while her family's away, maggie will play. [open]

[maggie]

If there was one thing true about Yagi blood, it was that their dark colored pelts did not blend well with the snow. This wasn't a deterrent for the large ball of moss plodding her way through Empire territory though. With a smug, mischievous smile and a strong will that danced raw in her slate grey eyes, young Magnoliaceae could care less about anything other than herself.

Mother and father had both disappeared for a bit (supposedly out hunting), leaving her alone with her brother. Except, Cedrus hadn't really stayed within their little den in the mountains either. It was one of those times that Maggie cursed her heavy sleeping. While her brother usually didn't wander off on his own, now that they were older and their mother was back she had noticed a bit of a change in him. He seemed a bit more detached from herself and their father, and maybe a little more confident now that his beloved mommy was back to care for him.

Mother... The thought of her mother made the adolescent snort. Now there was a canine she still could not understand. No matter how much she tried to push Cypress away, that didn't keep her mother from trying. It was a pity Maggie still wasn't ready to let her mother back into her life. Just because her father and brother had eagerly adjusted to the return of a familiar presence did not mean that she had to. The stubborn little pup would not come around until she was good and ready to.

That being said, Cypress's presence did stir the curiosity of her young mind. Her mother was often disappearing into the north for extended periods at a time. While she knew her mother belonged to a pack (the constant stench of others on her coat enough to give that detail away), her parents had yet to come to a decision on that matter. Arkham's loner nature was strong, and until Cypress sorted out her loyalties the pups were rather kept in the dark about the Balkamir Yikaxy Empire.

Thus brings us to the present. Left on her own, Magnoliaceae had taken it upon herself to do a little investigating. She wanted to know more about the foreign land that often stole her mother away. Was this pack why Arkham had left Cypress in the first place? Maggie still wasn't clear on those details as well despite the strong opinion she had on the matter (and there was a good chance the truth would not be enough to sway her).

Cutting her way through the thick snow, adrenaline kept her warm to the core. It was thrilling, roaming where she shouldn't be without permission. Exhilarating, the difficult journey to get there only added to her excitement. Maggie was bursting to the seams with the thrill of adventure and eluding the threat of punishment. And her enthusiasm only grew when a frozen lake came into view.

Charging forward at full speed, the female did not stop until she hit the ice and her paws gave out. She slid a good distance across the frozen surface, giggling the entire time. When finally friction caused her body to stop, she was up on her paws again. It was difficult to find enough traction to send herself sliding again, but once she did she was off like a bullet. Ice was fun. It was just too bad her sharp ears did not catch the quiet creaking sounds as she got farther from the shore. Too absorbed in her own little games, Maggie was not aware of the danger lurking beneath thin ice.

[roarangel]

Children had never been Karters strong suit. They loved to play and he would rather walk along in quiet. Children are NEVER quiet. But coming upon the Balkamir Yikaxy Empire, he was accepted into the pack as a teacher. Doubt filled his head at this idea but he decided to take the task with full vigor. And that meant watching every pup that loved to stray off and being a mother hen

"Ha!", Karter mumbled under his breath as he walked towards the frozen lake. His long legs taking gliding strides, oh how fast he could go if he had wings! Another curse was soon on his tongue as his second soul longed for flight. That is not wolf, wolves do not fly!, he argued in his head but he could not deny the longing. His raven tail fanned out and stayed low to the ground, almost in anticipation for wings to suddenly appear..... but..... nothing, no miraculous wings to save the day. There never would be.
Caught up in a pother inside his mind, he almost missed the strong scent of a lone pup. His walking faltered to an abrupt halt, brow furrowing with confusion. "This far from the dens?, he spoke to himself as if trying to say this was trickery. Someone had to be playing a ghastly joke! Having a pudgy fur ball out here alone was just begging a predator to have some dinner. His second soul confirmed the thoughts, knowing how easy it would be to pick some small rodent or.. pup.. right off the ground before anyone could bark or growl. Yet Karter hesitated to do anything. This would mean having to talk and be seen! He could not be antisocial outside his lessons.

"Awh, screw it.", He wheeled his body in the direction of the scent and dropped his head low to keep the scent on track. Adrenaline pumped through his limbs when he started to pick up speed, his tail fanned out and ready for the impossible.
Weaving around tree's, leaping over bushes and plowing through snow, Karter approached the frozen lake and what looked like a little ball of grass. But grass cannot talk, much less slide and giggle like a love struck doe. He slowed down at the edge of the lake and gave a slightly annoyed huff, "Pup, why are you out here alone? Its not safe for you!" He made his voice carry in the wind to the pup, dreading how loud it sounded to him. Socializing was not his strong point. But a movement underwater caught his attention, a shape moving towards the pup then away. Fear hit his gut like a stone and then moved to pure horror. Something wanted to eat this pup and of course it would be up to him to try and save the day. Joy.

He glanced down once more and saw the object coming back around, he could not just stand there! "RUN! GET OFF THE ICE NOW!", Karter roared as he leaped onto the slippery foundation. But thanks to his bird like claws, he found half way decent footing. But that was the last thing on his mind as he moved towards the pup. First was getting her off, second was getting her home, last was finding a good corner to crawl in.
But he thundered across the ice and prayed to the great mother that the thing below was slow and fat. If the pup would not move, he would pick it up and run to safety if he had too!

ooc: sorry if this is kinda all over the place, getting used to him :3

[maggie]

The rest of the world seemed to not exist while she skated and slid about. She was oblivious to the lurking shadows and the scent of another presence. Then again, she'd never been a very alert creature to begin with. In her world, she was the center of it. Nothing else mattered. So when a shout broke into her silence, her first reaction was to startle.

All four paws slipped out from under her as her body involuntarily jumped at the unexpected voice. She landed with a hard thud, hairline fractures forming in the ice. Of course, stubborn little brat that she was that seemed to do nothing to deter her. With some effort she picked her practically full grown body back up (time had slipped by so fast that she barely even remembered turning one). A sharp glare contorted her pretty face, grey eyes cold as she sought out the source of her little spill. When she found him, she met him with nothing short of contempt.

"Why should I listen to you? You're not Papa!" she snapped with a bit of a growl. She refused to budge as he came sliding towards her, turning her nose up to accent her stubborn decision. She still did not know of the creature that swam beneath her paws or the potential danger she was in. Right now she was too busy setting her young heart on doing the exact opposite of everything this stranger told her to do. As far as she was concerned, he wasn't her father. Arkham was the only one she ever actually listened to.

[roarangel]

Of course he was moronic to think the pup would listen. Pups never listened, they were stubborn and needy and whiny and... Pups! Karter's ears pinned back in brief annoyance before throwing all his weight in lunging forward. But oh how he was aware of the spider web cracks that were forming on the ice and how the dark shape sped by him or was that his mind? "If you want to see your papa again, I suggest you move!", Karter barked with one final atempt to get her to move peacefully. He had no plans for if she didn't start scrabbling away on her own. As of now he was running on speed and sugar. It would only be seconds until he reached where the pup was and only moments until he ran straight into her... Thats when he got the idea. Lowering his head like a battering ram and preparing himself for a headache, he raced across the slippery ice. "Go, go, go, go,! No way am I explaining this to your father!", the words were whispered under his breath. She was almost as big as him, maybe the same weight. With luck if she didn't move, he would send her flying along with himself.

Come on come on... His brain screamed to stop, to just let the pup deal with whatever wanted to have her for dinner. She was almost full grown! But there was no turning back and he took a leap forward. He sailed in the air towards her, cringing at what would be a painful collision. At the same time he heard a low growl and possibly a crack in the ice behind them. And with that he shut his eyes and waited for hell to break over.

(I tried to make sure not to powerplay , he leaped at her but I never said if he barreled her over so you can have her move if you like )