Winter was a frigid bitch. Calliope was coming to know this well. Snow threatened to fall every day. It was all she knew. The shivering, the wetness, the cold, it all sucked. Unsurprisingly, it made Cal that much grumpier. All she wanted to do was go outside. Explore, get into trouble, you know, normal puppy things. But every morning, she awoke to see more frost on the ground and a larger fire in the fireplace. Scorning the day she met the wolf who decided the weather, it would be days before there was finally a warm front that pushed in from the west. While the clouds still rolled in, instead of snow, they were met with a cold rain that dampened the sand and deafened the loud jungle that surrounded their home.

This was it! Her chance to go out without being completely miserable! Waiting for nightfall, Cal made sure her family was asleep before getting up and sliding out into the hallway. Once there, she made her way outside. Breathing in damp air, she was only slightly startled when the rain tapped against her body. Growing cold quickly, she picked up her pace and headed down toward the ponds out back of the building. Eager to find something fun to do, she was not expecting a group of ducks to be lingering by the edge of the pond. Stopping in her tracks, she eyed them warily. They eyed her back, unsure of what to think of the colorful pup.

Raising her hackles, Cal tried to go around the group of ducks. It was no use. She'd disturbed them and they weren't happy about it. Suddenly, the larger male was screeching at her, flapping its wings, and trying to peck out her eyes. A disgruntled noise left her as she jumped out of the way of the duck, collected herself, and then lunged back at it. Her jaw opened, head moving forward, paws digging into the mud. Taking the duck by surprise, she grabbed onto its neck and began to shake until she heard a snapping noise. The rest of the ducks stood in silent horror as they watched her take the duck's life.

Pleased with her success, Cal began to drag the duck off toward the back of the pond where she could stash it until morning.

Calliope, The Callous

As far as Kaija was concerned, winter in the south was easy peasy. At least compared to living up in the north. These islands though seemed a little different than the mainlands though, the ocean wind bringing in fiercer colds than she'd expected, but still it was way less intense than the north. It wasn't like Kaija was relieved about that though. Didn't matter much to her either way. Cold or hot, wet or dry, it was all the same and she'd survive whatever the hell happened, not that she was ever really the type to bitch about things like the weather. At least she'd found something different to do with her life now, new wolves to kick it with and new exciting things to do in the future. There were no complaints from her, at least not right now.

Not even with the rainy, humid night that seemingly enveloped her as she wandered the island. The sound of the rain beating down methodically on the forest that made up the island was soothing, to the point of being hypnotizing. It was a wonder she'd been having trouble sleeping at all with the sound but she didn't dwell on it long, instead focusing on the rubble that she was encountering. Up ahead something that barely resembled a building remained, and gleefully she hopped up onto one of the crumbling walls and looked out around her. The fact that the rain was coming down, and it was night, and the vegetation on the island was thick enough that even thinned back thanks to the cold weather, made it hard to see much at all... but she swore she saw something oddly bright-colored out there in the night.

What the hell? She knew the Raiders were plentiful and while she hadn't gotten to know many of them yet, she wasn't the least bit shy and she'd be damned if someone was out here doing something interesting without her knowing about it. Hopping down off her perch with a surprising splash, she ignored the fact that she'd landed right in a big puddled and soaked her legs and underbelly, heading toward where she thought she'd seen the bright fur.

A-ha! There it was! The silhouette of a freakishly bright colored pup became visible the closer she got, though she was a little distracted by the flapping of wings and then silence that followed. The smell of duck was distinct, and tinged with the smell of blood. "Is this the sort of thing I have to look forward to here?" Kaija let out a snort as she moved closer, her approach hardly what one would consider subtle. The big woman was a lot of things but graceful was not a word anyone had ever used to describe her, or ever would. "Late night duck hunts?" Her tone was amused and curious, and maybe a little accusatory, for no good reason.

As the rain drizzled around her, her senses were drowned. Focusing on dragging her duck to a good hiding spot, she didn't notice the older woman's approach. It isn't until she is ankle-deep in mud and the woman is speaking does Calliope looks up. Her fur stands on end, as much as it can for how went it is, and an attempt at a fierce growl rumbles in her chest. "He was askin' for it," the pup spits out from around the broken neck of the duck. She stares suspiciously at the older woman as she takes a few steps back. No way she was going to let some newcomer take her prize!

"Plenty more over there if you want one," Calliope says as she lifts a paw and points it in the direction where the other startled ducks try to go back to sleep. Why they didn't fly away was outside of her concern. What's more of her concern is this larger and older wolf attempting to take what was her's.

Calliope, The Callous

This weather didn't bother her. It took a lot to really agitate Kaija, and some slightly dreary weather wasn't enough to shake her. That was kinda just how things were when you were used to living life as a loner - she'd dealt with a whole lot worse than some rain, and had no doubt she'd deal with far worse in the future. Instead of looking perturbed by the weather or Calliope getting all protective over her prey, Kaija mostly just looks amused - maybe with a little hint of annoyance at the pup's shitty attitude. "Yeah, I'm sure he was," she replied with a snort.

"Don't need permission for that, but thanks, kid," Kaija commented dryly. She hadn't even tried starting shit and somehow it seemed like she still had. This kid's attitude was kind of rubbing her the wrong way, and she hadn't even been in a bad mood to begin with, so that was pretty impressive. "Mom and dad know you're out this late?" Her tone was admittedly a little condescending, as she tested her luck talking to this kid. She seemed like a little spitefire - and for what? To piss off a perfectly cool, strong, capable new packmate? Kaija couldn't imagine why, but she was sure interesting in poking the bear a little to see if it'd roar a little more.

The woman's response is less than pleasing. Even the snort made Calliope's hackles rise. Her eyes narrow even further as she lays her ears back. What had she meant by that? Of course, the duck was asking for it! Just look at them! Those stupid feathered beady-eyed little idiots. Didn't they know wolves lived here? It was the next statement that continued to put Calliope on the wrong paw with this new packmate. "I wasn't giving you permission," she snaps back as her lips rise in a snarl. "You just as stupid as those ducks? I said it so you would leave mine alone," her voice has an edge to it as she takes another step backward. Being young and hot-headed, Calliope continued to let her fuse burn down. There was distrust and suspicion in her narrowed and staring gaze as she assessed her chances. Could she take the larger woman down? Would it even be worth it to try? Age and size aside, Calliope had... spunk. Or stupidity. However one would want to word it, she made up her mind as Kaija asked if her parents knew she was out here. Who cared if they knew? If they wanted her back in the building, they would have retrieved her by now. "You looking for a fight or you just like being a bitch to pups you don't know?" Calliope snarls as she makes sure to push her duck back behind her before settling into a defensive position, ready to pounce. Calliope

Calliope vs Kaija for Spar? Dominance? The title of "Biggest Bitch Ever"?
Round 0/?
Age: Under 6mo
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Novice Intellectual

The kid seemed to be getting pissier by the minute, which amused Kaija a little bit. Maybe she shouldn't find so much enjoyment in picking on a kid, but she couldn't help herself - not when she seemed so easily agitated! Kaija hadn't even been trying to piss anyone off either, not really, which made this all the more entertaining to her. Her nose wrinkled as the girl spoke up, insulting her, which made her tilt a little more toward annoyance rather than amusement. "You're the one out chasing ducks in the rain," she retorted, adding a snort for emphasis. Okay, Kaija was out here too, but still.

Another snort was given as Calliope continued to get riled up, clearly not liking her line of questioning. "Wasn't looking for a fight in the first place, but you're the one who had to cop an attitude," she commented, her tone a bit more sour now. She considered for a moment, wondering if she'd get kicked out for trying to put a mouth pup in her place. Ah well - fuck it. If she couldn't assert herself maybe Raiders Hollow wasn't the place for her. It wasn't like her to worry about the consequences of her actions, so why would she start now? "Let's see if you're as tough as you think, you little shit," Kaija snarled, charging forward as soon as the pup settled into a fighting stance. She'd made it obvious she was keen to start something, so she may as well move things along and see if Calliope was half as tough as she seemed to think she was.

She wasn't sure aiming to hurt Calliope or anything, but she did feel like taking her down a notch and showing her she didn't need to be such a bitch for no reason. Surely there were a lot of wolves who deserved it but Kaija wasn't one of 'em. A growl emanated from her as she charged straight toward the girl, aiming to bring her paws up and onto her shoulders, hoping to overpower her and send her down to the ground. It was made a little - okay, a lot - more difficult by the rain was pouring down around them, making the sand dense and harder to trudge through as she moved forward.

Kaija vs Calliope for Dominance (aka putting a kid in her place)
Round 1 / ???
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Mutation 1: Tusks - Offensive
Skills: Expert Navigator & Expert Fighter

Kaija's taunting words are both surprising and enticing. Typically, when Calliope egged older wolves on, they didn't normally indulge her ridiculous behavior. No, they usually just pushed her off or told her to go find someone else. So Kaija actually wanting to get into a brawl was exciting! She can feel the vibration of anticipation build in her as she lets out a growl. Standing her ground in the slick mud, she lets Kaija barrel forward. Showing her teeth, she waits until Kaija is almost toward her. Diving forward herself, trying to use the slick mud to her advantage, she nearly avoids Kaija's legs. Feeling the pressure of the older girl's paws on her back, Calliope struggles to complete her attempt. Slipping in the mud, Calliope aims to try and grab ahold of the girl's rear leg.

"Speech"

Calliope vs Kaija for Dominance (The title of "Biggest Bitch Ever")
Round 1/2
Age: Under 6mo
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Novice Intellectual

Damn, were all the kids in Raiders Hollow so fucking spicy for no reason? The meeting could've so easily gone differently. Kaija hadn't cared about her ducks, but it seemed Calliope had been intent on starting something with her and she was happy to comply. Wasn't like anyone had really pissed her off lately, so letting out some of her pent-up aggression sounded like fun... even if slip-sliding all around the muddy ground was less than ideal.

Her attack landed soundly on Calliope's shoulders, though the younger girl held strong and didn't let it send her tumbling. Instead of falling to the ground though she uses the position to slide forward, practically going under her and aiming a bite on her back leg. She didn't miss, though Kaija tried to pull back, also finding the mud slick under her paws and not allowing her to stay entirely upright. Her movements were much sloppier than usual as she tried to pull back just a bit before lunging forward again, pushing the weight of her body into Calliope's attack.

Kaija vs Calliope for Dominance (aka putting a kid in her place)
Round 2 / 2
Age: Over 1 Year
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Mutation 1: Tusks - Offensive
Skills: Expert Navigator & Expert Fighter

Mud splatters around them as Calliope tries to find her footing. Even if her teeth do meet a leg of Kaija's, its too dark and sloppy to really tell. All she attempts to do at this point is not get squished by the older and larger Kaija. Feeling the movements of the older girl as she pulled back and drove forward, Calliope responds with letting go. Going slack, allowing Kaija to push her forward and out from under her legs. The mud coats her belly, her legs, everywhere. Instead of white and pastel, she is now a nice deep brown. Once she's free of the entrapment of Kaija's legs, Calliope attempts to jump up and snap at Kaija's chin, but the mud isn't doing her any favors.

"Speech"

Calliope vs Kaija for Dominance (The title of "Biggest Bitch Ever")
Round 2/2
Age: Under 6mo
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Medium
Skills: Intermediate Fighter & Novice Intellectual

And the winner is...

KAIJA

CALLIOPE must give up by submitting, fleeing or passing out. Totals: KAIJA Attack Roll: 59 Defense Roll: 67 Agility Roll: 100 Perception Roll: 44 Total: 270 Attack[59] + 10% Bonus[5.90]: 64.90 Defense[67] + 10% Bonus[6.70]: 73.70 Agility[100] + 20% Bonus[20.00]: 120.00 Perception[44] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 44.00 Total[302.60] + 20% Bonus[60.52]: 363.12 CALLIOPE: Attack Roll: 78 Defense Roll: 51 Agility Roll: 72 Perception Roll: 48 Total: 249 Attack[78] + 15% Bonus[11.70]: 89.70 Defense[51] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 51.00 Agility[72] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 72.00 Perception[48] + 5% Bonus[2.40]: 50.40 Total[263.10] + -20% Bonus[-52.62]: 210.48