Into the Lion's Mouth [Rids]

[Ridley]

Seeing the smile on her rabbit's face caused Ridley's chest to burn with a foreign type of pride. While the female generally felt swollen with her normal ego, the triumph she felt for making the stranger happy was something new. It felt much lighter than her normal vanity. There was something about the different feeling, the freshness of the conversation between her and her stranger, that made Ridley feel like she wasn't playing with the ticking time bomb called war. The way the rabbit winked at her, played her games just as good (if not better) as her, and seemed to rise to her challenges, made Ridley's smile linger far longer than it had in a long while. "Well, well that's something that you'll have to discover now then won't you?" Ridley's stranger challenged with a flash in her eyes that made Ridley's mind spin. There has to be something wrong with her. Right? She knows who I am yet.... Beneath the stench of Animos, the dominant female could not smell fear for the first time in a long while.

It didn't make the fact that she smelled of Animos any less true, however. The distraction Ridley had encountered on her stroll along the borders was still the enemy, still just a pawn for the white king. If she was a good queen, the one who knew which pieces of the game needed to fall for her to rise, she would have felled the soldier before it could defend itself. She should have swallowed the strange pride in her chest and stayed true to the command of "Off with her head!". Midas' voice in her mind should have burst forth, demanding that she end all and bring forth the wrath of revenge upon the Animos wolf. He was silent. She must have been a failure as the black queen. But you never fail and never will, Ridley. The fact was comforting, but still did not explain why she had not taken out the rabbit. Perhaps death was not the only way to disarm an enemy? "I do apologize deeply for what I said. I held no knowledge that it would affect you in such a way; I do hope that you can forgive me for such insolence and insensitivity. And please, call me Alice." Perhaps Alice was not the enemy? What kind of enemy apologized?

Don't be a fool. The chill in her heart had returned. You play a dangerous game, Ridley, but don't be caught in your own trap. Believing Alice's apology, and her explanation of why she had no knowledge of Ridley's tango with the Animos pack, could be the leader's downfall. The dark she-wolf had half a mind to turn and run, all the way back home, before things got sticky and more cracks split on the surface of her already broken crown. But Ridley never ran.
 "You see, I'm what they consider 'crazy' or even 'mad' so I don't hear much." That explains a lot. If it's the truth. Ridley couldn't help but snort. How could she have possibly feared that this pawn, a mad, broken pawn, could serve as an enemy? She was practically harmless, just a looney, lost pawn.
"I knew there had to be something wrong with you," Ridley snorted with a smug smile like she knew it all. Distracted by her relief and constant train of thoughts, she hardly noticed as the female across from her rose to her feet and approached her. Alice was just suddenly there, in front of Ridley, pressing her nose into her chest. And then she sat down beside her like she had not just stared death in the face—or, rather, touched her nose to its chest.

It took only a moment, one quick touch, to convince Ridley that Alice was actually a knight. Heartbeat skyrocketing, the dominant female could hardly breathe after the blow of the realization. As one of the most dangerous pieces in the game, the knight was nothing to take lightly. She could still feel the cold patch where Alice's nose had been. There was nothing more dangerous than a wolf that did not fear her, so to Ridley, Alice had to fall in the category of threatening pieces.
"Don't ever touch me. Never again," Ridley's voice was empty, cold. Her body was stiff as she sat beside Alice. Why she didn't get up and go? Not even the dominant female knew. Because... because.... somehow there was potential. If Ridley could simply get the wolf to fear her, but still keep her ignorant to the happenings between their groups, would there be space for some kind of friendship? If not friendship, a link to the Animos side that would be invaluable in their game of war. "I wouldn't want to catch your crazy," she laughed with another sharp grin. Little did she know she had long ago caught a very similar illness of the mind. In one sentence, she had shifted from being suddenly lethal back to her dangerously charismatic persona in an attempt to keep their flirty exchange alive. Why?

Because somewhere deep inside Ridley, she liked it.

[Boyce]

Ridley was quiet for quite some time; it allowed Alice some time to reflect on all that had occurred during and before this encounter. Eligius had obvious distaste for the female who sat just hush of Alice. She also knew that her dominant felt something akin to hatred for those who didn't show loyalty. Would he hate Alice for allowing herself to speak with Ridley? No, that didn't seem likely. He knew that she was mad; he would only worry that she gave valuable information away. Otherwise, she doubted he would honestly care.

For a moment, Alice wondered what kind of leader Ridley truly was. Rumours circulated and told her that the latter was a cold, cruel, and manipulative creature who did things without reason or thought. Such a thing was simply preposterous in the young female's broken, crazed mind. She could never believe that thought didn't occupy others, especially someone like Ridley. There was intelligence in the Sapientia Saecolorum's alphess. Whether she showed that while speaking to the others of Vox Populi or not, she did not know. Now she wanted to, however she knew that simply asking things of personal nature would anger Ridley; Alice kept her thoughts to herself.

Why does everyone seem so offended by the scents of the other packs? It was a quick thought, one that seemed laced with insanity and insatiable curiosity. To herself, there was nothing wrong with anyone nor their smells. In fact if she was to be completely honest, she enjoyed the scent of Ridley despite it's apparently "reek". A small, barely noticeable shiver shook her as she breathed in deeply to catch that scent yet again on her smell receptors. It was near ecstasy.

"Don't ever touch me. Never again,"

And yet, another nerve was hit on accident. In this brief encounter, Alice learned so much about Ridley. For one thing, she hated being asked anything personal and seemed to detest any form of physical contact. She wasn't a mindless beast like others portrayed her to be. Her temper and anger was easily triggered by the smallest of actions and/or words, much like Alice's insanity. Challenges were something that she appeared to enjoy as long as they were executed properly. And finally, she was absolutely wonderful.

"I wouldn't want to catch your crazy,"

"As far as I know, it's not contagious. But I suppose it's better to be careful than sorry," she replied without a single problem. Alice was full of swirling, mixing emotions but they were not reflected outwardly. They weren't even conflicting on the inside. Rather, they were put deep into her mind and did battle without her knowing. They wanted her to flee. They wanted her to slip into her safe place and let her crazy take over. They wanted her to become the rabbit that Ridley claimed her to be when they first started to talk.

She did none of those things. Alice in fact went against her very being and avoided her instincts that she placed on herself. Rather, she stayed where she was and gave another smile. There was another challenging gleam in her eyes that weren't specific about what the challenge was. It was open ended and Ridley would be able to gain from it what she wanted to. No fear-scent wafted up from Alice's black-and-white furred body as she remained close to the alphess. Even in her sane place, she still possessed no fear or simply didn't understand it; there was no possible way that she could grow to be afraid. Not of Ridley.

"Perhaps I should depart before I cause you to catch my disease. Lest it starts to fester and grow in your mind." There. That's what the challenge was. Either to convince Alice to remain or to allow her to slip away. It was an interesting notion and it brought forth a strange feeling of power in Alice. She wasn't used to having someone speak to her, especially while she was her old self.

Of course, even the most ideal utopia has to end sometime. Hopefully it wouldn't be soon.

[Ridley]

What was it about Alice that intrigued her so? Not even her own pack members seemed nearly as interesting to Ridley. The dominant female contemplated it being the fact that she was mad, that the wolf's craziness was what made her so unique and refreshing. A taste for the eccentric it seemed.
Or maybe she simply liked having someone to talk with? Maybe Alice wasn't special to her at all. She was just a pair of ears to talk to and a mouth that could reply. She was a mass of sour-smelling fur and flesh. There could very well be nothing special about her, save that she was there. "As far as I know, it's not contagious. But I suppose it's better to be careful than sorry," Alice explained about her madness, as if Ridley did actually fear catching the disease. The dominant female was almost positive Alice's insanity was all her own. It was specific to her and would never find a home in Ridley's mind. She already had a disease up there anyway. With her swollen pride, there was no room up there for any kind of crazy. At least, she thought so. "Perhaps I should depart before I cause you to catch my disease. Lest it starts to fester and grow in your mind," Alice added. There's something I've caught, something growing, but not in my head, Ridley thought, her head starting to pulse with a confusing headache. She shifted her head towards Alice. Her yellow eyes narrowed. Was it some kind of test? It had to be. Unless her rabbit truly wanted an escape from her (which meant she maybe did really fear her), Ridley was sure that Alice was trying to get a grasp on how much she wanted her around. A smile parted her dark features as she answered.

"So the rabbit is afraid of being so far from safety, afterall? Now you want to get away, now that I have you," Ridley teased, laughing as though it were a joke, even when there was some truth behind it. The dominant female of Sapientia was pretty sure she had Alice, still even if she up and walked away. Some kind of link had formed between the two, which made things all the more scary interesting. "If you go, I'll follow you, straight back to your burrow," she flicked her tail. In all honesty, Ridley probably wouldn't have stalked after Alice if she left. There was too much hanging in the balance and one wrong move on her part could ignite an entire war much too early. She couldn't go prancing into Animos territory, following one of the members, if she ever hoped to return home alive. Even so, it wouldn't be fear that kept her from following, just intelligence. She didn't, wouldn't, fear the Animos Regum pack. They were just a bump in the road, one she would soon smooth over. Thinking of fear, Ridley couldn't help but grin with a new idea. A test of her own.

Moving to stand, turning so that her chin hovered dangerously close to touching Alice's head, the female shadowed her rabbit. "You know, I might be more inclined to make you stay, if you didn't smell so awful. You remind me of Eligius," the female hesitated as she spoke his name. "I just don't know how you would get rid of the stench," the female's words were coy, greedy for what they were soon to reveal, "The only things I know that can hide smells are blood and fear." Ridley grinned before moving her head down beside Alice's left ear, her teeth barely touching her cheek as she talked, "If you want to stay, pick one." She could feel the other female's fur against her nose, tickling her slightly as she breathed out hot air. Physical contact wasn't something Ridley was particularly fond of, but she was much more comfortable with it as long as she was the one who initiated it.

[Boyce]

It seemed that Ridley often disappeared into her world once again. Alice wondered what Ridley's world looked like. Was it dark and bleak? For some reason, she sincerely doubted such to be true. In her mind, she believed Ridley's other plane of existence to be more like shards of glass, full of reflecting light and therefore, full of colour. Whether Ridley acknowledged that as true or not wouldn't change the slightly younger female's perspective.

"So the rabbit is afraid of being so far from safety, afterall? Now you want to get away, now that I have you, If you go, I'll follow you, straight back to your burrow,"

A near smirk blossomed on Alice's face as she took in what Ridley was saying. So, the Sapientia's leader would fearlessly follow her back to her current home. Even though she shouldn't, the black-and-white female found it endearing in its own way. However, Alice had the feeling that the dominant would follow her to the borders at best. Starting a war too early surely would lead to the destruction of both packs if they weren't careful enough. The dance of war was a lovely and deadly one; it made sense that everyone was careful in the part they played and ensuring that they didn't misstep.

"What if I were to lead you into a trap? After all, even a rabbit such as myself must have its defenses." She answered as a boldly as she dared. Her head was held high and she stared Ridley straight in the eyes. There seemed to be a continuous shift of who held dominance in the conversation that was being held between them. Right at those words, Alice took the role of dominant one for herself and dangled it right before Ridley's nose, daring for the other to take it again.

"You know, I might be more inclined to make you stay, if you didn't smell so awful. You remind me of Eligius, I just don't know how you would get rid of the stench, The only things I know that can hide smells are blood and fear. If you want to stay, pick one."

This was nearly too much for Alice. The close proximity could quite possibly drive her absolutely insane. Though this was a different kind of insanity than what she was used to. It wasn't her safe place, it was one that she was unfamiliar with. No.. not quite unfamiliar with. With Fenris it had been something near this but not quite. He had ignited a fire in her, a quick wildfire that flowed through her without pause. This was more like coals that were heating her from her very core. Ridley's scent and near touch filled her senses completely until it was like no one else existed. The feel of teeth teasing her cheek was what caused the younger female to lean towards her, ever so slightly.

They touched for but a moment before Alice pulled away again, her yellow eyes searching Ridley's own. Without saying a single word, she smiled and stood with elegance. Rather than walking straight back to her territory, Alice started to walk in the opposite direction; closer to the home of the other she-wolf. Would Ridley follow her?

Alice certainly found herself wishing that she would.

[Ridley]

In Ridley's life, she had known three types of relationships: the one she held with her father, Midas, and the kind she had with her grandmother, Taru, and the game she played with Eligius. The female had never encountered anything like Alice. If she had to pick which one she came closest to, however, she couldn't. There were pieces of Alice that reminded her of each of the three main wolves that centered her life. Midas, because they had both been mad. Taru, because she was quirky and elegant. Eligius, because Alice was a challenge. Everything about the wolfess was new, yet so familiar. Ridley should have known how to handle it, how to handle the Animos knight known as Alice. Yet, she was still blindsided by the sheer infatuation she felt with the creature.

"What if I were to lead you into a trap? After all, even a rabbit such as myself must have its defenses," her words were bold, daring. Oh how Ridley loved it. To be challenged so bluntly with such elegance, it was unnatural. It made her shudder with desire, the wave running down her spine.
"Would you?" the dark she-beast asked, "If given the chance?" Her yellow eyes searched Alice's as she pulled back to look at her. She could have sworn the other female was leaning towards her, just a little. The idea made Ridley's heart flutter, her lungs suddenly eager for more air, even if it reeked of Animos wolf. They were touching again, but only for a fleeting moment. Alice stood up to leave, apparently not willing to pick from the options Ridley had supplied. Stay, the dominant female almost breathed out the word, but instead, it died in her mind as only a hushed wish.

Staring after her, Ridley was at a loss of what to do. She was immobilized, stuck there with a longing she had never felt before. A lust that burned her greater than anything. Ridley. She was just there, watching Alice go. Ridley. There was no looking away, no chance to escape the trap that her rabbit had apparently already set for her. Ridley. The further Alice walked, the louder Midas's voice became. He was coming back, now that her latest distraction had gone. RIDLEY. The dark she-wolf couldn't bare to sit there and do nothing, not with him yelling and her walking. But she had never been a chaser, never been a follower. Then go beside her. She's leaving, hun, and if she goes now, you'll never live it down. That was Taru's voice, someone she hadn't heard in a long while. How much softer it sounded. It was enough to lure her away from her trance and get her legs moving.

Using her long legs to carry her quickly after Alice, Ridley grinned as she caught up. "So you're coming home with me, then?" the female eyed her with a quizzical glance. "I guess that is another option to get rid of your smell," she teased before leaning in to whisper in Alice's ear again, "Spend the night with me and you'll smell just fine." Pulling away, the dark beast laughed loudly. It was a real laugh, more genuine than any she had produced in a long time. Behind it, Ridley tried to play off her words as a joke, in a sad attempt to keep herself from actually believing that it could actually happen. No matter how she felt, or how Alice felt (if she wasn't just imagining everything), it was an impossibility. If anything, their flirty exchange was a tragedy for them both. So why couldn't Ridley stop?