RP:A Salamander For A Slap On The Couch

Synopsis: Tiber and Lanara go hunting for a salamander in the Fog Forest. All is well until the fog becomes thicker and the two get separated from each other. Lanara sees a snake in the process and runs frightened until she finds her beloved again. Through the damp cold, mud, sweat, and rain the two are miserable and Tiber lets his old true colors show. The salamander is caught for Meri to delver to Nikola, but there was a price to pay for the mission. Tiberius Lowell gets the couch when the two lovers get home.

Part of the New Moon, New Motion Arc

This is a Adventurer's Guild RP.

Fog Forest

Tiber (1 of 2) :: It had been a few days since Tiberius had mentioned the hunt of the salamander. In that time, the man spent his time in his study while Lanara was out getting other pack members situated. The man quiet for those few days, per usual. Cooped. Up late rifling through tomes and memorizing climates, observing the sizing of the critter, and how to lure such a poisonous, tiny creature. All the while, he was thinking, why the hell would Nikola need a salamander pelt? Either way, when those days passed, more scruff tacked itself on to Tiber’s face which was starting to create a beard rather than the average shadow he kept. Perhaps Sage Forest was growing on him, literally. The day finally came, however, when he came out of his studies and came down the stairs to explain to Lanara the discoveries he had found. “Meri said that salamanders are prone to fire, so they actually are attracted towards it. It doesn’t necessarily need to be fire, but some sort of light or glare, it would come out of the depths. And when I say depths, I mean somewhere moist and damp… We have to travel to the Fog Forest…” his voice was slow for her reaction. Eventually after a long discussion with Lanara’s worries due to amphibians, the two came to a consensus. Besides, Tiber said -he- was doing the killing and skinning, for the death of the salamander had to be a careful process in order to not destroy the creature's skin. “So we leave tomorrow.”

Tiber (2 of 2) :: The travels to Rynvale were slick, for the travel was nostalgic to the man who had left the seas behind. Of course Tiber had to stop at his favorite pit-stops on the way in Cenril. He insisted on his favorite seafood vendors and scamming a few gullible merchants for a cheap coin. Once the couple sailed the seas, only with mild nausea for Tiberius, the two settled in an inn where they had their typical lustful, cozy evening. Of course the newly engaged couple could never keep their hands off each other. With a restful sleep, it had finally become the next day. With that next day, came a soft rain. The blonde was up early creeping around the small inn room equipping his gear out of restlessness. When it came to missions, the witch might notice the patterns of her lover’s timidness of not being able to fully relax until the deed was done. The man is draped in a thick, dark brown, hikers button-up and a khaki pair of cargo pants with brown boots. Eventually, the Catalian backpedals towards his sleeping fiance before he lands on her side of the bed. A hunting knife slowly sinks into one of his cargo pockets before he turns to gently place a hand on the Kelvarian. “Lana,” he coos softly. “Time to get up so we can head out.”

Lanara (Post 1 of 2) Lanara had spent the past week reacclimating herself with running the sanctuary, and each morning she woke up bright and early with a grumble, as she will -never- be a morning person! However, each evening she came home with a plethora of stories about various animals, and if Tiber was too wrapped up in his research, she would borrow the ear of Aspen, Ranger, or Salem. They could care less about rescue missions, adoptions, or gossip amongst the staff, but if they listened really well, the witch often gave them a treat, so they pretended to be enraptured. Lana also had taken Celeste for an interview with Penelope, and she returned with a -very- colorful tale involving Bjorn and squealing hogs, and -that- story earned quite a few raised eyebrows of both the Catalian and their animal companions! A checklist had been taped to the fridge, along with a countdown to their housewarming party, and a list of those that would be invited. All in all, the couple had been very busy catering to their independent careers and hobbies, but they still managed to fall asleep in each other's arms every night, and Lana found herself actually looking forward to a trip to Fog Forest. Even if it meant having to witness the slaughter of -another- innocent animal.

Lanara (Post 2 of 2) The witch loathes waking up early, so when Tiber carefully caresses her face, she replies with a low growl. They had been up rather late last night, devouring each other in every intimate way possible, and she needs her beauty sleep! The voice and touch are unwanted at this hour, but it’s his scent that has Asha all excited, and so a warm smile appears on Lana’s fair face and she opens her eyes. “Morning, Handsome…” Sitting up on her elbows, she presses a lingering kiss to Tiber’s lips, and pulls back enough to admire his hiking attire. “You are really taking this seriously! I didn’t know you wanted to be in the Ranger’s Guild -this- badly…” Had he gone to such lengths when she forced him to join the Adventurers’ Guild in the past? He -had- climbed an awful amount of mountains and fought off a few flying sharks! Lana slides from the mattress and peruses a few articles that she packed, before settling on a pair of khaki shorts, hiking boots, a green fitted tank top, and a utility belt which hands low on her waist. She wastes no time in getting dressed, because anything that’s important to her fiance, is important to her by default. “I love you… Enough to turn my head when you skin that poor salamander.” She’s jesting, for the most part, as she pulls her hair into a thick, long braid. “So, are we going to start a forest fire? Or should I just call upon the element and lure it into view?” There’s no way she’s going to cuddle up with a lizard, as reptiles aren’t her favorite things, and she’s unsure how far her empathic abilities will reach in a thick forest where one cannot see a few feet in front of them. “Ready, Babe?” They resemble the legends she read about in her youth, Nathan Drake and Lara Croft, and she smiles at what an adorable couple they make.

Tiber (1 of 2) :: Tiber returns the lingering lips on Lanara as she awakens. A small smile is pressed on his lips, very faint for the early morning. “Well, I think it’s the fact that since we moved to the forests, I have an obligation to protect you, the pack, and our territory. I need to be involved and know the forest inside and out.” Pause. “Plus the extra practice with hunting skills never hurts. New techniques, tricks, etcetera.” A hand glides forward to brush the witch’s hair. He moves when she throws the blankets back and he continues to get ready by equipping a bow and a quip of arrows, a net, and a canteen full of fresh water. On a nearby table rests a small journal Tiber had kept for notes on geology and the environment. In that notebook would rest his notes on the salamander. The man turns at the woman’s tease and a charming smirk presses against his pale lips. “Oh, aren’t you just the perfect fiance,” he then scratches the back of his head. “I figured you can use the element. I’d hate to piss anyone off. I figured if you call to get it out, I can catch it with a net. Also…” he bends down to rummage through a nearby duffle. “Put on these,” a pair of leather gloves are handed out to the witch, and a pair for himself. “So we don’t touch the skin. I know you aren’t planning to, but extra precaution.” The man then nods before leading her out of the inn.

Tiber (2 of 2) :: The adventurous couple travel from Rynvale--except there was one pitstop and that was food for energy, of course--besides that, they were on their way. Over the course, the two converse in their usual ways. Tiber informs Lanara on his findings, and then he informs her on a few things about the wedding regarding a couple caterers he was interested in. The typical couple convo. Eventually, the outskirts become hills and steep inclines. Tiber made sure to watch out for his little adventurer to make sure she did not slide down any hills from the dampness of mud. Eventually after an hour or two of travel through the rain that was falling, the fog begins to settle around them and the air becomes thicker with humidity. Strands stick to the man’s forehead and before he enters any deeper into the forest, he halts the woman before him. From his cargo pants, he pulls out his small journal and flips over a few pages before he lands on a drawing of a print. A salamander print that was only drawn a few centimeters wide. “Eyes peeled. Their tracks are -very- small. Once we find a track, we can trace a scent. When we find the tracks, do not press the dirt to your nose, I don’t know if there is any poisonous residue left behind. That was one thing I wasn’t able to find.” Eyes pause to look around. “Since it’s raining, this is the perfect time of day they would want to be out. Trees and rocks are typically where they roam, or even nearby water. Be careful though, the glands of poison are on their neck and it says it seeps out. Just… be aware, okay? Plus it’s hard to see, so we’ll have to stay low to the ground.” His tone is easy and sweet. While the couple stands there however, the fog begins to settle in thicker around them.

Lanara walks alongside Tiber through the fog filled forest, bright eyed thanks to a mug of strong coffee, and fumbling with the leather gloves that her fiance had been kind enough to pass her way. At first, she thought things were going to get a little kinky and that maybe they were going to delay the hunt, but sadly it’s a precaution in case she gets injured. She’s not -that- clumsy! Tiber is looking through his handy dandy diary and Lana’s dark eyes try to peer through the thickness of the fog, pausing for a moment to point out one error in all of the Catalian’s research. “Um. Do lycans have super senses? I assumed ours were akin to a typical wolf or dog… And, as you know…. Cold blooded creatures cannot be followed by scent.” She blinks, wondering if perhaps this particular salamander is warm blooded? Did she just undo Tiber’s weeks of studying? Nipping at her lower lip, she slides the gloves onto her dainty hands, and they continue on their way. Naturally, the witch trips over a log and slides derriere-down a small hill, but Tiber is there to help her up and guide her through the thickness of the claustrophobic forest. Even their breathing is impaired, and the fog clings to Lana’s frame tighter than any costume she’s ever worn in a dance competition. She whimpers as she hears a strange cry in the distance, unable to discern if it's human or beast, and she stops short and listens to her beloved's advice for tracking the lizard. “Should we shift? Or just crawl around?” Were they even in the right place? There aren’t any identifiable landmarks! “Let me know when to summon a fireball.” She pulls out a compass, her face growing a little pale, as the needle spins wildly in a circle; so now she cannot tell which direction they are coming from or going in. “Goddess Dammit!” She curses as she drops the object, and as she bends to retrieve it, it seems that either an unseen force separates the couple or that Tiber has merely wandered off and didn’t realize she had stopped. The witch rises and freezes in place, calling out to her fiance, but it seems that the fog has some strange silencing effect and her words fall on deaf ears. “Now what?”

Tiber does a double-take at his journal when Lanara questions him. “No, no. I think we should be able to find the scent. Some dogs actually catch on to certain cold-blooded scents…” He pauses. “There was a study I found, and we are in luck. They found that some dogs can actually discover wildlife such as salamanders, whales, and even turtles. I don’t know who thought they wanted to bring their dog whale hunting, but they did.” Tiber was certain they would be able to navigate the little critter. As they carry on through the thick, Tiber also feels the dense fog caught in his breath. The atmosphere is unnerving, but Tiber has the outlook that he is a -man-, and he has to be the brave one of the two. So when the cry calls out, he tenses, but he does not falter too much because of Lanara’s sanity. “We’re okay. It’s okay. It’s probably just a bird. I didn’t think we would have to shift, but… nah,” He waves off casually, but there is some rustling in the bushes behind him, and the fog is so thick, his scent is very faint of detecting the creature that is watching them. In order to get an idea of what lurks beyond the fog, the Catalian begins to follow the movements of the bushes, leaving Lanara. Only for a second, he thought. But with each step the distance between the woman and the man grows wider, and soon enough Tiber realizes he does not have the compass. Whatever was rustling in the bushes ran off in fright and from the lingering scent, the man found that the creature was beyond the bushes. A doe. “Crap,” The man turns and calls out for his beloved, but the fog catches his voice too. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” The man looks left, right, behind… each direction seems the same to him. A frustrated hand runs though his damp blonde hair and another cry of a creature calls above him which makes him jolt. “Meri,” he groans. “Why this hunt? Why?!” The man then turns to blindly walk through the fog. Should he turn? Would it be easier to see? Had they sent a member to place a cache this far out yet? This was a disaster.

Lanara really should have told Tiber a certain little something -prior- to their journey through Fog Forest, something that would have made sure he wouldn’t have just abandoned her midway through their hunt. A few years earlier she had traversed this same path, beside her pirate friend, Barnabas. A local cannibalistic tribe had captured Lanara, aiming to hold her hostage, so that they could draw the pirate to their location. Their plan was to cook the pair, but they narrowly escaped with their lives! Lana is now having flashbacks to that moment, where she had been abducted in the fog, roughly manhandled by dark skinned men that screamed at her in a foreign tone, before tethering her bikini-clad form to a spit! “No, no, no… This is -not- happening again! Why am I -always- the fracking victim?!” All Tiberius had left his future bride with to defend herself is a pair of leather gloves and a broken compass! The witch wanders around in a circle, before she presses her spine against a tree and worriedly glances in all directions. She’s practically twitching as she hears noises from the north, south, east, and west, her frame jumping spastically as she nearly gets whiplash from the panicked twisting of her neck. Not knowing what else to do, Lana decides to attempt to lure the little salamander to her whereabouts, figuring it can’t be all that difficult to capture, at least until Tiber finds his way back. The witch is conjuring up a large fireball which floats three inches above her left hand, and she can hear something sliding through the forest and slithering up the bark of the trunk against her back. Chocolate eyes slide slowly to the left, only to lock with that of her biggest fear, a spitting cobra, flicking its venomous tongue into the air to taste the scent of the witch. Any chance of using her empathic abilities is gone as the monstrous serpent expands it’s cape around its diamond shaped head, and it seems to rise up until it’s a good foot taller than the witch. Lanara screams, so loudly that she’s sure the beachgoers in Cenril hear her plea for help, as she sprints blindly through the fog. She’s sure the snake is going to give into the chase, so naturally, she keeps peering over her shoulder as she runs aimlessly through the forest. Is she going in circles? Where the heck is Tiber? The fireball in her palm is intensified from her terror, and since her control of the element is compromised due to the snake, it doesn’t take long for the flames to lap at the leather glove. Leaves rustle, dirt is kicked up, and a few twigs snap, as Lana circles the clearing around where Tiber stands, though she certainly cannot see him. As her glove ignites and a fresh burn imprints on her palm, the witch yelps, and pries the combustible attire off of her hand. It’s then hurled into the air, and in that brief moment the fog parts ever so slightly, and she all but leaps onto the back of none other than Tiberius Lowell. “TIBER! There is a SNAKE. It wants me dead. It wants you dead. It’s going to kill the ENTIRE FOREST!” It’s safe to say that Lanara Banks is nearing a state of shock, as she wraps her arms around Tiber’s shoulders and her legs around his waist. “It’s coming…” Her words are a whisper, as she presses her damp cheek against his ear, “Why did you leave me?”

Tiber tries not to panic that Lanara is out of sight. Tiber never settled himself this far into the Fog Forest before, so this was a new one. Why would he choose the rainiest day where there would be plenty of fog? For a moment, the Catalian needs to close his eyes to get his thought process back on track to ignore the odd rustles, calls, and snarls in the far distance. The man then opens his eyes and keeps his gaze low. He travels for a split until he hears a loud scream. “Lana?” His gaze moves left and right again, and he pivots. He is not sure where the echo came from, but all he knew is that it was loud enough to break the thick layer that swarmed him. “Babe!” He calls again, but he does not know where to necessarily turn to. Hands run through his hair before he quickly remembers her scent is still with him. Luca is howling and whining in the background about Asha, and Luca -begs- to come out until a yellow, orange ball falls onto the ground of the forest. The fire still stays faintly lit and… thwap! A body clings onto the man’s back, and he yells startled and falls forward on his knees. There is a burst of yelling of panic and explanation, and her tense posture proves that something seriously frightened the hell out of her, but Tiber cannot register the shock that escapes her mouth because he just got pummeled to the earth by her small frame. The words finally connect, and he frowns. She pushed him to the ground for a snake? “I heard something, and I was making sure it wasn’t a threat.” But you left her, Tiber. Eyes then look on the ground where tiny prints scatter along the way. The glove that is on fire glows through the fog creating a small yellow hue. Out of the depths from an undercover rock crawls a bright orange salamander. Tiber’s eyes light up and carefully and lowly he says. “Lanara, you need to calm down… grab my net…”

Lanara is tugging at Tiber’s sweat soaked locks, her arms dangerously closing around his throat, and before she knows it the man is on all fours. The forest seems to swallow their frames and the flickering of the flame has her thinking that it’s the amber spit of a cobras venom. She’s afraid of her own magic, and she continues to scream obscenities, and tremble in fear. It’s only as Tiber grows calm and seems to hold it all together that Lanara grows angry, Asha is -furious- that her mate left her to go check out a noise in the distance?! “You. Left. Me. You just easily walked away… I could have -died- in this stupid foggy hell hole!” She slides from his frame, sulking all the while, as she obediently retrieves the net. Lana offers the orange salamander a sympathetic look, before handing off the net, which she all but hurls at her mate. Was Corrine right? Would Tiber leave her at the altar, next?! “You are so taking the couch tonight…” Wrapping her arms around her waist, she studies the tiny prints left in the mud from the little lizard, and he curiously looks right back at the odd couple. Tiber is still on all fours, resembling a bull about to attack a wrangler at a rodeo, and the enflamed glove shines like a beacon on the ground. Lanara looks rather comical, clad in a single leather glove, her braid undone, mascara smeared on her cheeks, and with mud stains on her clothing. The salamander doesn’t look all that menacing and she ponders what sort of armor Nikola hopes to create from its pelt. Did they need one pelt, or a few? Typical of the witch to dive in headfirst and not to ask questions! Asha is still licking her emotional wounds at having been left to die, and Lana is trying to shush her inner wolf, mentally offering her a juicy steak for dinner. “Make sure it’s fast and painless, Lowell.” Oh boy. She’s referring to him by his -last- name, so he’s definitely in big trouble!

Tiberius frowns, “I went ten feet. I did not -leave- you.” Women. Uh-oh, do not push anymore, Tiber. “You are so dramatic sometimes. You didn’t die, right? Your man has you, baby.” Arrogant and rude, yikes. Not the right time to be so cocky, buddy. Clearly the humidity was getting to his brain. Old Tiberius was coming out for a short moment. He ignores the couch comment because he knew he already threw himself in the doghouse by his words of frustration. He was frustrated, tired, muddy, and damp. This was a miserable hunt. When he grabs the net, he carefully inches towards the critter. A small glance is passed to his beloved and somehow, that makes him snort at her mess of a look. Yep, he would have to get cozy with that couch. Slowly he hovers a few feet from the salamander before pouncing the net forward and swishing the critter in the net. “Oh it will be, trust me.” It fights, it tangles, and suddenly sharp pointy ribs shoot from the salamander in defense. In the midst, Tiber pulls out his hunting knife. One amber eye squints shut to get the right aim to pierce the critter, and Tiber directs the point of the blade into the skull of the amphibian to damage the brain, and a liquid oozes from the lizard’s neck. The orange critter dies instantly. “Hm.” There is a small amount of remorse, only due to becoming close with the witch who adored critters. The man then inches for his pocket where a small burlap sack is pulled out. Just about the size of the critter. Leather gloves carefully take out the deceased salamander and place it in the sack and the man ties it off. The man then takes off his gloves and stores them away somewhere on his body where there is no skin contact. “Let’s get out of this forest. I’ll skin it when we get back home. That way you don’t have to watch.”

Lanara inhales sharply as Tiber’s words sting harder than she anticipated, and she is so caught off guard at the old version of the man rearing his ugly head, that she cannot even come up with a witty retort. And he has the audacity to mock her appearance?! The look of disapproval on her face and the hurt in her eyes is all she offers her mate, before she turns her attention to the salamander. A small part of her wishes the critter would escape, but it’s easily caught within the net, and its death soon follows. She’s so -done- with today that it doesn’t even register that she’s watched the entire slaughter, wordlessly. Lanara glances at the burn on her palm as Tiber bags the creature, and she ignores any of his further commentary. At this rate, he will be sleeping on the couch for a week, perhaps longer! The witch is numb at this point, as the fright from the snake, the flashbacks in the forest, and the fight with Tiber have desensitized her emotions at this point. The witch slips into the fog as the wannabe ranger gathers his belongings, and she searches to find an exit on her own, not bothering to wait for him. “I hope he impresses Meri and that smith lady, because -I- am unimpressed!” At nightfall, Lanara arrives at their home in Sage, and as promised, she will have a blanket and pillow waiting for Tiber on the sofa in the living room.