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The snow fell lightly this afternoon, but the wind was harsher than it had been for the past week. The pale Sadira boy readjusted the blue striped scarf around his neck so that it covered his collar a bit more, where the chill hit him the worst. When it was windy like this, and he was tired, Kansas preferred to stay in one place, where he could hole up and stay warm and quiet (and, often, bored). But today he was energetic and happy. He didn't want to keep to himself.
Naniko and her puppies had been on his mind a lot lately. His relationship with his pack leader must have fallen to the bottom of her list of priorities. It was understandable; she was busy. But it still hurt to realize he was drifting from her, his best friend. Kansas leaned against a tall, dark tree and fixed the scarf so that it hung in two loose strands around his neck, glancing down at the the black earring he held in his palm. He'd been holding onto it for a few days; since he'd found it in Halifax. Again his thoughts drifted to Naniko. He wished to he happy. It seemed like something was always gnawing at him, and he wanted that to stop. Still fiddling with the earring, he looked up and watched the snow fall, attempting to concentrate on how pretty it looked. And nothing else. [/html]
[html]  OoC
IC
Bane stuck out like a sore thumb in the winter. It made everything more of a challenge, particularly hunting, especially when it was snowing. It formed a perfect white backdrop and his black fur was perhaps the most obvious thing for miles. He didn't feel out of place. Though he spent ninety percent of his time on two legs, he hadn't lost that connection with nature.
The instinct had been bothering him that day. It ebbed and flowed in his head like the ocean tides, and it distracted him from his normal thought process. He didn't know what it was. Perhaps he was taking too long. At some point, he would visit Inferni and attempt to solve this. He just didn't want to come across as crazy. And so he walked to clear his head, and as he walked, he caught the scent of a stranger. He had yet to meet a person here who turned him away, so he made his way towards the man, walking steadily against the wind.
As he saw the stranger first from a distance, he was able to pinpoint details, such as the small black thing he was playing with. "You're going to lose that if you're not careful," Bane told him with a smile as he slowed his walk and moved closer to the man wearing the scarf. With each step, the wolf got fuzzier, his lines blurring into the snow that fell behind him. Bane remedied this by pulling his glasses case from the pocket of his jeans and putting them on.
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[html] I like Bane! I always used to stalk Phasma on EZboard. :o
His focussed thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps in the snow. It was always hard to tell whether he was imagining things or not whenever he heard sounds on such a snowy day - but when he looked up, he immediately spotted the charcoal male approaching him. He bit his lip nervously, slightly surprised to hear the other mention the earing spinning slowly between two fingers, especially since he was several feet away yet.
Kansas stood automatically for the sake of courtesy, an awkward but genuine smile playing his lips. The other's words were pleasant, but he, strangely, was a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, I guess you're right." A small chuckle, and Kansas closed his palm tightly around the ring, having left his satchel behind the tree - he didn't think this was the appropriate moment to fetch it. "My name's Kansas." He left out his last name, thinking perhaps that this dark male was another stranger who knew someone else in the boy's large family, and would strike up yet another unwanted conversation about that.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/ ... blebg3.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:bottom">SWAYING TO THE RHYTHM
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cakeThanks! Phasma is way cooler than Bane, though. x3
cake"Bane Kiles," the dark wolf responded automatically, a quick answer to the younger man's introduction. "Nice to meet you, Kansas." It was a strange thing here, introductions; most didn't give their surnames, if they even had any, and not once had anyone used the words 'mister' or 'sir' in reference to him, or anyone else. It wasn't that the dark wolf would demand respect from strangers, but rather that he knew this to be a social expectation. In this part of the world, what he knew was obviously wrong, and casual seemed to be the reigning trend. Bane was adaptable, but at times it still struck him as odd.
cakeWith a shake of his head, Bane rid his messy mane of hair of the snow that had began to pile up. This Kansas fellow had an ear pierced. He thought of the halfling slaves back in the Land of the Midnight Sun. Earrings and such things had been ritual for them. "Are you planning on doing anything with it?" The dark wolf added, finding himself quite glad for the company. A stranger was a thing to study, and to study was to think; his mind required the stimulation to remain at top form. Besides that, it was nice, every so often, to get his mind off other thoughts.
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[html] Psh, they're both BAMFs.
He was too young and too ignorant to worry about adding respectful titles to names, and it didn't help that he was used to treating his alphas casually--the only two he'd known had been his own father and Naniko. And he certainly didn't have a strong enough backbone to call anyone on their rudeness. Then again, he hadn't been forced to deal with too many impolite wolves. Quiet, withdrawn ones, yes; but those individuals never seemed unkind. Perhaps if he was ever around when someone spoke badly to or about Savina, he might react in a harsher manner.
The two young men now knew one another. Kansas immediately assumed that he should have given his surname to this fellow after all, but his chance was gone. "You, too," he replied with a smile. Things seemed to be coming out well today. With Bane came a good distraction from his own obsessive thoughts. The two were in the same boat, more or less. The youth's pale fingers drifted to his right ear, and he ran his fingers along the smooth skin there. "Eh... I've been wanting to have a piercing here for a while. I... could do it by myself, but I'd probably do a poor job." Kansas did really poorly with needles, and his nerves would cause him to fuck it up, that was for sure. He shrugged. Getting a piercing wasn't on the top of his priority list, but it would be a nice sort of change.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/ ... blebg3.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:bottom">SWAYING TO THE RHYTHM
OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER
cakeLol, totally. XD Does Kansas already have a piercing, or am I crazy?
cakeThis Kansas fellow struck him as a friendly enough man, polite enough, given the circumstances. He carried with him a scent that Bane barely recognized, one he had no name to apply to. There were plenty of packs in these areas, plenty of wolves and coyotes willing to tie themselves to the land. Bane had done that once, out of necessity rather than want. Things were casual in Nova Scotia. Things were different, but not by all that much. In many ways, it was the same as anywhere else.
cakeBlue eyes followed the young man's hand as he touched his ear. The mention of the piercing made Bane smile, a faint smile obscured by thought. At home, it had been considered taboo for a wolf to pierce anything; this was primarily because the halflings did it so frequently, because it was part of the culture they clung to so desperately. The dark wolf had never cared about these things. For the most part, he wouldn't question things that had no discernible answers. Either way, it explained why he had never done it before. "I can't see it being overly difficult," he mused, leaning against a tree and tucking both hands in his pockets. His glasses were beginning to fog up in the cold. "Sterilize the needle and stab your ear. I would imagine it'd be easier to get someone else to do it for you, though."
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[html] No, he doesn't have it yet. I'm sorry for not clearing that up. *headdesk*
To Kansas, getting the piercing was not a big deal, simply because he didn't think anyone he knew and cared about would react to it that way. Hopefully Savina would like it, Iskata wouldn't notice, and Firefly would tease him. Even as he thought about their reactions now, he smiled, suddenly feeling more eager.
More than that, the piercing would symbolize a change for him. He was branching out, in the midst of getting used to living his own life. It was unclear to him why he saw it this way, but it pleased him. He sensed Bane getting slightly closer to examine his ear; he allowed his hand to fall away so the male might get a close look. "Guess not," he responded with a small, pleasant laugh.
A few seconds passed, and a wild idea occurred to him. Kansas looked at Bane, knowing his request might sound odd and misplaced. But something about this man made him feel all right about asking him. "Do you... do you think you could do it?" What that "something" was, he was sure he didn't know.
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cakeNo problem, I just wasn't sure XD
cakeBane found the young man's company relaxing; there were many in the world who wasted their words like they wasted their time, speaking for not reason other than for the pleasure of speaking, to hear their own voices. The dark wolf had never approved of this, nor enjoyed their company, even when he had been younger and angrier and more willing to reveal himself. This pale wolf wasn't overbearing. The bark of the tree Bane leaned against was cold, but he remained still nonetheless, turning his piercing blue eyes back at Kansas as he spoke.
cakeThough it was something he'd never done, it would prove vastly simpler than, say, amputating a leg or stitching up someone's insides. Simpler than performing an autopsy. He nodded slightly in response, eyes moving back to the young Sadira's ear. "I've done worse things," he stated calmly, his tone thick with underlying amusement. Though it may have come across that he was joking, the reality was different. "Your right ear?" he added, looking back to meet Kansas' eyes. He had a lighter on him, and they were surrounded with ice. It would be good enough.
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He nearly winced when he'd finished his question, very aware that it was a wierd to ask a of complete stranger. But he reminded himself that all Bane could do was say no. And perhaps it was just his paranoia plaguing him again. The raven wolf fixed him with that striking blue-eyed stare, and Kansas wondered if he was searching for something in him.
A slight nod preceded Bane's words, and for some reason the Sadira found this very relieving. He wondered what those "worse things" were; perhaps he'd done more with incisions and the like. Maybe he was a healer, like Naniko. Though Bane could have been alluding to many other things, a small smile broke Kansas' uncertain expression. "Great—yes, my right ear. Right here." To show Bane exactly where to put the needle, he rubbed the spot along the outer rim of his ear, between the middle and tip. He had no idea what to expect, but he really wasn't nervous at all.
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cake-slow- Sorry for the wait! D:
cakeBane caught the brief flash of insecurity in the man; it vanished quickly and he only registered it subconsciously, where the paranoia lurked like a dormant dragon, sleeping and simultaneously waiting. There was nothing to be concerned about here and he allowed it to remain quiet in his head as he fished around in his pocket for the lighter he always carried on him. Portable fire -- a brilliant thing, really. Same thing with pockets. He often wondered why some wolves were so set against the ways of the human; fear, most likely.
cakeFlicking on the lighter, he took the earring from white wolf and carefully sanitized it, burning one side then the other, dipping it in the snow in between switching sides so the heated metal wouldn't burn his fingers. As he did this he spoke, partially to continue conversation and partially to alleviate his curiosity. "You smell of a pack I don't recognise," he mused aloud, glancing up briefly at the white Sadira. "Where're you from?" As he finished speaking, he picked up a handful of snow and squeezed it together to form a small chunk of ice. Holding this in his fingers, he moved forward and pressed it against Kansas' ear to numb it; as he had no needle available, he would have to use the earring itself to pierce the ear, and he didn't need the man flinching during the process.
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[html] It's fine. 
Inquisitive blue eyes followed Bane, first as he dug the lighter from one of his pockets and then as he lit the earring to sanitize it. The man moved with precision and care; he was careful not to drop the needle, and apparently had the common sense to dip the white-hot metal in snow before he touched it again. Kansas raised his brow, impressed. His slight anxiety was waning with every cautious step the raven wolf took. He felt lucky that Bane was the one who would pierce him.
Kansas wasn't paying close attention, so it took him a moment to register that the other had spoken to him again. The boy shook his head apologetically. "Crimson Dreams. I'm... surprised you haven't heard of it before." Perhaps he hadn't been around this area for long. "Where are you from?" Kansas returned mildly. Ironically, he knew nothing about the wolf who was about come at his face with a sharp point. The idea almost made him laugh.
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cakeCrimson Dreams was an unfamiliar name, and he made a note of it. In his mind, Bane kept a map stored away, a map he occasionally pulled out and added to; Inferni and Phoenix Valley he had come to know within his first weeks, and AniWaya followed because Miss Phoenix resided there now. There had been another scent he had never been able to set a name to, and he did so now. Information was an invaluable thing.
cake"I was born here, over the mountain, before the fire," Bane replied idly, pressing the ice carefully to Kansas' ear. "I spent most of my life away, however. Yours was the only pack I hadn't yet heard of." Deeming the skin to be cold enough, he tossed aside the chunk of ice, watching as it embedded itself into a nearby snowdrift that leaned up against a tree. Raising the sterilized earring, he pressed the tip lightly against Kansas' ear. "Hold still," he calmly told the cream-coloured wolf. Better to get these things done fast. Applying a good amount of pressure, Bane quickly and steadily stabbed the earring through the man's ear, holding it carefully in place while he fastened it on. Once finished, he moved aside and eyed the piercing. Decent, considering it was the first time he'd done it.
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[html] Holy hell, long-ass ridiculous wait. We can end here, or you can post one more time—whatever you like. 
Kansas listened to feed his curiosity. He was born over the mountain, too. Kansas wondered where, and if he was familiar with Storm, or maybe even his father. But the man continued on to say that he had not been around the area most of his life, and despite not exactly knowing what this meant, the Sadira didn't press further. The more wolves he met, the more he realized how many had lived elsewhere, in places he was unfamiliar with.
He nodded to Bane's request, tensing his muscles against the pinch he was about to feel. To his surprise, he barely felt anything. He hadn't expected the ice to actually work. Before he knew it, Bane had pulled away to examine the result. Kansas flashed him a small grin, and resisted the impulse to touch the piercing. "Thank you, Bane." After a brief pause, he got into his satchel and fished out a beaded necklace he'd found in one of the abandoned buildings of Halifax. He held it before himself to make sure it was still intact before pushing it toward the ebonite wolf. "Please take this. Not sure... how much use it is to you, but maybe you can trade it for something better." It was weak, but it was something. "You should come by Crimson Dreams, if you'd like. And if you ever have the time..." Of course, Kansas didn't expect him to. But he said it to... tie up loose ends. That was how he thought of it.
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cakeBane moved away slightly from the younger male, blue eyes impassive as he was thanked. There was a slight nod, but not much more. It was rare for him to have such benevolent meetings with a complete stranger, but not necessarily welcome; anything was better than another enemy. He took the necklace, recognizing the trading system from experience; at home they had used coins, but for the most part, bartering was how one bought and sold their goods. He smiled faintly at Kansas’s words. "All I have is time,” he replied idly. "But thank you.” He glanced down at the necklace as he said this, then nodded again to the Crimson Dreams wolf before allowing himself to return to his exploration.
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