make sure I see white sails, sails

China Rose Lykoi · 01-01-2011, 08:38 AM

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ooc: she'll fit right in, like pickles in a jar c:
wc: 3+
SoSuWriMo: 392

For a long while now, China had been seeking a place of refuge. Not necessarily to lick mental or physical wounds, no - A place which to finally, finally, call home. The winter was coming, heralded by waves of bitter blood-snapping weather. This morning was such a temperate, and as the lithe willow-waisted girl clambered over stone and outcrop, she could see each precious swell of breath as it left pixie maw.

It was towards the caves she went. Having emerged from the lush depths of the forest moments before the break of dawn, when the cold finally forced sleep from her hollow bird-like bones and forced the slender girl into action, she had moved instinctively southwest. China had stuck to her Optime form - She had no need for the speed that her fourlegged shape provided, and would rather have her slender-fingered hands with which to warm herself than none at all.

Miserably, her short denim skirt provided no comfort against the bitter wind. The Hippiechild apprehensively considered what she had to trade for clothing - Unlike her sisters, China had little skills in the growing of Cannabis, and nor was she any good with needle and thread. All she had was her reed pipe, her flexible body, and her surprisingly sharp mind. For, in spite of the numbing gauze that Juniper Peace had provided the girl, she was a Lykoi princess through and through.

A particular scent caught dainty charcoal nose, and it twitched. Excitement flared in deviant eyes of purest Lapis Lazuli. She knew that smell! Grandmama! Checking that her pipe was tucked firmly into the bandaging on her upper right arm, and that the neat bundle of MJ splifs her sister had provided was tightly wedged into a back pocket of her denim skirt, China proceeded to bound after the meandering scent. She was light on her feet - An acrobat, with the elegant grace of a ballerina and the energetic bounds of a small child. Overcome with delight at the prospect of reuniting with her Omi, the girl executed a neat cartwheel, her laughter tinkling on the cool breeze. "Grandmama? Where are you?" Called out sing-song voice in delight, the short crop of her hair dancing wildly about silvery features. Of all her sisters, China most closely resembled the woman she sought. "Omi? It's me, China Rose!"

Speak think walk

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Kaena Lykoi · 01-01-2011, 08:55 AM

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A great deal of the scarred woman's time was spent in the caves these days. When she did not have to march the borders or seek Gabriel out, she remained in her den, quietly trying to pass the time with useless, fruitless projects. Itachi was gone, Eris was gone -- there were to be no grandchildren for her here. She should have seen through that ruse, but she had not. Instead, she had given Eris exactly what she wanted, and then the woman had departed. Part of Kaena wished desperately to be indifferent to this development, and another part yearned for relief. Now the girl was gone, and there was no more dealing with her. Neither of these feelings came in overwhelmingly, and instead, the woman simply felt sadness. She had failed her first and her final litter -- she was lucky to have the two between to love her.

She did not see what had gone wrong with Itachi, and this was what troubled her the most. The boy had lived long months with her in this cave, and she had taught him everything she knew, answering any question he desired to ask. He had tried to take her life all the same, and the scarred woman did not understand why. There seemed to be no reason to his behavior, and the old coyote could not fathom his motivation. There was disappointment in the old coyote, but this she considered an improvement. Her last crisis had hit heavier and she had not dealt with it in any sane manner. Those had been long and dark months after Haku, and he reverberated through her life to the present day.

There were sounds outside of her door, the sounds of a voice -- one she recognized, but not immediately. It called to her and drew her immediately from the cave in curiosity. Her yellow-golden eye blinked in the sunlight, and she looked around, her gaze settling on China Rose. The scarred woman had known of her return for a few days now, and immediately guilt settled in her stomach, though she approached the woman all the same, extending her arms toward the younger canine. “I'm so glad you've come back,” she said, the coal-colored tip of her wavering behind her. Indeed, relief overcame her at the sight of this coyote -- all three of Razekiel's daughters were now within Inferni's borders, and all at once! The old coyote was smiling, relief at being proven correct again. Lykois eventually all returned here to this place -- so very few of them had not.

Word Count :: 431

China Rose Lykoi · 01-01-2011, 09:19 AM

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wc: 3+
SoSuWriMo: 358

Almost immediately, the older woman emerged, and China's smile grew exponentially. Kaena! It was, it was! Gloriously happy at the prospect of being, once more, within the protective embrace of her grandmother, China ran into her arms gleefully. The bone-white tip of her tail sashayed merrily behind slender form, as the steel-cord cables of Kaena's arms enveloped her. Strangely, though, the older woman's frame felt... Different, than she remembered. Older. More... Fragile. The thought that time had begun to conquer the unconquerable Kaena was troubling, and so China pushed it aside immediately. Besides, the fire within her Omi was as bright as it had ever been, she was sure.

Family was happiness. Wasn't that what she had always been taught? Family was everything. And Kaena was here, surrounded by family - Surely nothing, nothing, could hurt them now.

Stepping back from her grandmother's hug, China momentarily beamed across at the scarred woman. She knew that Kaena had loved her father, and between the two of them (and, of course, her sisters) their very presence was sure to make Razekiel show up. Optimism bloomed, a pleasant warmth, beneath her pert breasts.

"Omi," The word was a sigh of relief, "Of course I've come back. I could not stay away, not when my heart's roots are here," With you, my sisters and my father. The smile on her elegant maw dipped slightly towards a more solemn expression. It would not do to act too silly before Kaena. She found herself somewhat craving the older woman's approval, and sought to ease the peculiar burden she could sense weighing heavily on her matriarch's shoulders. Suddenly, her expression became contrite, much like a child expecting a scolding. "I'm sorry I left... It was the war, I couldn't..." It was hard to explain the sense of claustrophobic terror she had experienced in her previous time in Inferni. The war had poisoned everything, and China had felt herself slipping out of the grasp of the Earthmother. It was something she couldn't contemplate. With a chagrined sadness to eggshell blue eyes, the willow-slim girl bowed her head respectfully. "I'm sorry I left you." Family was everything.

Speak think walk

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Kaena Lykoi · 01-01-2011, 09:33 AM

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Word Count :: 252

The old coyote leaned into the embrace and inhaled the sweet, flowery scent of her granddaughter. It was tinged with the spice and fire of youth, of course -- something Kaena thought she had lost a long time ago. She had begun to doubt herself and her ability to lead, but ferocious pride would guard this secret to the bitter end, and the old woman would not relinquish her post without a fight, even knowing Gabriel and Inferni deserved someone with more vigor and youth than she had left.

She smiled and lifted her hand to the other canine's shoulder, squeezing gently. Family was here, intertwined with Inferni as certainly as she herself was, and that it was recognized so easily by one who had spent so little time here only gave evidence to that theory. The scarred canine shook her head at the woman, a look of distress crossing her face. “No, I understand,” she said. War was not something everyone could handle, and she understood why China had departed. It was for the same reasons that Gabriel had sent his children away when Inferni had been in trouble before.

“You came back, and that's what's important,” she said. The coyote could understand why one such as China and her sisters would not want to stand in the way of warfare, and she could sympathize with that. They were beautiful and sunny, all three of them, and the silver-shaded coyote thanked whatever karmic forces had played to keep them that way.

China Rose Lykoi · 01-01-2011, 09:51 AM

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wc: 3+
SoSuWriMo: 314

The scarred woman's grasp on her shoulder was firm, firm enough for those uncertain fears to bubble back down into the murky depths of China's subconscious. She was, simply, unable to dwell on unpleasantries. Her very nature, the very essence of China, ensured that all dark thoughts - the type that twisted, mangled and burned, or simmered deep and feverish against cold bones - were buried, and all that remained was the sunshine. Perhaps, one day, the burial ground of pessimism would expulge its dirty secrets, and the silvery girl's sweet mentality would be drowned beneath the burst damned waters. But for now, the thoughts of Kaena growing old - The thoughts of mortality, morality, of inconsistency within her happy wonderland - were discarded with ease.

Such acceptance made sleek water well in her eyes. The happy tears fell fast, and were quickly dry, leaving no marks to show that real emotion had been shed. China's brilliant smile continued.

"I had to," The silvery girl said simply, her tan fingers lifting to entwine with the dark charcoal of her grandmother's. One hand rose to rest against her beating heart as blue eyes widened innocently. "I felt it, here," Her pulse quivered, a lively thing beneath her fingers, "And I knew I had to return. So I brought Sage, Omi, and Clover is here too!" Thick lashes fluttered prettily. China was, after all, a tasty portion of flesh - Her blood was spun from the same perfection as Kaena's, made sweeter with the extra coyote added in. "We can be together again!" She whispered gleefully, eyes glazed with the thought of it. Such intense emotion roused a familiar craving within her, and with an elegant flick of her wrist China pulled out two of the fags from her back pocket, offering one instantly to the scarred woman. "Do you have a lighter? This calls for celebration!"

Speak think walk

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Kaena Lykoi · 01-02-2011, 04:53 AM

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Word Count :: 341

Regardless of whether the scarred old woman knew her granddaughter well or not, she was glad for her return. Kaena had not doubted it, of course, but it was still good to be proven right. Their kind was meant for this place, and they knew it as home in their very bones and blood. She smiled, the coal of her lips twisting upwards in what passed for a smile on her scarred face. The rough and old tissue made it difficult for the coyote to express herself fully, of course, but it was still there, happiness shining through the tough old hide of her face.

“All three of you are here, yes,” she said, barely able to contain her own elation at this. She did not have to wonder whether Mkhai would someday return -- her children and grandchildren had proven time and time again that someday they would all return. Of her own children, only Kerberos and Conway had faded from memory entirely, never returning to set foot across the Inferni border again. The silver-shaded coyote could not guess at the number of grandchildren she now possessed, but she would have thought a majority of these also returned to her, too. “Your father, too,” the hybrid added, hardly bothering to disguise her nearly childlike happiness at pieces of her family coming together again. There was nothing more heavenly to the old coyote than all the members of the Lykoi clan coming together again -- it was a lovely dream, really, though not one she thought she would see in reality.

“ Oh,” she said in pleasant surprise as the rolled white bone was thrust into her hand. “I should have matches in my cave. Would you like to come in with me?” the hybrid asked, caring little whether they sat inside or remained out here. Either was alright by her -- she could have guessed that China would probably prefer the outdoors, but politeness in her forced the offer anyway, even as she started into her cave to retrieve the matches.

China Rose Lykoi · 01-02-2011, 05:50 AM

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wc: 3+
SoSuWriMo: 350

Some might find it difficult to see emotion behind the old woman's mask of scars and tensed cartilage, but China was an empath to the bone, and she could feel Kaena's happiness. It was a rare and delightful thing. The slender girl had only met her once before, but the blood connection sizzled between them, its curse alleviated in favour of kinship and adoration. This was the woman from whom China's entire world had sprung - Without her, the idolized Razekiel would never have come into being, and from that, her darling siblings.

Perhaps some unspoken thought had whizzed between them, for the next words to fall from her Grandmother's maw were those the silvery girl wished most to hear. A flood of joy filled her veins, and the elation was far greater than any high she had ever experienced. Her father was here. Here! Almost within reach. The tantalizing idea was almost too much to consider. For an insane moment, she wished to find him now, to run and run until she was safe in his arms. All those lies that had been spread would be cleared, finally. All those haunting thoughts about Storm Lily would be a thing of the past. She could almost taste the redemption.

It was Kaena's offer that pulled her from her wayward thoughts. Contrite for having mentally disrespected the older woman, China nodded numbly, a vague smile still in place. Her pretty gaze drifted from Kaena to the cave, yonder - It was deep and dark looking, and she would have much preferred to stay in the light. But also, the girl found herself insatiably curious to know more about her grandmother, and the offer was one she would not refuse.

"Omi," she said in a deceptively light voice as they walked towards the cave, "... do you know whereabouts my father is, exactly?" She didn't know why, but the thought of revealing to Kaena just how desperately she craved finding Razekiel was despicable. It felt like... Like weakness. Perhaps there was more Lykoi in her brain than either of them had recognized.

Speak think walk

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Kaena Lykoi · 01-14-2011, 08:16 AM

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Word Count → 302 :: Too bad Razeface is NPC. ;; I'm sure Lin would not mind if you asked is cool you OOC assume a visit, though? :o PM herrr!

Her familiar dwelling had changed little from when Itachi had stayed within it. The small alcove to the side, where Vieira had slept before him, remained unused and empty, a shadowed spot where the silver-shaded woman did not venture. Otherwise, the cave was relatively well-used. She had a a few blankets piled onto the raised rear of the cave where she generally slept, and it was here she sat down, indicating to China Rose to sit there as well. Directly behind her bed was the shelf containing most of her possessions. The coyote took one of the old, stiff packs of matches and sparked it carefully, holding her hand toward it so the flame did not die. She lit a candle for added light, setting it at the center of the shelf, and handed the matches to China.

“He lives up on the plains with the rabbits,” the scarred woman said, laughing and shaking her head. “ Follow the forest as far north as you can while staying in our borders and head left. Can't miss it,” the coyote added. The directions came easily to her, of course -- she knew this territory as well as she had known the last one. She did not assume China knew the territory so well as to be able to navigate if Kaena told her simply Occasus Promotorium. “You should visit him sometime,” the hybrid added, encouraging her granddaughter to do what she already wanted to do, although for different reasons -- Razekiel had been less than social lately, and the silver-shaded Centurion wondered if he felt as if he fit in with Inferni. Rikka had not, and she had departed the clan -- she would not like for him to leave, nor any of his precious daughters, but their happiness trumped her attachment, of course.

China Rose Lykoi · 01-15-2011, 08:28 AM

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<33
wc: 5+
SoSuWriMo: 818

China followed the grizzled woman with a queer feeling of uncertainty. She had seen much brutality scattered about the lands of Inferni - The gaping eyeholes of skewered skulls still lingered, staring in the back of her memory. She and Sage had decorated those they had come across with garlands of whatever foliage was nearby, but with the coming winter it was difficult to find plants that would detract from the gruesome image presented to outsiders. Outsiders; How funny to think that she had been one, not too long ago. It was as though Inferni had always been here, waiting for her return, and she had slipped seamlessly and without question back into the ranks of bitter packmates. No one had attested to her sudden appearance, or chided her for her disappearance.

Perhaps it was the Lykoi mask that had assured her place here. The blood of 'Souls mafia family ran thick in the hippiechild's veins, and regardless to her peaceful demeanor, there were inherited traits that always simmered just below the surface. Suspicion, for one; Juniper Peace had preached trust like no other, so what had taught her to feel so wary of the faces she saw here? Possessiveness - China Rose felt responsible for her sweetest sister, and to think of Sage wandering amongst these half-strangers alone was surprisingly frightful. Never before had she felt the need to restrict the movements of another, to keep them here, with her.

For the Lykoi princess, her copper-splashed family resemblance did not end there. She was clearly Razekiel's own; The way she spoke, her gestures, her quick eyes but smooth voice. And further, the resemblance to Kaena herself was clearly there, where perhaps it was not as clear in her other sisters. Silvery dapples spoke of her grandmother. It was therefore little surprise that her descent into the pack had not at all been questioned, for who would dare refuse the kin of the Inferni matriarch herself? Kaena held a wealth of power over the sinful souls of the pack. She was queen here.

But to China, she was Omi. She was welcoming arms, sharp-toothed smile, glinting golden eye. She was the figurehead of what home had now become, and China Rose would be hard pressed to resist the spider-web ties strung between them.

The cave opened up to swallow the pair, and the girl was at once assailed with a dreadful claustrophobia. She didn't like to be contained within these hard walls of stone, but she would graciously pretend otherwise for her grandmother's sake. China sensed that it was an honor to be invited into Kaena's dwelling, and although she didn't truly understand the concept of honor, the silvery willow-whip adolescent found herself suitably awed. Sharp Lapis Lazuli adjusted quickly to the semi-darkness. The cave was sparsely furnitured, with a neat bundle of cloth towards the back that smelt strongly of Kaena. Near to that was a shelf, with an eclectic assortment of items in its neat lattices.

With an obedience that came naturally in the presence of the scarred older woman (although it felt unfamiliar to China, for she was a fickle creature that often succumbed only to her own whims), the girl sat beside her on the worn blankets, tucking her long legs neatly to one side so that she could face Kaena. Fresh candlelight gilded her heavily scarred face with traces of gold, and China gazed upon her adoringly. She took the matches carefully in one hand, striking one of the valuable little sticks and carefully lighting the end of her joint. All the while, large but elegant ears twitched to the sound of the Centurion's voice, a quick smile spreading across pixie maw at the alien sound of her laugh. Taking a deep pull of the smoldering joint, China held the smoke in her lungs for a moment, considering this fresh information.

It was just as well that the woman thought to give her clear directions, for the silvery girl knew only the places she had been. She had an innate sense of direction, and rarely got lost - But unfamiliar names of the land Kaena knew so well would only have left her reeling. Like her father, she was a free-wandering spirit, preferring life on the move over dwelling in one set place. This would, undoubtedly, make for an uncomfortable winter. "I will!" The girl chirped merrily at the thought of seeing her father, twin curdles of steam rising from her glossy nose and spilling out about her words. Absently, China offered the joint to her grandmother. "But what of you? I didn't seek you out just to speak of my father, Grandmama. How have you been?" Cunning though her deviant gaze was, this question was in earnest. The Lykoi princess liked to think that Kaena led a peaceful life now that the war was over, but her troubled golden eye spoke otherwise.

Kaena Lykoi · 01-15-2011, 08:51 AM

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Word Count :: 317

Though the old coyote now had more grandchildren than she could have thought possible, her love had not fragmented or decreased any at this addition to family. It was not possible for her to love any of her children less -- even those who had become outcasts, such as Vitium, such as Andrezej -- even those were still loved in some small part for the scarred Centurion. Forgiveness was not within her for those two in partiuclar, but that did not mean her love had completely disappeared, either. These grandchildren had been born and raised away from Inferni, but they, too, seemed to feel the pull of the clan. They had returned to her, after all. She did not expect they'd stay forever; few of her own children had, and so even fewer of her children's children might stay. She would not darken their time together with thoughts such as those, however -- departure was a part of the natural world, and one the old coyote was willing to accept.

“Lonely,” she said, smiling to let China know this was not severe loneliness, and to disguise whatever discomfort she still felt about Itachi. “Itachi's gone now, and I'm out of great-grandchildren to raise,” the hybrid said, her yellowed teeth showing in a twisted smile. It was like her to pressure for progeny, however light that pressure was -- if China or any other Lykoi did not wish to reproduce, the old hybrid would have respected that decision. Family and the connection between them superseded any supposed disagreements, though Kaena would not be able to help the twinge of disappointment should she learn any lack of desire to procreate existed within a Lykoi. The active choice was different than infertility, after all. “And yourself? Inferni is calmer this time around, don't you think?” she asked, too glad herself that the clan no longer warred with Dahlia de Mai.

China Rose Lykoi · 01-15-2011, 10:31 AM

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wc: 5+
SoSuWriMo: 506

The old woman's reply constricted a small sound of sadness from the young girl's throat, like the garble of a strangled sweet-singing bird. "Oh, Omi! I didn't know..." Her hand sought her grandmother's, wide cerulean eyes drinking in the war-beaten face of her beloved matriarch. She felt distinctly disappointed that such an important figure could be left to rot alone by herself in this stifling, detestable cave. "If I had've known, I would have come to see you straightaway!" There was no condescending note to her sweet tone; China was genuine in her adoration of the older woman, purely because she represented the family that the silver-dappled girl had never known. Could her time lapsed away from this place be made up for by devotion and loyalty? The hippie hoped so, although she did not and would probably never truly understand the concept of devotion or loyalty. She was far too fickle a creature for such things.

Kaena mentioned an unfamiliar name, and China cared little to find out more about it's owner. Such things did not hold her wavering attentions. "Great-grandchildren..." Stunted though she was by Juniper Peace, China was an intelligent sprite, and comprehended the connotations of her grandmother's words swiftly. A delighted peal of laughter, youthful and bright, spilled from the girl's crimson-blushed maw. "Me, have children? Grandmama, not so soon. I have so much living to do, yet!" In this respect, China was notably different to those of Juniper Peace. She saw children for what they were - restrictions. And if there was one thing the girl valued honestly, it was her freedom. She would not be bound by the responsibility of rugrats, not for a while yet if she could help it. Feeling that she had spoken rashly, the Lykoi princess sobered quickly. "But if you are lonely, then... Then, me and Sage, we shall visit you however often you wish us to. You shouldn't be alone out here," It was not that China thought Kaena unable to care for herself - Far from it, the woman seemed capable of caring for the entire pack - it was more that she had an innate distrust for these quiet caves, so far from the warmth of other beating hearts.

To the woman's latter words, the sunny smile returned to pixie maw. "Oh, yes... The air is so much clearer, now. I can breath it again," The sentiments may have sounded silly, but to the earthchild, that was how it was. War had stifled the air, had choked them all from the inside out; war had poisoned the very earth, where blood had seeped down deep. There were many places in the forest where China had seen that things would not grow, where patches of blacksoil seeped life out of struggling foliage. The scars had reminded her of Kaena's face. But now that she thought of it, China found herself curious; That creeping curiosity that could consume her attention so rapidly. "What happened?" She asked suddenly, blue eyes sharp, "What ended the war?"

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