🌪Signal Flare [G4]🚩

WD's 3rd raffle-eyed teardrop (aligned with site's 3rd smoke-eyed teardrop)!

Theme(s): Forgive Me Friend by Smith & Thell ft. Swedish Jam Factory, Never Love an Anchor by The Crane Wives

Desert Theme? Han Cape? Lighting? God you're just MWA. Ily

Starting Stats (Pre Pup/Adol Training): 54 80 84 56 60 -> 334
Starting Stats (Post Pup/Adol Training): 63 113 120 56 60 -> 412

Level 5: 69 122 134 59 63 -> 447
Level 10: 79 150 171 65 78 -> 543
Level 15: 97 205 235 84 99 -> 720
Level 20: 113 305 311 109 129 -> 967

Stud Price(?): 5 GC or 1750 SC | Limit 5 Slots Per Week. Prices Raise by 3 GC or 1050 SC if beyond 5 slot capita (aka 8 GC or 2800 SC).

Stud Ad(s):
🌪Signal Flare | G4 🚬👀 Teardrop Stud | 600s+ | 10m4r (WWH + 2Smoke) | https://www.wolvden.com/chatter/topic/471030 🚩
🌪A lone flare pierces the sky; do you proceed? | G4 🚬👀 Teardrop | 600s+ | 10m4r (WWH + 2Smoke) | https://www.wolvden.com/chatter/topic/471030 🚩

Costs:

• 30 GC - RMAs (2 from RO rewards, 1 from raffle entry) | S1 White Ear Tips (38%) | S5 Black Mantle (55%) | S6 Dark Brown Smoke (44%) | S7 Black Neck (43%) | S8 Red Underfur (89%) | S10 Cream Socks (88%) | S5 Yellow Patchy Unders (36%) | S8 Cream Trim (43%) | S1 Black Cape (69%) | S5 Cream Heavy Husky (62%) | S8 Cream Highlights (50%) | S10 Honey Forehead (79%) | S10 Gray Inuit Unders (64%)
• 7 GC - Marking Removers (all aforementioned strikethroughs are removed)
• 3 GC - Marking Opacity Changers | S2 White Wings Heavy (8% -> 100%) | S5 Cream Heavy Husky (62% -> 45%) | S10 Gray Inuit Unders (64% -> 10%)
• 20 GC - Instant Pup Deliveries Used (Over Course of Project)
• 80 LT - Claw Applicator [Lusxnei]
• 5 GC + 500 SC - Cape of the Ruin Scavenger Custom Decor
• 5 GC + 500 SC - [Lighting] Soft Sunlight Custom Decor
• 11,200 SC - Stud Fees
• 1,000 SC - Dust Devil Background
• 350 SC - Desert Paintbrush Decor
• 150 SC - Carrier Status Check
• 0 SC - Common Poorwill Decor (Previous Owned)
• 0 SC - Rabbit Carcass Decor (Previously Owned)
• 0 SC - Cowboy Kookaburra Custom Decor (Gifted)
• 0 SC - Pride flag - Pansexual Custom Decor (Won in Pride Month Forum Raffle)
• 0 SC - Regal Frittilary Decor (Found in Explore)
• 0 SC - Scar: Nose Bridge (Previously Owned)
• 0 SC - Scar: Bite (Won from Battle)
• 0 SC - Scar: Ear [Left] (Previously Owned)
• 0 SC - Scar: Front Leg [Left] (Previously Owned)
• 0 SC - Scar: Hind Leg [Left] (Won from Battle)
• 0 SC - Scar: Muzzle (Previously Owned)
• 0 SC - Scar: Eye - Small [Right] (Won from Battle)
• 0 SC - Scar: Ear [Right] (Won from Battle)

Total Cost - 70 GC, 80 LT, 13700 SC

Profits: 116 GC [98 GC = Stud Requests, 18 GC = Selling Offspring], 21100 SC [17500 SC = Stud Requests, 3600 SC = Selling Offspring].

T3s Sired: 21 Teardrops (1 Het W/B, 4 Smoke, 1 Het Bl/Br), 8 Zircons (1 Het B/W), 1 Argent, 1 Pearl, 1 Badger (1 Smoke), 1 Seal, 1 Grulla (1 Smoke), 1 Fox (1 Smoke), 1 Opal (1 Smoke).
T*s Sired: N/A.

~~~~~~~~~~

He had just kept walking, a desert of no end consuming him. Life seemed bland, and rather bleak. No real creature to communicate with but the illusions of those he wished to see again. The male would send out a lone signal flare, the harsh red color fighting against the creamy undertones of the sand.

'Will anyone come?' he wondered, begging, pleading, for some sign of life to sweep him off his paws and shelter him with love.

That day, however, would never come.

~~~~~~~~~~

Having been battered and bruised from the sands of the desert and the faring time, the male couldn't recollect the last time he saw another wolf. Memories seemed to mend into one, horridly messy, motion picture. He sighed, settling down on the warm sand to recollect his treasures.

Stray bones, feathers, and leather seemed to be his slight shelter from the sun's rays, although it would cling oh so harshly to his fur that any shift felt like he was being skinned. He winced, trying to overlay some of the loose feathers over his head for some shade.

He breathed a sigh of relief, letting the desert wind try to cool him. His paws lightly traced the sand, his glittery, weary gaze fixating to the sky as if he were trying to pinpoint his location. The male's nose wrinkled, anger seeping within as his tracing paw just lurched into the sand and kicked away any work that was in progress.

"Where are you?" He questioned to no one, his sudden rage falling into tears.

~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm sorry, you know-" The male would confess, feeling pain gnaw at his heartstrings, "I never meant to push you away, or anyone for that matter... I just... Needed some time, y'know? To contemplate, to reconsider, to-"

A hard series of coughs would escape him as a dust devil seemed to emerge nearby, the male never drawing into a physical panic. Although ebbed with his past, and more present, fears, he would only pack up his things and move along against the desert sands.

~~~~~~~~~~

His panting grew deeper and more intense as the limits of the desert grew endless than the day prior. Out of sheer exhaustion, the male passed out in the heat.

"Wake up..." A voice would speak, caressing its paw against the male's face. He would jolt, only able to see the figure for a millisecond before it blinked away as fast as it came.

"I miss you..." He muttered, tearing up before forcing himself to his paws to begin his travels once again.

~~~~~~~~~~

The male squinted his glossy-esque eyes, his torn ears lightly perking at the tune of skittering in the sand beneath his paws. A figure would rush by and depart just as quick. In sheer hopeful panic, he scampered after the tiny dust cloud trail.

"Wait!" He called out, the trail growing cloudier by the second. He skidded to a halt to see if the being had turned, but the clouds would only dissipate. His ears pinned back as he turned around to back the way he came.

His gaze grew wide, his body frozen in the hot desert. He finally found home.

~~~~~~~~~~

His pacing had been frantic as tears streamed down his cheeks. An oasis of familiar scents seemed to sweep him off his paws.

"Quetzel!" The male would scream. "Quetzel, I'm back! I'm so so sorry for leaving yo-"

And in the blink of an eye, what seemed like home vanished in the desert sands, lost in time. The male lowered himself to the ground, coiling into a ball to mourn.

~~~~~~~~~~

He sighed, sending himself into a forceful trance of slumber, awaiting for the Sandman to sweep him off his feet. His gaze grew weary, perching himself on a nearby rock in hopes the surface would absorb the nightly chill.

And as if a lightswitch flicked, night seemed to turn to day. Its piercing brightness shone right through his eyeslids only seconds after he closed them. The male would open them back up, blink, and glance up to the sky.

"What the-?" He muttered, lightly rubbing one of his eyes with one of his forepaws.

~~~~~~~~~~

The sky seemed... peculiar, this time around. Clouds seemed to drift by as per usual, but would almost jump backwards, as if there was a record stuck in a loop.

The male's face grew grim as he trekked on, however, wanting to avoid another heartbreak of collosal proportions. And yet...

The sky grew dark.

~~~~~~~~~~

As if the world caved before him, the male was suddenly dropping into a blank void at what felt like extreme speeds. He tried clambering back the way he came to no avail. He screamed. He cried.

He was alone.

The male squinted his eyes shut, and suddenly the world reverted back to what it was, although more jaded and almost lacking visual quality.

"What..." He muttered, the ground he used to feel the sand on was now static, his smoky eyes now fixated on the black sky that substituted the cheery blue.

"Ḑ̵̛͙̯͖̝̻͈̩̞̜̬͒̃̐͆̾͋̀͌́̈̈́̚̚o̸̢̨̟͈̰̮̜̹̝͔̳̠̰̗̙͉̙͙̿̔̽̐̎͆̿̆͒̇̈́̅̌̐̋͋͘̚͝m̵̭̥͊̅͆͆͊̄̒̈́͗̆̅̅͝ả̷̢̢̢̦͈͉̻̪̫̖̪̞̬̘͓̟̣̣̫͎͍̰̙̯̇̒͑͋̍͘̕͝i̸̧͍̲͔̠̫̳̝̳̥̱̰͙̹͑̒̂̆̐̂͛n̴̡̡̜̫̰̥̦͚̯͎͔̹̭͙̙̤̬̗͔̦̩̤͂̈ ̷̡̡̢͍̩̝͚̙̝͎͓̬̦̝̫̪̣̮͉̠̣̫̘̫̀̈́̈́È̸̢̘̮̙̱̤͙͕̰̫͖͔̤̳̜̲͙͖̗͍͉͊̉͌̌̃̆̈͆̂̈́͊̅̕̚̚͘͜r̶̡̥̯̰͙̝̠̱̙̰͇̪̹͉̼͍͈̤̼̟̣̞̖̽̐̇̀͌̇ͅr̸̟͕̮͔̖̲̝̰̘͂͑̾̋̿̓̌͜ơ̸̡̢̦̮̮͎̦̲̫͍͖̟̼̘̰̖̥͚̦̜̟̠̇͋̓̓̿͂͆̊̇͋̑̌̀͘͝ͅŗ̶̼͈̯̪̙̙͖͓͙̟̬̗̘͕̲̤̬̦̹͉̂̄͒̈́̆́̆͌̎̓͆̍̎͒̑̉̅̈͗̊̚͝͝ͅ ̵̛͓͎̫̥͐̿́͆͒̐̈̋͐̓̔̈́̒͆̄͆̉̉̈́͘̚͝͝4̶̮̼͕̇͒͛̂̏̉͒͋͋̽̀͂̾̏͛̓͛̓̂̌̎͠0̵̡̨̲̖̳͙̭̪̟̫̻̲̗̜̩̯̦̮̊̾̌͗́̉̇̏̆̓̽̽̑͐̓̀̍̿͐̚̚4̸̰̼̜͖̲̦̓̈́̊̋͛̓̈́̓̑̏͛́̃̈́̇͝͝"

The male had grown numb to this kind of torment, but this... this was something new. He narrowed his eyes.

"Are you satisfied with your service?" A familiar voice rang out as it continued, "I think everything should be in order, he should be awake soon."

The male glanced around, his eyes growing wide in realization. "Crystie?"

"Will he be alright?" A new, different voice spoke, almost calm, collected, conceited.

"Quetzel?" He called out, almost happy to hear more than just clipped, one-word answers from a possible figment in his mind.

"I'm not sure," The first voice responded, their voice seamlessly burdened with sorrow. "It was a high risk putting him here. I can't say his return is inevitable."

The second voice cracked under pressure, a fit of sobs following. And as if it were connected, the male felt pressure, weight, along his flank. An odd dampness seemed to coat him as well.

His eyes glossened as he stood in the void, trying to listen for more information. But when the high wails of the second voice came, a scream seemed to be repeatedly caught in a loop. The male flattened his ears until the sound got louder... Louder... Louder.

A faint face of some wolf he knew appeared in the distance, but instead of comfort, it drew fear. The male's eyes widened as he began to turn tail, running as fast as his legs could take him. The figure kept growing closer... Closer... Closer.

And the world grew dark once more.

~~~~~~~~~~

The male awoke in a cold sweat, panting heavily. His surroundings hadn't changed, but the familiar figure chasing him had vanished. He sighed in relief before raising to his paws.

His body shook frantically, as if someone were trying to wake him up. He stared up to the sky, narrowing his gaze. After one final shake, the voice demanded, "Wake. UP. DAMNIT."

Silence fell as quickly as it came, the male trying to wrap his head around the voices. Why was he only now hearing them? Had something finally broke through he hadn't thought of until now?

And the thought would soon drift as the ground collapsed before him for a second time, his scream more panicked than the prior. His fall had been more slow this time, but enough of a draft to still render a breezy pass-by.

Lush green immediately surrounded the male, foliage of a tropical paradise filling his glazed gaze. He would gently weep as he finally met the ground, awaiting for the next thing to break his shattered heart even more.

A figure soon approached; lanky, lean, and decorated with the scale of the rainbow. "Pride?" The male whispered, outstretching a paw to see if this figment was real.

"You can put that down, y'know?" Pride spoke, although not as cheery as his usual demeanor. Hackles raised, the desert-hued male stared at him, knowing something was already wrong.

"Now, you may be wondering why I'm here, but considering you got yourself into this problem, I feel you should know the majority without my explanation-" The rainbow hues of Pride rippled as his pelt bristled.

"I-" The desert-hued male drew silent, downcasting his ears.

"And it seems rightfully so that you do know what happened," Pride concluded, pacing around the male. "I would be gentle with breaking this sort of news, but given the circumstances, and the fact you've been detested to this sort of treatment for a while now..." He inhaled, a monotone look and tone escaping him.

"You're in a coma, Sig. Wake up."

~~~~~~~~~~

And with how quick the scenery of a probable paradise came, it vanished. Pride was nowhere to been seen, and the desert-hued male was left to his own devices once more. He was practically mentally broken down to nothing but dust.

The wolf dubbed "Sig" felt a few soft shoves once more from nowhere, almost detested to the emotional pain he'd been enduring this whole time. But the shoves grew weaker, and suddenly, a light seemed to appear. It hadn't been bright, but in the tunnel of static and darkness, it seemed as such.

His ears perked ever so lightly, his pace beginning to quicken as he went from a begrudging walk to a panicked run. Perhaps this was his moment to escape...

And so it was.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bright lights clouded his field of vision as he slowly awoke. A gasp was heard nearby, and the warmth of tears softly hit his pelt again. Although this time, they were coming right from a visible source.

"Quetzel?" He softly questioned, still in a lulled state of dreaming and disorientation. "Is that you?"

A loud, heaving sob escaped the wolf next to him as they grasped him in a tight embrace,

"It's me Sig, I'm here, I'm here..."

~~~~~~~~~~

Art by: Pixelized Sunset (#30590)

Art by: Autumn Vulpes (#4183)

Art by: Fenrir (#18079)

Art by: Savannah (#73710)

Art by: 🐈‍⬛ blackwillow13 🐈‍⬛ (#53243)

Art by: Akumu (#28568)