⋆ ★ WOLVDEN: THE INFECTION.

BEFORE YOU READ…
───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MAJOR TW — THIS STORY WILL HAVE THE MAIN THEMES OF BODY HORROR AND CANNIBALISM. THERE MAY BE A FEW CARTOONY ART PIECES OF THESE TOPICS IF I FEEL LIKE DRAWING SCENES OUT— HOWEVER, IT WILL MOSTLY BE DESCRIPTIONS AND ALL ART PIECES WILL BE SPOILERED. IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THIS, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING.

THIS IS NOT A ROLEPLAY! THIS IS A STORY BETWEEN MY OWN PACK THAT YOU CAN READ AND REPLY TO AS YOU WISH. DO NOT RP IN THIS FORUM.

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────



⋆ ★ WOLFROT: A WOLVDEN INFECTION STORY.

A terrifying infection has taken over the forest. Animals of all kinds of species are being infected, making their bodies and minds extremely disfigured, decayed, and cannibalistic. The forest is suffering immensely and rotting from the inside. Soon enough, the forest will be destroyed along with everything inside it.

The Future Pack is unaware of this infection. But as the infected animals take over the forest and the uninfected animals are scared away, prey gets scarce. Soon enough, the wolves will have no choice but to venture further out into the woods to feed their pack— and when they do, they will be met with a horrifying surprise.

As the infection enters the pack and begins to eat it from the inside, tensions will rise and the leader will struggle to keep everyone together. Will the Future Pack be able to hold itself together as they struggle against the infection, or will they make a devestating split? How many wolves will survive against these harsh conditions? Who will die?

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

Helloo! My name is Rae, and I've decided to create a wolvden infection AU/story! I've seen this trend circulating around social media for a while and it's definitely interested me. I've recently returned to this site and every time I return I always find a way to traumatize my poor wolves to hell and back... So why not do it again?

Everything in this story except for the start and end is getting winged. This is because it literally isn't meant to be taken seriously at all. This is just going to be something fun to do to pass the time

WHAT IS AN INFECTION STORY? Infection AUs are a popular trend that began on tiktok that involves listing several characters from a fandom contracting a zombie-like disease (think basically the walking dead kinda style). This infection often turns the characters into terrifying creatures with the common themes of rotting flesh, disfigured joints, elongated body parts, and extreme aggression. However, many people put their own specific twists on the disease depending on the fandom. As the "story" progresses, the infection spreads. As the trend went on, it picked up popularity and a lot of artists are presenting their own spin on it as well. It started with MLP, but creators have started using other cartoons like peppa pig, TAWOG, warrior cats, and even… young sheldon? But this time, it's Wolvden! YIPEE

HOW WILL THIS WORK? There will be thirty-one pack members at the start of this story. The count may dwindle with every death, but there will never be an increase unless pups are born. The very beginning of this story will be written out, and then the pack will be quickly introduced. Every rollover, this forum will be updated with one fully written event and 2-5 randomized interactions between pack members (including how many characters are interacting, who is inting with who, the setting, etc).

— The time will move on the same pace as the rollovers before the infection starts effecting the pack (aka one half-moon in game = one half-moon in story). After that, there will be two updates every rollover. So, when the story starts picking up the pace, it will go in a 0.25/0.50/0.75/1 moon time format.

I won't be rolling over every single day! However, when I do roll over, there will always be an update ready to be posted.

READ ABOUT THE INFECTION HERE

now let's get started lol

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MOON 0.5 // THE BEGINNING
───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

The sun dipped over the horizon. Dark, lacy clouds hung overhead, drifting across the sky. It was painted with a chilling range of dark colors. The branches twisted and gnarled, allowing miniature specks of remaining light to reflect against the dead leaves that were scattered across the forest floor.



Every once in a while, Mercy would hear a crunching sound as she padded through the leaves. As she stopped and sniffed the ground, a gentle breeze flowed through her pelt and allowed it to move outwards in the wind. It reminded her of the tender licks her mother would give her dirt-ridden fur. Even with how frustrated she was, Mercy would still give her that same grin, her small tail rapidly pounding against the earth, proudly showing off her teeth that were tiny but sharp like flintstones.

She paused. She caught the scent of something, but she was unsure what it was. She lowered her head and padded through the grass, her cold nose scuffing against the hard earth as she followed the direction of the smell. As she walked, the scent got stronger, and she ripped her snout from the ground to hastily shake her head. Different kinds of scents were muddled together, flooding her nose and filling it with unpleasant smells. Focus, Mercy, she thought. She shut her eyes.

She raised her head and sniffed the air. The musky scent of a fox filled her nostrils, along with the noxious scent of–

She widened her eyes.

DECAY.

Mercy let out a small gasp before curing  her lip and taking a few steps back. There was no mistaking it, but it had been so long since she'd smelled decay as strongly as this. Something felt wrong. She needed to investigate.

Mercy let her nose take the lead and trotted off. As she got closer, the stench of rotting meat left no room to mistake it for something else. As she got closer to the smell's source, the she-wolf stopped in her tracks and dug her claws into the soil. The trees that surrounded her made her want to turn on her heels and scamper off; the way they circled around her made her feel she was about to be suffocated by them, drowning in their twisting branches and rough bark. A good leader resisted against daring conditions. She stayed in her place and lifted her ears.

Behind the maze of towering trees, Mercy could hear loud yelping noises and growls, almost similar to the yipping sounds of young pups. Her tail twitched in anticipation. She lowered her body and crawled forth, hurrying from bush to bush and peeking her head out ever so often. A good leader shows swiftness.

As the smell of fox and decay grew, she could tell she was close, until she finally found the scene. She stayed behind the largest tree she could find and stuck to it, feeling the grainy texture scuff against her fur. She swore she could've heard the yipping of multiple foxes, but now, she could hear nothing except for chewing. She swallowed hard and tried to push all of her anxieties away. A good leader shows no fear.

Mercy flicked her tail and slowly peered out from behind the tree, keeping the rest of her body rooted tightly against the grain.

It was a fox. A fox… eating another fox.

Suddenly, her mouth was as dry as dirt. She tried to look around, but all of her jittered head movements were cut short as she forced herself to look at the violent scene. She felt stuck in place, her body sticking closely to the tree, fur tufts clinging onto it like tiny burs. The only body part she felt she could reliably move around were her eyelids, which were blinking rapidly as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

The fox wildly tore away at the body beneath it. The metallic smell of blood hung over the mangled fox, but that was when she realized that the smell of decay wasn't coming from the dead fox; no, it gave off the familiar smell of fresh blood. It was coming from the living one.

Thick drool hung from its lips. Its skin sagged off of its body, hanging limply as the fox moved in a frenzy. The small fox's lack of a full coat revealed frail bones just underneath its skin, poking out of its thin body as if they were demanding to escape its body. But the poor thing was still trying to cling onto life, despite all of its rabid shivers and twitches.

If Mercy's ears were flattened against her head any further, they would've cracked through her skull. Her eyes softened as she observed the fox. She'd never seen an animal eat another of its kind, but this animal was starving. She of all wolves would know that a starving animal would do anything to survive.

But what about the sagging skin? The drool? The smell of decay? Mercy had never seen such an odd combination of traits. She wanted to bring it to camp to nurse it back to health, but something told her to stay away from it and her gut was never wrong. Its condition hinted that it was going to take its last breath any day now. She'd seen enough.

"Oh, you poor thing…" The she-wolf whispered as she rose to her haunches. But as soon as she took her first step, she heard a loud crack behind her. A bone-chilling screech rang through her ears and reverberated through the trees. She raised her tail in alarm and turned around. The fox was facing her.

Slimy, torn-up entrails were at the fox's side. Tears streamed endlessly from its foggy eyes, pooling at the bottom of the skin hanging underneath it that should've been its eyelids. A few squirming maggots fell out of its drooping ears. As it panted, sucked-in air revealed the structure of its small ribs. It let out a low growl at the she-wolf.

Mercy stepped forward to face the vixen head on. She kept her tail erect and head up high, her throat rumbling as she growled back. She wanted to give the fox a chance, but if it charged at her, she'd taint the forest floors with chunks of its decaying flesh. You will respect me, kit.

But she was pleasantly surprised. After a few heavy seconds, the brittle vixen backed up to the dead fox behind it. Slowly, it turned back to its departed friend and continued to take bites out of its body; gently this time around. So it was trying to protect its prey. That's what I thought, cub, she thought as she turned away.

The sound of the fox's chewing and the smell of decay faded as the she-wolf glided through the labyrinth of trees. The stars hung overhead, soon to be accompanied by the moon when the clouds would finally drift away. Until then, its silver silhouette peered through the fog. It wouldn't be long before its enchanting glow declared the end of the day for wolves and the start for the creatures of the night.

Mercy made her way back to her pack without any sudden disturbances. As she made her way there, thoughts of her most recent interaction hung in her mind. What was such an oddly-behaved fox doing so close to her territory? Could it have been carrying something, or had it fallen prey to the harsh conditions of the deciduous forest? What should her next move be?

And what could this mean for her own pack?

No. She was worrying too much. It wouldn't make sense for this to affect her own pack. It was just a starving fox. It'll succumb to its condition in a couple of days at best. How could such a puny thing harm them?

… Despite her efforts, she still felt uncertain.

She'll figure it out.

She always does.

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MEET THE PACK!
───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MERCY — ALPHA — A fair yet stubborn leader who always wishes to do what's right. Mates with Ginseng and mother to Grace, Husk, and Omen.

GINSENG — BETA AND LEAD HUNTER (P2) — A sarcastic and independent beta. Is often watching over the pack in Mercy's absence and cuddling her when she's back.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

LILY — HERBALIST — A kind she-wolf with a passion for herbalism and research. Mates with Vixen and mother to Whisper, Tara, and Prince.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

(p = party! the hunters r all separated by what party they're in in-game)

ATHENA — LEAD HUNTRESS (P1) — A fierce, assertive she-wolf who's never afraid to snap back. Older sister to Onyx and Dusk.

DELTA — LEAD HUNTER (P2) — A dutiful and reliable lead hunter.



PRINCE — LEAD HUNTER (P4) — A competitive and muscular wolf. He highly enjoys sparring. Littermates with Tara and Whisper, mates with Skye.

DANGER — LEAD HUNTER (P5) — A wolf who's extremely determined to succeed in any goal he sets his mind to. Younger sibling of Dingo.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

HUNTERS: PARTY ONE

DUSK — HUNTER — A shy and nervous wolf. Littermates with Onyx.

KAINE — HUNTER — A secluded wolf. Many believe he's crazy due to his odd behaviors. Mercy's littermate.

ONYX — HUNTRESS — A bright and excitable wolf, the complete opposite of her littermate.

VIXEN — HUNTER — A charismatic wolf who got his name due to his fox-like appearance.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

HUNTERS: PARTY TWO

BURNISH — HUNTER — An irrational and hostile wolf. He prefers to do everything on impulse rather than think it through.

MOSS — HUNTRESS — A quiet wolf with a rebellious side to her. She's only a few moons away from becoming an elder.

SILVERMOON — HUNTER — A trustful and fast-paced wolf who likes to daydream.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

HUNTERS: PARTY THREE

GRACE — HUNTRESS — A kind but cowardly wolf. She likes to decorate her part of the hunters' den.

HUSK — HUNTER — An ominous wolf who often lurks in the shadows.

OMEN — HUNTER — A fluffy wolf who cares a lot about his appearance. He can often be found grooming his fur.

ROXANNE — HUNTRESS - An elegant she-wolf who's bustling with confidence.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

HUNTERS: PARTY FOUR

BLU — HUNTER — A hyperactive and reckless wolf. He often gets himself hurt from his recklessness.

SKYE — HUNTRESS — A clever and sarcastic wolf. Is mates with Prince and bearing his pups.

TARA — HUNTRESS — A prideful and extroverted she-wolf that loves to boast about her best kills.

WHISPER — HUNTER — A logical and reasonable wolf who often acts as the voice of reason for the pack, even when everyone else is panicking.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

HUNTERS: PARTY FIVE

AUTUMN — HUNTRESS — An awkward and soft-hearted wolf.

ECHO — HUNTRESS — A sociable she-wolf who enjoys meeting new wolves.

ICE — HUNTER — A power hungry wolf who's desperate to become one of the high ranks.

JEWEL — HUNTRESS — A shy but kind wolf. Currently the youngest wolf in the pack.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

CHERT — SCOUT — A lazy who acts exhausted all the time but still somehow manages to pull his weight.

DINGO — SCOUT — An intimidating and closed-off wolf who focuses on her duties.



FIZZ — PUPSITTER — An adventurous she-wolf with a love for gossip.

POLARIS — PUPSITTER — A flirty and charming wolf who tends to impress everyone he talks to without even trying.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

FORTE — ELDER — A kind and motherly she-wolf. Many tend to go to her for advice.



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MOON 0.5 // INTERACTIONS
───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

THESE ARE COMPLETELY SKIPPABLE!! THESE ARE MOSTLY FOR ME TO HAVE FUN WITH MY WOLVDEN CHARS AND HAVE THEM BUILD RELATIONS WITH EACHOTHER AS THE STORY PROGESSES. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THESE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO!

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

Season: Winter — The days are getting colder.

Events:
— The prey isn't as bountiful. More hunting sessions are failing. While the pack is still getting fed, Mercy worries about the sudden drop in prey. Ginseng believes they'll have more luck in spring as they always do.

INTERACTION ONE: VIXEN, LILY
SETTING: HERB GARDEN, DAYTIME
OTHER: CLOUDY WITH A ROMANTIC ATMOSPHERE

Vixen went with Lily to help her gather herbs for the medicine den. He ended up learning a bit more about certain herbs and how they worked. He was happy to listen to her and they fell asleep cuddling each other.

RESULTS: Vixen knows more about herbalism. Lily was glad that Vixen helped her with herb gathering. The two's romantic love grew for each other.

INTERACTION TWO: BURNISH, DELTA
SETTING: WATERFALL, NIGHTTIME
OTHER: RAINY WITH A MYSTERIOUS  ATMOSPHERE

Burnish is taking a late night walk to enjoy the rain and notices Delta sitting at the edge of the waterfall. He joins him and the two chat while admiring the waterfall together. Growing sleepy, Burnish convinces Delta to go to bed as well and brings the two back to the hunters' den to sleep.

RESULTS: Burnish and Delta have grown a liking to each other. Burnish would like to talk to this wolf more and Delta wishes to be this wolf's friend.

INTERACTION THREE: ICE, ONYX, ECHO, MOSS
SETTING: THE HILLS, NOON
OTHER: HUMID WITH A LIVELY ATMOSPHERE

Moss took the three younger wolves out of camp to give them some extra fighting skills. She used Onyx as an example for the lesson she was trying to teach. Then, she  paired Ice and Echo up to practice battling each other and told them to use their surroundings. Ice kicked dirt in Echo's face. Annoyed, Echo tries to shake the dirt out of her eyes and tackles Ice. The two of them roll down the hill together.

RESULTS: The training session was a failure, but Moss was happy to try teaching regardless. Echo now holds a disliking for Ice while Ice remains neutral on the she-wolf. He is firm in his belief that he did nothing wrong.

INTERACTION FOUR: ECHO, POLARIS, AUTUMN, DUSK, KAINE
SETTING: FLOWER FIELD, DAWN
OTHER: WINDY WITH A DREAMY ATMOSPHERE

Echo and Autumn looked through the field for flowers to make flower crowns with. Finding more dead leaves than flowers, they tried to make do. Polaris finds the two and joins them. He notices Dusk and Kaine in the distance, watching them for a bit and murmuring to each other before disappearing. While concerned, Polaris tries to focus on spending time with the two she-wolves. The three traded crowns when they were done, but the wind tore the crowns apart.

RESULTS: Echo, Autumn, and Polaris have grown a little closer with each other. Polaris is worried and curious about Dusk and Kaine while the she-wolves didn't notice them at all. Dusk was watching Polaris out of jealousy as he noticed him while talking with Kaine. He was visibly confused but directed the two out of the situation.

INTERACTION FIVE: DINGO, DANGER, HUSK
SETTING: PACK TERRITORY, AFTERNOON
OTHER: MISTY WITH AN INTIMIDATING ATMOSPHERE

Dingo and Danger were walking through the territory to search for anything to report when they got the sudden sense that they were being followed. After some sniffing around, Dingo caught the scent of Husk who said nothing in response to being caught. Despite Danger's loud protests, Husk left to go his own way.

RESULTS: They both think Husk is creepy as hell. Dingo would prefer to stay far from him while Danger wishes to speak to him directly out of curiosity.

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MOON 1 // DISTRUST
───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

"I've never heard of anything like it."

"You… haven't?"

Translucent beams of sunlight crept in through the hanging vines that covered the herbalist den entrance, casting a warm glow on the walls. The air was thick with an earthy smell, likely coming from the piles of herbs and medicines nearby.

The incident with Mercy and the fox was only a few days ago. With no proper leads on what could have happened, it was about time she'd ask the wolf who'd come in handy the most; the pack's herbalist. Lily. She had years of experience under her claws, so it came natural to the leader to share her sighting. She wanted a good explanation, anything that could clarify why the fox she saw was acting so erratically. When she first entered the den, a small beam of hope struck her, and she started to think. Maybe, maybe I could make a bit of sense out of this.

So when Lily hinted that she may be as clueless as her, she felt her hope start to fade.

The herbalist didn't say a word as she looked into the distance. Moments of silence went by before Lily lowered her head and looked at Mercy; in the she-wolf's soft eyes, there was something that Mercy couldn't put her claw on. "I don't think so," Lily said. "What you've described… it doesn't make any sense. It all sounds so unreal."

"Unreal indeed," Mercy responded with a nod of her head. She faltered before continuing, "I was hoping you could explain this sighting. Perhaps an illness you haven't encountered in a long while. You are the expert, after all."

"No…" Lily shook her head and rose to her haunches. The she-wolf's movements were fluid and graceful as she stood to face the other canine. "Mercy, I may have seen many sicknesses in my moons as a herbalist, but these 'symptoms' stick out like a sore paw. If I'd have seen this before, I would know quickly."

"So you're saying?"

"I wish I could be of help. I'm sorry, Mercy."

Of course.

Mercy felt her body stiffen as she looked down, clasping her paws tightly together against the slick grass underneath. Fighting against the panging in her chest, she looked back up. "You're the best healer this pack knows, Lily. You have to know something. Anything."

"Well… I suppose it could be a sickness we're unfamiliar with, but I can't imagine that. A new disease entering the forest? After so many years?"

In her mind, the leader was begging for the herbalist to suddenly realize what was going on, but she knew that moment would never come. Her expression remained unbothered as she stared into Lily's eyes, silently pleading for an answer. Lily quickly broke eye contact, lowered her gaze, and shuffled her paws away from the leader. That was when Mercy finally saw what she was trying to hide behind her waxy eyes. Shame. Guilt. Doubt.

After moments that felt like moons, Lily spoke in a gentle murmur. "Perhaps there's been a mistake. The more I think about it, the more confusing it becomes. The smell of decay? The cannibalism? The sagging skin? I–" She wavered and inhaled before continuing. "If you don't mind me asking, have you been sleeping well?"

Mercy narrowed her eyes. "Of course. What does this have to do with the situation at hand?"

"Well…" Lily lowered her willowy tail. "When a wolf goes a while without getting the right amount of sleep, they often tend to… see things."

After a moment of shock, Mercy pulled her head back and felt her fur start to bristle. She shook her head and spoke through her bared teeth, "No. No, I know what I saw, Lily."

The leader's change in behavior caused the other wolf to take a couple of steps back, her hind paws edging the taller grass behind her. She stammered. "I'm not trying to doubt you! But what you're describing, it's so… out there. If there's something else I should know, something you've left out... Something that you may have… exaggerated a little…"

"Exaggerated?" Mercy echoed as she took a step forward and tensed her muscles. "Lily, I am your leader!" She growled. "I have never lied to you, you know this! Why do you think now is the time to doubt me?!"

Mercy took another step closer to Lily. In response, the smaller wolf took a step back with pinned ears, which caused Mercy to hesitate. Her emotions were getting ahead of her. Even with as frustrated as she was, Lily was still a dear friend of hers. Calm down, Mercy. "... I'm sorry. Look—" She sighed. "You need to believe me, Lily. Please. I know what I saw, and I need to know what my next step should be."

The den was silent. Lily drooped her ears, a frown painted on the she-wolf's face. Mercy stared up at Lily, her green eyes sparkling with desperation. Are my words reaching her?

"...Alright."

Mercy felt her heart skip a beat as the younger wolf finally spoke, even if it was in a murmur that showed she was still uncertain. She swayed her tail from side to side. "I have no reason to oppose you, even if this is something I've never seen before. But if an animal is showing such… grim signs of an illness, and I'm unaware of what illness it could be… What does that mean for us?"

She was right. As glad as she was that Lily was going to believe her, the health of their pack could still be at risk. "We don't know anything about this illness, or even if it's an illness at all. But if we want to know if our pack will be safe, we'll need to know all the details we can get."

"Yes." Lily bowed down her head to slowly nod. "Perhaps a pack meeting is in order—"

Her words were cut off. "No, no. Not so fast… I know how this pack can be; they take information and they sprint in circles over it. We can't risk sending the pack into panic mode just yet…" Mercy slowed down with her speech as the sound of vines swishing reached her ears. She saw a she-wolf standing near the nursery entrance she came out of. Skye.

The blue-furred wolf squinted her eyes in irritation.  "Am I missing something?" She asked groggily, but bluntly. "A pack meeting for what?"

They must've woken her up from her nap. Guilt washed over the alpha. She completely forgot about the pregnant she-wolf resting in the nursery. Lily broke the awkward silence that was starting to settle in. "Oh, don't worry about it, Skye. You know," she hastily walked towards the wolf, directing her back to the nursery, "now that you're awake, we can check on how the pups are doing in there!"

Despite the low-effort rebuttals from Skye, she was sent back into the nursery. Lily began following after her, but she quickly turned her head back to Mercy and whispered:

"If you see another one, find me."

Then, she vanished behind the hanging vines.

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MOON 1 // INTERACTIONS
───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

Season: Winter

Events:
— Roxanne has decided to become mates with Polaris. They will be holding a wedding, and all of the pack members are invited. Their wedding will be under the next full moon and the wolves will be spending this moon preparing. They are planning on having pups.

INTERACTION ONE: WHISPER, DINGO, BURNISH
SETTING: PACK OUTSKIRTS, LATE AFTERNOON
OTHER: ICY WITH A TRANQUIL ATMOSPHERE

Whisper was wandering through the territory when he saw Dingo and Burnish whispering to each other and touching noses. His interest was piqued, but he didn't stick around long. Something told him it was best to pretend he saw nothing.

INTERACTION TWO: AUTUMN, ICE
SETTING: WOODS, NIGHTTIME
OTHER: CHILLY WITH A MYSTERIOUS ATMOSPHERE

Autumn and Ice took a late night walk through the forest together. Ice seems to be friendly with Autumn, but Autumn isn't quite sure she trusts him. He reminded her of a snake… One of the few animals she hates. Regardless, she tried to be friendly back, and together they made awkward conversation.

RESULTS: Ice thinks Autumn is silly— she's quiet and shy, probably submissive and seems like she could be easily persuaded. If he wants to be alpha, he'll need followers like her. However, Autumn is standing her ground and isn't letting her guard down just yet.

INTERACTION THREE: TARA, BLU
SETTING: WATERFALL, DAYTIME
OTHER: SUNNY WITH A LIVELY  ATMOSPHERE

Tara was flexing to Blu about being the most skilled wolf in the pack when she tripped on a rock and went diving into the waterfall. As she scrambled out, Blu couldn't help but laugh.

INTERACTION FOUR: FIZZ, JEWEL
SETTING: FLOWER FIELD, SUNSET
OTHER: COOL WITH A SILLY ATMOSPHERE

Fizz and Jewel were searching through the snow in the flower field for any flowers that may have survived the chilly weather. They were planning on making flower necklaces for the wedding, but they fear they might be short. As they searched, they started gossiping about Roxanne and Polaris, and Fizz joked that Roxanne wasn't faithful anyway. But then they started thinking… After all, Roxanne would definitely cheat…

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MOON 1.5 // ANOMALY
───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────



───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

Winter was finally seeming to grab the forest by its haunches. The air was getting colder, a tiny sheet of snow littering the grass. The sun filtered through the long branches that gnarled across the sky. It was calm and quiet— deafeningly quiet, almost. Two wolves traversed through the chilliness, breathing slowly so as to not inhale too much cold air.

The larger one, Dingo, bent her head up to sniff the air. "Keep your eyes peeled, Chert," she firmly reminded the younger scout. "We don't want anything creeping up on us while we're out here."

Chert paused in his walking to slowly stretch. "Yeah, yeah. Seriously, what's the worst that could happen?" He retorted, his voice dripping with nonchalance. "Seems like a quiet day in the forest to me."

"A quiet day?" Dingo raised a brow. "Has it ever occurred to you that danger could be lurking in the shadows?"

Chert gave the she-wolf a smirk. "Right." He stood back up and shook off the specks of snow that were starting to sporadically coat his dusty brown fur. He began walking, soon getting in the lead of Dingo. "Well then, let me know when somethin' interesting happens. I'll be waiting."

Dingo narrowed her gaze as she caught up to him. "Not like it matters to you, but 'interesting' doesn't just come howling at you." As they walked, something brown caught the corner of her eye. Hidden by a bush layered with snow, she crawled to it.

"Sometimes, you need to focus on the smaller things…" she swiftly grabbed the edge of the item, which happened to be a huge fallen branch. She gripped it between her jaws before dropping it in front of Chert. "… because they could lead to something bigger."

Chert seemed unimpressed. "… A stick." He deadpanned. "Cool."

Dingo loudly exhaled to hide the annoyance bubbling in her chest. "You know what? Fine." She furrowed her brows and walked faster. "You wanna find something interesting? Let's go find something interesting."

"Now we're talkin'." Chert trotted after the other scout. "Side by side, having adventures with the great, fun Dingo. How could I resist this honor?" He said sarcastically.

"Don't get too comfortable. I won't be going out of my way to make this fun for you all the time. Keep acting like this, and when I make you scout alone, don't ask why." She heard Chert mutter 'it can't be that bad', but she didn't respond.

The two scouts kept walking through the small sheets of snow. With every step, Dingo couldn't help but gaze at the scene around her. The air was brisk, but wasn't quite cold enough to pierce through her thick fur. Snowflakes were gracefully falling from the sky, landing onto whatever it could touch. She felt a smile grow as she watched Chert's coat get littered with snow, but she quickly suppressed it and went back to focusing on the road ahead.

Suddenly, a rancid smell smacked against their noses. Dingo curled her lips and Chert wrinkled his nose. "Good grief!" Chert gagged. "Did something die out here?"

Dingo reluctantly sniffed the air, trying not to gag. It smelled like rotting meat; putrid. "I think a little more than dying…" She muttered. "We need to investigate."

Right then and there, Chert looked at Dingo as if she grew a second head. "What?" shot Dingo as she mirrored his look. "You want something interesting? I think this is pretty interesting."

Despite Chert's huffs and protests, they made their way over to the scene. The offensive scent grew stronger, and the she-wolf was struggling to hide her growing disgust. They treaded to a small clearing, where they were met with a sickening sight.

The dried blood of a tiny deer made a crack-like pattern through the sheets of snow. It's fur was pale, almost ashen in color. Entrails were laid out on the ground, but they seemed dried up; and so did the fluid that seemed to surround the corpse. The body's mouth was hung wide open, and maggots were wiggling inside, reaching as far as the back of its throat; maybe even further.

Stumbling back with a growl was Chert, his eyes widened so much they almost popped out of their sockets. "No way! This is repulsive!" He howled out. "Dingo, let's get out of here."

Dingo, however, only stepped forward. She steadied herself, her eyes sharp. "Wait. This isn't normal… It might be better to assess it."

"… What!?" Chert's voice rose in panic, becoming more expressive the more horrified he became. "Do we seriously have to stick our noses in this!?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"… Yes, we do."

"I would rather die."

"Chert, it's our mission—"

"I think it's my time."

She heard pawsteps moving further away. "Chert…" Dingo huffed in irritation, but she didn't fret. She continued moving towards the decaying corpse, and she was upset to notice the white spots on its frail body. A fawn.

She subconsciously shuffled her paws as she felt them touch the yellow fluid that surrounded the fawn. She realized that parts of the deer's body were elongated to an unnerving degree, especially it's jaw and all three of its legs. One, for some reason, was missing, like it was torn off the bone it was attached to. The scout closed her eyes. "We need to report this to Mercy."

"Or we could pretend we saw nothing and just go back to sleep." Chert suggested from a distance, his voice fast. "That sounds more appealing to me. I need a good rest right now."

"You always need a good rest," she frowned. "But we can't ignore signs like this. Ignorance will only put us in a worse position."

"Fine." Chert glanced at the body again. "But if this is what scouting will always be like, then maybe I'm better off as a pupsitter."

"Nice try, Chert. You're stuck with me."

Dingo carefully placed one paw after the other away from the body, until she was comfortable enough to walk at her normal pace. "Let's go back home. This'll be an interesting report."

"Finally!" Chert exclaimed. With no hesitation, he scurried off into the woods, and Dingo quickly ran after him. Together, they left the scene, leaving nothing behind but the faint scents of grass.

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

MOON 1.5  // STATUSES
───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────

ONLY CHARACTERS WITH A NOTICEABLE STATUS CHANGE WILL APPEAR EACH UPDATE!!!

— MERCY # Alpha # Health: 99% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Uneasy. # Mercy has noticed the drop in prey. She is worried for the pack's health. # "Perhaps it's time to appoint a Gamma…"

— GINSENG # Beta & Lead Hunter (P2) # Health: 100% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Confused. # Ginseng was told by Mercy to give out instructions to the lead hunters. He hasn't noticed anything odd himself. # "Everything should be fine. It always is."

— LILY # Herbalist # Health: 100% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Worried. # Organizing herbs. # "I hope things will turn out okay…"

— ATHENA # Lead Huntress (P1) # Health: 100% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Relaxed. # Was told by Ginseng to report any oddities during hunting or patrolling. Is continuing on with her normal duties.

— DELTA # Lead Hunter (P3) # Health: 100% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Curious. # Was told by Ginseng to report any oddities during hunting or patrolling. Is trying to figure out what the high ranks could be worrying about.

— PRINCE # Lead Hunter (P4) # Health: 100% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Nervous. # Was told by Ginseng to report any oddities during hunting or patrolling. Is unsure of what all the fuss could be about. # "Every pack has its ups and downs. Besides, it's not even hunting season!"

— DANGER # Lead Hunter (P5) # Health: 100% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Irritated. # Was told by Ginseng to report any oddities during hunting or patrolling. He's mildly annoyed. # "I'm leading a party full of pups! How am I supposed to look for 'oddities' when I'm busy keeping my party from getting their heads bitten off!?"

— DINGO # Scout # Health: 100% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Active. # Doing her typical duties. Preparing to scout a new biome with Chert. # [ to chert ] "Promise you'll cooperate this time?"

— CHERT # Scout # Health: 99% # Status: Alive & Healthy # Feeling: Disturbed. # Reluctantly doing his typical duties after the horrifying sight from earlier. # [ to dingo ] "Yeah, yeah, 'course. Where're we goin'?"

───────── ･ ｡ﾟ⟡ 𖤓 ⟡ ˚｡ ･ ─────────