the fur on her pads. Then he got to the reason he was there, apparently to give her something. A gift? Perking her ears, she looked at him, then his hand, to the little rabbit. She blinked, then smiled a beautifully bright smile, reaching out silently and taking it, holding it in both hands to examine it.

She would've thanked him, but then he spoke again. With brighter eyes, she looked up at him, and instinctively, her ears fell back as his hand came over. Y'know, the dog-like reaction. Looking a bit groggy, and letting her smile fade into a smaller one, she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his hand. No, she wasn't warm, really.

The only heat that was off was the slight difference she got from hanging around upside-down. And that was quickly fading away. Actually, she looked a bit better now. Goat therepy? Maybe. She leaned her head back again and smiled up at him. "I have a flask of water on the end table, if you could get it for me. I would, but I have a goat on my lap." She smiled, then eeped as Casper moved to nibble on the rabbit. Her hands flung away just in time, holding the little figure close to her chest.

"Casper, no. No eating gifts. It's rude." She scowled at the poor beast, and it bleated in protest. She held the rabbit in one hand and reached into one of her pockets, pulling out a mint tin. Opening it, she grabbed a candy, and held it out to him. "Bunnies are not goat food. Honey drops, maybe, but not bunnies. Here. Eat this instead, and stop trying to ruin my things."

She and the goat both calmed down a bit as he ate, and she moved the tin back into her pocket. Gently, she held the rabbit close to examine it some more, then smiled that beautiful smile again. Softly, in a happy sort of voice, she looked up and decided to thank him. "I love my gift. I can tell you made it." The tip of her tail tapped against the floor some.

Then she stuck the tip of her tongue out, just as far as the piercing showed, and grinned, wiggling a bit. "How'd you know I liked cute animals?" Well, the very much irrate goat on her lap was a dead give-away. Speaking of which, Casper gave a groaning sound in protest to her wiggling, then stood and trotted away not overly gently, much to miss Sky's voiced annoyance. "He stepped on my tail!"

She watched him move to leave the room, the snapped at the poor thing loudly, and sharply, scowling. "Bad goat, Casper!" That did it. Casper's little legs stiffened with his surprise at her raise in what had been a soft voice, and he toppled over. Sky's scowl faded into a smirk, and then a toothy grin as her shoulders lifted up at her held-back laughter. "Heh. Teach you to step on my tail, little hoofer."

+554 Sky opens up a bit. :/

Victory! But ah? Shawchert threw her off a second with the cute comment. She smiled a bit more, and then he commented on the goat. "He's better for comic relief than prey. Casper is, I think, a Fainting Goat. Humans bred them by accident back in the man age, and I guess they've bred freely since then. It's hereditary." Everytime Sky went on about facts like that, she always seemed smarter than she was. Girl was bright, sure, but with all the books she read, it was hard to think that young miss Sky was only just leaving her teenage months behind.

She glanced over as he approached, water flask in hand and a smile on his face. She went to return the smile, but faltered when she saw his eyes. Ears flicked to a perk as he spoke, and she winced a bit. It seemed Shawchert was getting better at seeing through her mask. This fact both scared Sky, and in a way, impressed her. She waited a moment, then sighed, small, honest smile curling at her lips.

"You can't help being an idiot. It comes with the gender." Oh, yeah, very nice. She reached a hand out and plopped it on his head, smirking. "I guess I could find it in my heart to forgive yah." Then, to add on to it, she drew her hand back and shrugged. "'Sides. I'm certain you're not the only wolf who's ever made that same mistake. I was just worried about you..."

She leaned back against the wall, but with little effort, snatched at the flask to take a swing from it. Ah, that was better. "It's not my place to worry about stuff like this, but you're the alpha. You should only have to worry about yourself and the pack, with how new Cecatori D'Arte is right now. Everytime I think about being jealous, I remember what happened with my sister, Dusk, and I... and Revoldo."

Her voice, at the last part, turned pained. The thought of talking about her past made her chest tighten a bit. It scared her. But, she continued. She had a point to make, afterall. "After I had the fight with Orin, I went for a walk. I thought about how I acted, and realized I'd acted in the same way my older sister had when our travelling partner, Revoldo, asked me to be his mate. I didn't realize it at the time, but Dusk was as in love with him as I was. She and him were closer in age, and I didn't know anything about being someone's mate. Still, I said yes, and whatever hope there was for Dusk and I being close vanished with that."

She glanced over at Shawchert, and her ears pinned back. "I thought after Revoldo died, I'd never let myself fall for anyone... ever again. I'd promised myself to never get involved with a guy for even a moment. It's not your fault I'm suffering. It's my own weakness that's got me in a twist. I'm being just like Dusk, and I need to stop." Her words were starting to make little sense to her, so she shook her head and bit back the feeling of tears. "Don't blame yourself. If anything, you should be considering wether or not to forgive me."

+462 Co-Rank mention. Boo yah.

It was his story that brought a shy smile to her face. He told of how he'd had issues with his father, and his birth pack. For a moment, she mused at how nice it would've been, to have known anything about packs before joining D'Arte. He'd formed his own, basing it around the lessons he'd learned as a younger wolf. Something told her this was a secret, like her own past, and that was probably what made her smile. He trusted her, at least that much, and she'd use that trust he had in her to form her own trust in him. It would be hard, she guessed, for both of them, but maybe...

Closing her eyes, she allowed her head to tilt a bit. "Maybe not fine," She whispered, answering his question. "but it would make things better." Sky dared a glance up at him, and that smile grew a bit, still soft though. "You'll have to forgive me for being girly for a moment."

Her statement led up to her leaning forward quickly, and grappling the poor boy into a hug, one that was kept to being friendly, if a bit comforting for both of them. Arms wrapping gently around his neck, and she gave a tiny squeeze, then spoke before pulling back. "I think that, if I ever choose to tell my story to anyone, I wouldn't mind telling you."

Then she'd pull back, hands on his shoulders and a smile on her face. "Talking about packs reminds me." She sat back on her knees now, hands on her lap. That damned bump in her tummy showed a bit better in this position, with her back staight and arms on either side. "I wanted to ask you about trying for a more useful rank in the pack. I've given it a lot of thought, and I'm thinking I'll try to be a medic, if you'll let me. I know a lot about medicines and first aid, and I think I'd enjoy helping the pack that way. We don't have any medics yet, so maybe..."

No, girl wasn't changing the subject on purpose. She was simply suffering from some seriously short attention span tonight, mind bouncing around like a sparrow with all she had to say to him. He was her friend, probably her best friend, but he was also the alpha. "I've been meaning to bring it up for a while, either to you or Skye, but she's so busy with Bangle lately, and with all the drama, I had to wait. What do you think? With a grin, one that was a bit scary, she pulled her ears up into an erect perk, and closed her eyes a bit, half-lidded. Scary. "Think I'd make a good doctor?"

+ 304 Puss In Boots has nothing on Sky. >3

Was that.. was that him agreeing to let her go for her co-rank!? She grinned. "Tell me everything I have to do to make my co-rank official. Name it, I'll do it." She made a cross action with her hands. "No questions asked." Then, she was up against his chest again, tail waving and hands in fists against his ribs. Those blue eyes were excited now. She wanted nothing more than to prove her worth officially in the pack. (Asides from him, of course.)

Then, she was off like a rocket, mood officially swung. "I'll rummage the hospital in Halifax for new equipment. I mean, I have the basic first aid kit already in my house, stuff like guaze and stitching thread and needles and surgical staples and disinfectant spray, rubbing alcohol, anti-toxin. Just the bare needs, but I could get casting splints, and proper gloves and masks, and maybe a gown or two, some scrubs. In case of any serious emergencies. Oh, but there won't be _{any real emergencies, hopefully...}"

She would go on like that for minutes if not stopped, listing off what she 'needed' as a doctor, and eventually it turned into the probabilities of the plague somehow. Eventually, stopped or not, she'd turn her head up and, (if he were to speak, cut him off) excitedly grinning, grip his chest a bit tighter. "Pleeeassee lemme be a doctor, Shawchert!"

And then came the puppy eyes, rarely used but oh so effective. Big, glistening eyes that threatened to cry at the first mention of bad news matched perfectly with the quivering lip and slightly, oh so slightly, tilted head and ears. Even with the piercings, at the puppy eyes effect, little wolfdog was the master, born and raised. Few could resist. Few could survive. (Now watch Shawchert not even faulter. Hah.)

POUTYFACE! Can't read my p-p-p-poutyface, p-p-poutyface. ;D

Her puppy eyes got even more adorably sad when he told her she needed to prove herself in her rank. Well that wasn't any fun. Girl pouted and turned her head, letting it flop sideways on his chest, eyebrows scrunching up. "'Kay...." How childish. Girl sat there quietly a moment, the looked up at him with less of a pout. "Does giving piercings count? It requires knowledge of veins and how not to pass on infections. I wear surgical gloves and stuff when I do it, and clean needles and steel piercings."

She paused, then lowered her head a bit again. "Then again, I also hurt Orin in that fight. I tried to tend to it, but I guess it was too soon." She paused a second, then looked up at him again. "I've tended to myself since joining. I fell in the woods a few days ago, out of a tree. Gave myself a nasty gash on my leg. I worked it into a bandage and everything. It's healed over now, but you can still see where the stitches were."

Girl was excited. She wanted her co-rank as soon as possible. Sure, she'd help Valinta, and had tried to help poor Orin, but there were so few major injuries in this pack, it was hard to prove yourself as a good doctor. She shuffled a bit closer at the thought. Never gonna be a doctor at this rate. Why couldn't someone get sick or something? Even just a tiny cold? Back to pouting she went. Poor girl never did get her way.

WC: 216

Secretly, Sky was simply adoring being so close to him without stress. It felt nice, and even nicer when he hugged her like that. Girl pouted a moment more after he spoke apologetic words, then let out a sigh. "You're such a good leader, Shaw." This was said with a smile, and a hint of approval in her voice. "Doesn't suite my fancy any, but I'm patient and determined. I'll work for it, like everyone else." She pulled back a bit, not enough to break the hug though, arms now moving up to his shoulders.

"Besides," she said with a sly little smirk. "if you gave me the co-rank now, one might stop to wonder if you have personal feelings for me." Rather smugly, she tilted her head and smirked. "We wouldn't want that sort of rumor going around, would we?" Then out came that tongue, a look on her fact that was both adorable and deviant.

"Ahhh...! Besides, I probably wouldn't know what to do with myself, having a co-rank this soon. I haven't even completely settled in yet. Between Casper and my book collection, I don't think I'll ever get this place cleaned and ready for new visitors." She hung her head to the side a bit, mumbling now. "I'm such a lousy host."

WC: 304

Pokerface snapped into place as he returned the slyness, though faltered as he winked playfully, replaced with a shy smile and too-obvious blush. D-Damn... how come I can't hold it around him? Psh. Eventually, he shrugged off her comment on being a bad host, and released her from the hug, much to her own dismay. Aww, and she was just getting comfortable, too. She flopped backwards against the wall and sighed, tail tip flicking a bit. "Ahh...! You haven't talked to Orin yet, then?" She flicked some hair out of her face and glanced at him casually.

Her tone held no real conviction, just curious boredom. "I wouldn't worry too much about hurting her, y'know. I thought back to the fight after you left before, and remembered her body language when I mentioned you. I don't mean to sound so blunt about it, but I'm pretty sure she's not up to having you as a mate. Girl's in the same boat as you, I think." She lifted a hand and waved it, brushing aside the drama in a sense. "Just go talk to her. Worst case scenerio, she'll slap you, cry a bit, then somehow find a way to blame me for everything again."

Sky shrugged, honestly not caring if Orin did blame her. "Just remember that she's your friend, and go from there. If she's a true friend, this won't ruin your friendship any. I'm sure it'll turn out fine." She brought up an index finger and pointed it infront of his nose, a warning stare crossing her face now. "Keep on avoiding her though, and she'll start thinking you hate her or something. Don't let that happen, because then she won't trust you." She let the tip of her finger fall to his nose, and she lifted her brows a bit. "Understand?"