<blockquote><div><cite>Ureck wrote:</cite>"I would love to play that part for you, Sherani. We have become friends now as far as I am concerned, and the least I could do is help you win your little challenge."</div></blockquote><br/>"Ureck..." Sherani's eyes shimmer as she clasps Ureck's paw, lips quivering with barely contained emotion. The shifter's own puppy-dog expression mirrors Ureck's as she stares back at her canine friend (and maybe, just maybe more), looking for all the world like she might break down crying any second.<br/><br/>Luckily for her pride, there are plenty of other ways to vent emotions. For instance...<br/><br/><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">"WAHOO!" </span>Sherani gives her fist a victorious pump in the air along with her war-whoop, and drags Ureck into something halfway between a hug and a headlock. "I knew you'd come through for me, Ureck! You're the best buddy a girl can have, ya know that?" The tigress prepares to deliver a congratulatory backslap, but hesitates as she catches Ureck's expression out of the corner of her eye. Something about that look sets her on edge, and it only takes a second to realize why: that eager puppy look hasn't dissolved into the pack-buddy look she'd expect out of a regular shifter. If anything, it looks like it's growing on him. Which means...<span style="font-style: italic">oh no.</span><br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Ureck wrote:</cite>"Also... we do not have to pretend if you would rather not, Sherani. If we happen to fall into a lot more than a bar fight together... I for one would never complain..."</div></blockquote><br/>"H-hey, Ureck..." Sherani's eyebrow twitches nervously as she speaks, keeping time with the heartbeat that's now sending a fresh dose of blood-beet red color her cheeks. "Y...you mean like backin' each other up when we get into this whole Gorvax raid thing, right? You're not talkin' about L...lo...lo..."<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Love? Oh yes he is,</span>Sherani tells herself, as her heart does some interesting and uncomfortable acrobatics in her chest. There's a reason tempting a lover is worth extra in her and Aideen's competition: not because it's hard to send a guy into twitterpations, but because of the time and effort it takes to haul him<span style="font-style: italic">out.</span>Even a casual partner is hard enough to shed when the relationship turns stale, usually after a week or two of monogamy. The idea of a lifelong, committed romance, with the kind of passion burning in Ureck's eyes, is... well, actually it's pretty terrifying. The idea of giving up other men sits about as well with the free-spirited shifter as giving up beer or meat.<br/><br/>And she's going to be<span style="font-style: italic">traveling </span>with him.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Okay Sherani think. You gotta snap him out of this before it gets crazy. Quick, think of something clever to get him distracted, and maybe he'll just forget about it...</span><br/><br/>"<span style="font-weight: bold">Look!</span>Rafe an' Lil are finished introducin' each other! Let's not keep 'em waiting, huh?" Releasing Ureck as quickly as she'd grabbed him, Sherani does a near-instantaneous sidestep that puts a good ten feet between her and her new admirer. Forcing a steady expression (or so she thinks), she strides back towards Lilium and Rafe with a motion for Ureck to follow.<br/><br/><blockquote><div><cite>Lilium wrote:</cite>"Shall we part soon?"</div></blockquote><br/>"Absolutely! Let's go!" Sherani agrees, nodding a good deal longer and harder than strictly called for before pivoting and heading back in the direction of the trail. With any luck, the constant motion is enough to hide her bright-red cheeks from Lilium's attention until the shock of Ureck's proposal wears off, or at least buy her some time to come up with a decent excuse...