[PRP] Are You Running... [Raining Roses + Howling Curses]

[Gl!tch~]

Another long day, ending. The sun set slowly beyond Howling Curses's den. Two piles sat near the opening: one, a pile of the remains of the mice he hunted that day. Howl himself still had some blood on his snout from that. The other pile, was one of sticks. Maybe about, say, three total. They were his favorite, special sticks, a couple he brought along in his trek from the hills as he escaped the Ache.

One of them, though... One of them was from the swamp, and utterly beautiful. Smooth, with no branches. It was perfect. Howl didn't even chew on it, it was too perfect.

And he guarded his sticks with his life. As far as he could tell, like most days, no one was around. As it should be. He leaned down and, carefully, stared carrying some bones back into his den for safe-keeping.

The sticks would be fine for now, surely.  

[zeflamigo]

Raining Roses had been keeping an eye on this Kiokote. She watched with pure interest, incredibly curious about this wolf-like buck. She found his quirks exceptionally humorous. An affection for sticks? He was adorable.

Roses couldn't stand the idea of just going up and saying hello. Where was the fun in that? No, she had a much more interesting idea.

When Howling Curses had his back turned, she moved in quickly, picking up the smooth stick in her mouth. Muffled by the stick, she laughed to make sure she caught the kiokote's attention. Then, she turned and ran, fast.  

[Gl!tch~]

Howl's ears turned back as he heard someone laughed outside. Someone. Outside.

No!

Speedy as his kiokote limbs were, they could not carry him out fast enough to keep his stick from being taken. He growled at the retreating white flank and red mane in the dwindling sunset. No.

Without a second thought, he started his chase, growling and snarling all the while.  

[zeflamigo]

Ha! He took the bait. Raining Roses giggled again. She'd start to prance if she wasn't focused on keeping her speed.

"Can't catch me!" She teased, glancing back with a coy expression, if only for a second. She kept giggling, and picked up her pace.

Knowing she wasn't fast enough to keep the kiokote away for long, she started to run in serpentine patterns, diving around trees and changing direction quickly.  

[Gl!tch~]

"Get back here!" he snapped. Swamp mud flew as he galloped, puddles splashing up water as they edged closer to the submerged areas. Roses kept trying to be difficult and sneaky.

Yet, he continued to gain on her. Howl hit a few hard turns, nearly losing her a few times. What little patience he had wore thinner and thinner.

Eventually he decided to change tactics- instead of chasing on her heels, he'd try to cut her off during one of her swerves. Looking like he gave up, he ducked away to try to meet her head on.  

[zeflamigo]

Roses fell for the trick, if only because the idea of the kiokote giving up so easily made her feel terrible. For that short moment, she slowed her run, looking anywhere but in front of her for signs of Howling Curses.

Of course, when he appeared right in front of her, she didn't see it coming. She crashed right into the buck, tumbling clumsily but keeping a tight bite on the stick.  

[Gl!tch~]

He stood over the kimeti doe, still angry, but his swelling pride over the triumph put him in a slightly better mood. Howl let out another threatening grumble, however.

"Give. It. Back."  

[zeflamigo]

Roses shook her head, trying to push her now messy mane out of her eyes. With wide eyes, she looked up at the scary buck. For a short moment, she looked dainty and fragile, looking up at Howling Curses with blinking doe eyes.

"Oh, this?" She said, feigning ignorance. She adjusted her bite, holding out the pointy end towards the kiokote. With a blink, her expression changed back to its regular, coy demeanor.

"Take it," she teased, flicking her tail.  

[Gl!tch~]

Howl let out a low grumble. He eyed the tail-flick, the doe's demeanor... She wasn't acting quite like he expected a caught thief to. And he didn't trust it.

So, he leaned down, and tried to yank the stick away with a savage motion.  

[zeflamigo]

Roses smiled, biting back down on her own side of the stick. She tugged back with similar force, moving to stand to give herself more leverage. Then, she laughed, shaking her head side-to-side playfully.

She let out a low, playful growl and flicked her tail again.  

[Gl!tch~]

The doe didn't let go, which wasn't surprising, but there was still the nerve. His stick! His! Howl yanked and he yanked, falling into the tug of war without realizing it. He dug his hooves into the soft ground.

Even amidst the fighting, the kiokote started getting caught up in it. Soon it was not his stick that he needed to tug away, but just tugging to have it pulled back and tug again...

His tail started to lash, barely what one would call a repetitive motion.  

[zeflamigo]

Roses kept the tug of war going, playing along with the buck until her jaw started to get tired. After having her fun, she gave one final good tug, then let go of the stick.

Roses gave some distance for the buck to stumble. Of course, she laughed. Then she pranced around in the mud, spinning in a circle. Her tail swayed back and forth, tired but still playful.

"Aw, I guess you win!" Roses said, stepping up to Howling Curses. She booped his nose, giggling again.  

[Gl!tch~]

Stumble he did, nearly landing flat on his face. Stepping into some deep, squishy mud was all that saved Howl, but in the surprise of no longer having a force to pull or push against, he opened his jaw and the stick went flying.

So, of course, he went after it. Howl only stopped to acknowledge Roses as he dug his prize up. "This- this isn't a game! It's already mine so no one else can win anyway!" he huffed, very confused by this doe.

But he wasn't growling as much. If anything, the kiokote was pouting more than anything else, if not also flustered a bit from the boop.  

[zeflamigo]

Roses pouted back, but only to mimic Howling Curses. "Grr... No fun allowed! I hate playing games!" she growled, shaking her head. She stamped a hoof down in the mud as if throwing a fake tantrum.

"Actually, I changed my mind," She lifted her neck and tilted her head, batting her eyes again at the buck. "I won, because I had more fun." She teased.  

[Gl!tch~]

"I- I like playing games! Just not when it's my stolen sticks!"

With a hoof, he shoveled the stick through the muck closer to him. Howl bared his teeth. "And you still didn't win!"

He shook his head, mane flopping as he tried to calm down. "Your sense of fun is strange for someone so weak-looking. Foolish, even. Do you not realize that stealing others' property could get you hurt? There are worse tempers than mine in the swamp, you know..."