Spring

Conor Soul · 04-05-2010, 11:48 AM

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This is a mandatory pack meeting. I've powerplayed so that all are present so that this thread won't drag out. Only one reply is required, but feel free to have your characters interact with Conor and/or each other if you wish. 800+

The world had shifted and pulsed and turned into something else. The male did not know if change had arrived too late, but there was a weight in his chest that had lifted, yet there was also more sorrow clinging to his caring heart. A member had been lost because of him. While Conor mourned the loss of Semyon, he also thought of the late male with fondness and gratefulness. Haku Soul’s grip on Dahlia de Mai was no more and perhaps it was possible to find peace once again. One of the first things he had to do after this pack meeting was to travel to the lands of Inferni and announce that Haku was now a packless villain free for all to deal with as they pleased. There was no fragment of love or respect for the crazed ex-Rosen in the golden man’s heart. Now, his face was turned forwards to the present and the closest future. Never had Dahlia been this fragile, the young bud crumbling under the weight of remaining winter. While the flower would have strength to fight through to the surface and burst into bloom, he did not know what would become of his beloved Dahlia de Mai.

Lilac eyes gazed on the present members that had been called to the place where both Roseas and Rosens had spoken to their members in the pack. There was no longer any Rosen in the pack. Haku had ruined many things while ruling these lands, and he had betrayed and disgraced most of what Dahlia de Mai stood for. He had shed crimson on Dahlia’s petite petals and turned the pack’s rank meaning sour and false. Yes, thanks to madman Haku, many things had been ruined, but there was also a time for new beginnings. This pack was the oldest wolf pack currently standing and they had once been great before things had turned sour. Conor was not exactly afraid, but he could not guess what their reaction would be. Some had seemed to follow Haku blindly. This was no longer a place for savage beasts. The gold and cinnamon hued yearling stood tall despite feeling very little. He was still so young, but he had climbed high. Perhaps he would fall, but they could not stand leaderless.

There was no insecure clearing of throat nor any other form of dillydallying before the golden man opened his mouth to speak. Whether his words offered good or bad news was up to each and every one of them. ”The war is over. Some of you may already know this, but earlier today Haku Soul resigned as the Rosen of Dahlia and left the lands for good and with him the conflict with Inferni.” His hands wanted to fiddle with the empty air, but he kept them well controlled, and underlined the words he spoke by adding light gesticulation along with them. ”There will be no more bloodshed, and those who cannot let go of the conflict will no longer be welcome within lands.” He could not yet truly know if they would accept him as a creature of authority, but that was not what he sought for either. He wanted Dahlia to be safe and beautiful again. That was all. He wanted peace and tranquillity in his life. There had been so little of it.

”This is not the only change I will announce today. While we’re still the same pack, many of the values of the pack and its name have been betrayed. We will return to a rank hierarchy similar to the one that was commonly used in the old wolf packs before fire ate their lands. I will not go into details right now, but I will come around and talk with each and every one of you and sort out the transition from old ranks to new. “ It would be easier for the majority to understand the new ranks as well. He had not known about the common use of ranks before he had gotten into the most peculiar conversation with Rurik Russo, a man he dared to consider a friend even after their awkward first meeting. The pack was too split as it was now – perhaps the new ranks would help forth cooperation with other members. There were specific jobs in the ranks now; a purpose instead of a pretty rank name that few could understand.

He fell silent then and looked at the present group, all that was left of damaged Dahlia de Mai. Would they scatter and disappear? He did not wish for it to be too late, but he knew nothing of the future. He was a father and provider now, and he would protect and care for his own for as long as necessary. Right now this included Dahlia de Mai, for Conor knew no other home than this.

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Minos Lierrah · 04-05-2010, 12:19 PM

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Minos misses Haku! xD

The blood had been washed from the male's coat, but the cuts, bruises and the bite marks had yet to heal completely. He was a ragged beast, thin and hungry and stood at the back of the group. Beneath the shadow of a tree, away from the others Minos listened, knowing so very little of what was true on the bright eyes wolf's tongue. This was not the one he had sworn to, and he did not even ask anything of the pale yellow eyed wolf. Not to obey, not to follow. Minos had grown into a beast that was closer to the wolves that stood in front of him then the primitive creature that he once had been. But, Minos was not one of them and in his mind there would be no order under the youth that called to them. There was no fear, the stench of it not lingering in any beast other then himself. How could there be any power over the pack if there was no fear. Yellow eyes shifted, and the male felt an unease over come him. Yet he sat still in the hopes of going unnoticed, knowing that without the alpha he would have no protection here.

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Bris Stormbringer · 04-05-2010, 01:21 PM

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NPCing Kol in the same posts as Bris so it goes faster. XD AND EEEEEE RANK NAMES OMG NOSTALGIA!!!! =X ILU LIBRI!

If everyone cared and nobody cried.

It was hard to believe. Bris had only spent a few short months in Dahlia de Mai, but those months had been completely dominated by Haku and his war with the coyote clan. She had gone straight from one war into another, a fact her sister Kol loathed beyond all else. But this was the end the dark-furred older sister had hoped for, an end of peace and calm for the whole of Dahlia, without the shadow of Haku still lurking among them to wreak more havoc on their collective lives. Ironically, in the first Dahlian war, Kol had been a loyal supporter of Haku's vendetta against Gabriel and his followers. However, much had changed in that short year, and the Stormbringer's eyes had been widely opened, both by her friendship with and respect for Anselm de le Poer, and by her own experiences. Kol had come to understand that Haku was no longer the leader willing to do the dirty work to protect his pack, he had slipped over the edge of madness and had cared only for bloodshed and destruction; that of Inferni, and that of his own Dahlia. Now scarred and weakened from the recent battle centered around Haku, Kol spared a glance toward the snowy sister by her side.

Bris was still young, her vividly mismatched eyes looking at the new alpha with quiet uncertainty overshadowed by devotion. Conor had gained the girl's respect quite solidly for his handling of the fire, and it was only after that crisis had passed that she'd come to remember they'd even met before. The two of them had both been much younger then, not far out of puppyhood, and it had been a dark but beautiful evening. The boy and girl had both still been very much innocent, and his kindness and gentle nature had stuck out even then. The Conor that stood before the pack now as its leader was far more confident, but that same gentle nature and care was still apparently in the softness of his eyes. Bris had no doubt he would prove to be a very capable leader, despite his youth.

The changing of the rank names and system had hardly any bearing on the younger Stormbringer. She'd get used to whatever changes would occur with Haku's exile, but Kol felt a pang of loss. She had dealt with change well all of her life, but here again her world was uprooted and shifted. The rank names, so familiar a daily staple, were now gone. So too was the old house she used to share with Alexey, then had given to her and Drey, which had then become Conor's home. The burning of that house had felt like the severing of the last bond Kol had shared with the Caregiver. She hadn't come across the Koios woman even once since her return to Dahlia de Mai, and she scolded herself constantly for not making the effort to go and see her. Now that the war was over, the Stormbringer was determined to seek her out and apologize for everything. Her faith in her chosen home renewed, Kol shared a confident smile with her younger sister, proud that she would now be able to grow up in an environment of peace. It was all she could have ever wanted for her. Bris' eyes still showed her uncertainty at what the future would indeed bring, but the younger Stormbringer returned her sister's smile warmly. Only time would tell, and both sisters were sure that Conor would lead Dahlia into a far brighter future than it had seemed only days ago.

If everyone loved and nobody lied.

Table by Gina!

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Tokyo Chance · 04-06-2010, 04:45 PM

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309 words
Tokyo couldn't help but see Conor as a placeholder. He was leader for now, yes. But she believed very firmly that when King was done growing up, he would take the position from his older half-brother. Conor had fought of Haku, yes. He had won the respect and assistance of at least a few members of the pack (though one of those was now dead). But King.. King had power, and strength, and potential. Conor had nothing on King. But it was okay for now. Conor could be the surrogate leader for now, it didn't matter, King still had to learn and grow and win the hearts of the pack. It would happen. Her child had the blood of leadership, had had the attentions of Haku while young. King was constantly impressing his mother with his capability, with his sharp intelligence. He even saw things that she missed, sometimes, but instead of being annoyed she was just proud, proud to have participated in any part with his creation.

The idea of new ranks seemed a bit stupid to her. That wasn't enough of a change to affect anything. It was a token effort, an action taken simply so that it can be said that an action was being taken. Haku's influence still lay on the land, in more subversive ways than vocabulary. Words were just words, he hadn't done anything in particular to taint the old system. Anyway, she liked her co-rank, and the fact that she was able to stick to minimal work while still climbing hierarchy-wise. These new ranks might very well have jobs tied to them explicitly, and that would suck. Oh well, she was sure she could get away with shirking duties; she had been doing so successfully for almost a year, now. Things seemed to change, but so often really just stayed the same.

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Vark Granel · 04-07-2010, 12:40 AM

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And that was that. Vark looked around, at the meek, shocked and temporarily leaderless members of the Dahlia de Mai. He could barely see them, but he could smell it. Fear. Hopelessness. Contempt. The smell of smoke was still strong on the wind, and a wisp of it brushed gently past Varks nose. He felt old. The scars and the way he held his eyes showed that he had seen and done too much. Vark’s muzzle rose. He stood in the middle of the pack, though many over shadowed him. He was still stuck in his Secui form, bulky but not particularly tall. So that was it, thought Vark. He had just been part of a war. Funny, he thought. In tales of old, Wars involved hundreds of people. That lasted years. And yet, after a few short and brutal conflicts, it was over.



When he heard those stories, Vark had felt excitement. Exhilaration. Joy, even, when the ‘good guys’ killed the baddies, and won the day. Vark had used to play, pretending he was in a battle, killing the enemy with vicious and mighty swipes of his paws. He had decided, when he grew up, he would be a war hero. All the glory and fun. And.... he had got what he wanted. And he felt... dark. People had died. He, himself, had killed the small coyote accompanying the leader of the coyotes who had attacked Haku’s mate and her son. He had had blood sprayed over his face. He had felt flesh rend beneath his claws and fangs. He had gotten his revenge. Yet...... there had been no relief. No release of the painful emotion of the memory of his parents. And as for being a war hero. He had saved the ‘damsel in distress’, he and the others. But... no medals. No glory. Just blood. And pain. He had probably caused the family of that coyote as much grief as he was feeling now. In War, people die. And evidently, It was Haku who had started the war, for unknown benefits of his own. It tore Vark up. He had sworn fealty to his lord, the owner of the lands which he had sought sanctuary. Yet, when he had first met the demon, who could tell him for what he was. He had smelt of madness. And pain, and violence. Vark wanted to say he stuck to his word. But he had gone against his loyalty to his leader. He had defied, and helped his own son drive him from his home. Conor was now the leader of the pack. He was the Alpha Male. Vark rolled those words around in his mouth, as if trying for size. He decided. Conor was his friend. His best friend, even. So he would stick with him. He would keep to his word. Vark stalked through the crowd until he stood before his friend. His ears flattened back against his head, and he schooled his tail down between his legs, and gave a slight but graceful bow. Then turned to stand by his leader and friends side.
"I will follow and obey you to the best of my ability, Conor.” Vark said in a loud voice, so that everyone would hear. If he could, he would help his friend hold the pack together. He just hoped that people would follow Conor, and not turn on themselves.

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Larkspur D'Angelo · 04-07-2010, 08:04 AM

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In a night, things had changed. Larkspur had felt something in the wind that day, and heard a voice that was not that of the can tah call. It was not a request, not a challenge, but it was a summons none the less. He had known before he stood under the clear sky that a shadow had left them. Haku, and the woman that was his dark shadow, were gone. All that remained was Larkspur, whose loyalty belonged not to an earthly soul but two greater then his own.

The call came, one he did not recognize, and Larkspur traveled four legged to the source. The pack (what remained of it) was summoned by a child. Orange eyes narrowed slightly, finding such a thing peculiar and out of place. Even the Khalif, as mad as they were, did not give children greater breadth then they deserved. Dahlia’s new leader, this child, spoke of the war as if it might vanish overnight. Perhaps it would, but conflict would never leave the heart of those coyotes. He had seen it in that girl’s face—they felt anger, and they felt hate. Change was not something the D’Angelo feared, but he felt wariness. This boy would not know him as Haku had. He would need to strengthen his mask.

Around his neck the can tah whispered, and Larkspur listened. He sat not far behind the white wolf, staring at nothing.

Istabel · 04-10-2010, 08:37 PM

Scents and sounds enveloped her, toying with her nerves as a cat might toy with a mouse. They were all here. All of them. Honeyed eyes dipped towards the crowd gathered around Conor, ricocheting off the play of emotions clouding the faces of those present. Some appeared to welcome this revelation, and others...Well, others appeared as though they'd bitten into something sour. Istabel crept closer as voices rose above the undercurrent of murmuring voices. Had she the gift of gab, her own lips might be weaving words of surprise, even doubt...

But, what did she know? She was a newborn infant compared to some of these gathered here. She had not been a part of their war. She had not tasted the blood of their enemy, nor did she bear the marks of battle. No. ...Her marks were of a different sort. Twin, dark scars encircling each of her wrists, silvery and polished where the light hit them. Marks of the past that symbolized the present. She was free here...free to make her own moves, to make her own choices. Right now, the choice seemed obvious...

A Leader. They needed a leader. Conor was providing them with a solution...be it permanent, or be it temporary. At any rate, Istabel had no voice with which to concede or contest the matter. She merely clung to the sidelines, a lean and delicate wallflower...the intensity of her eyes soaking in the proceedings before her. The smell of wolves clouded her senses, so many bodies pressing in, the taint of dried blood...

...All at once her marigold depths sharpened. She could get used to this.

King Chance · 04-10-2010, 09:10 PM

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Sorry for the delay. I was in Universal Studios. (291.)

His father was gone and he didn't understand. He had never really understood the reason for fighting, but he didn't suppose that there needed to be a reason. Fighting was necessary sometimes. As far as King had seen, the world was a thin film of calm stretched over chaos and violence. It may appear tranquil sometimes, but there was always something hidden beneath that gilding. Perhaps that was how it was with his father and his sudden departure, but getting to the bottom of it would require too much talking. As he watched his half-brother speak of changes and the future, he became vexed and somewhat reproachful. It was so strange that war -- a violent creature of action -- was usually ended by bundles of useless words. Maybe that was the reason they kept coming back.

And Conor? What was there to say about him. King hadn't had an extended conversation with him (though it was the same with virtually everyone else). He had never spoken to him like his mother or his father, despite the fact that they shared similar blood. And something about him seemed squirmy and slimy like a worm trying to struggle away from his grasp. It was confusing, so he decided to give it rest and return to thinking of it later.

He couldn't tell what his mother was thinking, though several others seemed a little disgruntled… or maybe he was just impressing that upon them. Some swore fealty now to his half-brother, barely old enough to represent himself in the pack without parents. King said nothing, though he certainly could. His face was completely still, though his eyes -- the eyes of his father -- remained unblinking on Dahlia de Mai's new Alpha Male.

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Lolita Monroe · 04-10-2010, 09:34 PM

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500+ words.

It seemed as though the deceased woman's world had been flipped upside down in the last few weeks. Those that she had previously considered her friends had set fire to her pack, her home. She had been one of the ones to help stop the blaze, earning her a small, discrete scar beneath her left eye where a larger ember had attached itself. It was the emotional wounds that were hard on her, since physical pain did nothing to her. She was dead already, after all, so what did it matter if her physical body was tarnished? Lolita knew that she would wander the earth for all of eternity, until every living creature died and even longer than that, but she had believed that she had found a few friends in the area. Kaena and Anselm both were canines she had grown to like and it pained her terribly, the dull ache present with every breath, to know that they could so easily do something like set fire to Dahlia de Mai, knowing she was living there. Their fight had been with Haku and maybe a few specific Dahlians — setting fire to the entire pack had been a cowardly and disgusting move, even in the hectic and dire times of war.

Similarly, she had been another one who had simply followed Haku Soul blindly. Miss Monroe had not taken part in any of the battles, though she had fought against the flames, but she had followed and trusted him all the same. Her thoughts flitted back to her first meeting with the chocolate-furred former Rosen. He had seemed so concerned for the pack, and so certain that he was the only one who realized the dangers they were in, and he had led them to this. Lolita had believed him so strongly, and in that meeting she had lost all respect she had once held for Cmwfen nic Graine, and she had extinguished any possible respect for the former Rosea, Cercelee, whom she had never even once laid eyes upon. Perhaps that had been okay, though, as the former Rosea had left them when things began to go downhill, leaving them in the hands of Haku. Lolita was angry with herself for following him with such crtainty; there was nothing she could be certain of in this world. She had always known that.

As she listened, dead eyes circled the gathering. She knew none of these people. Her life was nothing that she could be proud of, and the only friends she had thought she'd had were gone now, she was sure. It was time for her to make a change, to acknowledge that this pack was not only the home she had considered it, but these wolves were supposed to be her family. Lolita doubted she could even consider any of them friends, since she did not know them. It was time to do things differently, she decided, just as things were now being changed within the pack. She was not upset by the rank changes in the least. Her former pack had not been very humanized and had clung to the old-fashioned hierarchy of older wolf packs, with the exception of the ridiculous and insane Elders. The creamy woman awaited the time when Conor would come to speak with her, curious to know what was to be her future here. Things needed to change, in the pack and in the dead woman herself.

Emwe Soul · 04-12-2010, 04:08 PM

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I am fail but here I am. <3?

Silence reigned and Emwe felt it, too. His tail could not decide where to go, and his position was meek where his uncertain form stood at the back of the crowd. He looked at his brother and was confused, singed fur still looking as if the fire had been yesterday. He didn't feel too good, but he hadn't told anyone about that. It seemed someone else had not told him about something else; where was his father? His dad? Haku had resigned... but why? The boy whose world was made of shiny things and heroes and dragons and happiness was shaken, and he did not know who to turn to, now. He did not know the truth behind Haku's actions, and though he was glad that the war was over, he was not happy to not understand. Emwe was used to not understanding, and he didn't mind when it was unimportant stuff. His dad leaving and his brother becoming his leader was important stuff, and suddenly he felt awkward. Would Conor be really bossy now? Would they still play as they had before? He did not move but studied his brother with silvery eyes, half uncertain, and half hurt. No one had hurt him, not really; he had hurt himself in not understanding everything. He would find a new place to live, now, and not with Alexey and Conor and aunt Mew's kids and Vark. Slowly, he crept away from their heavy silence, backing out of the situation which confused him so. He did not know how much worse he had been off had he known the full extent of the reality which Conor had faced.

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Conor Soul · 04-13-2010, 02:06 AM

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Thanks all for replying! After this, Conor walks around to every present pack member to instruct them about their rank and responsibilities, though this will not be played out in this thread. To read up about the new ranks, click here! 300+

Relief was not the prominent emotion that seemed to engulf Dahlia’s remaining members. He had expected no less though. They were silent for most part, though when Vark unexpectedly spoke up Conor’s lips twisted ruefully as a small smile bloomed into life despite the current mess he and the whole rest of the pack was standing in. The young male with the light green eyes had become a dear friend to the golden Soul boy. It felt good to know there was some that believed things would turn brighter. Haku had cast a dark shadow over the pack and its reputation, and the young boy wanted to guide them out into the light once more. Though, he did not wish for them to see him as a new, striving leader that had overthrown the demonic Rosen. He just wanted Dahlia to live again, though it was not the simplest of wishes.

Some offered smiles, some offered distrust, some offered nothing at all. The young man let his gaze travel over the small group, catching Emwe’s form as it wandered away. He remembered back when Dahlia had been strong and great. It made him sad to see what was left. Perhaps it was a mistake to push change over at the wolves so early, but Dahlia was hollow and empty without a team. And Conor had dreams in his young heart. None spoke up about the changes and the male let them keep their silence to deal with what had been revealed today. He wished there was something he could say to soothe every mind, but knew better than to try. There was work to be done and he was the one that had chosen to take it upon his shoulders. Conor was not the high leader of Dahlia; he only took on the responsibilities that leaders often were burdened with. For himself and for his family; for Dahlia.

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