a fortress of your heart
#1
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Form
Lupus
Info
Date: Dec 30

Time: 6pm
Drifter Bay
[/html] Hello all! This is the first Seqouia plot thread for all interested parties! For simplicity's sake, please assume that Tayui contacted your character and told them the time and place to meet. c: They'll be organizing their raid into Salsola in this post. Depending on how many folks reply, there will be either two or three teams. At least one team will try to rescue the slaves and another can either wreck some havoc or also try to split into a second wing to have a two-pronged attack to get the slaves. If you have other ideas, feel free to suggest them.

Your character should probably try to wash off any scents they have to make sure no one can find them. Walking through streams and rolling through the snow should help. c:
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[/html] She had made the necessary rounds and contacted everyone she knew. Some, such as Drizzt, had disappeared, and others, such as Zalen, chose not to participate. In their absence, she had found more to assist her with her vengeance against Salsola and they were a varied bunch: just the way she wanted it. She didn’t need to be prejudiced against anyone and saw no reason to exclude someone if they were interested in the same things as she. She needed them and they likely knew it. It was her project, but it would become their crusade – she hoped.

The air smelled like fish. If her instincts were not so strong and she were more human, she might feel hungry, but her belly was full and she was content.

She waited for the group outside of Salsola. She was a few kilometers north of their borders. She didn’t want them to grow suspicious of the large presence of wolves congregating near their borders. She’d found her spy to infiltrate the borders: a ghost. He seemed interested enough in what they were doing and although Tayui thought he was very, very creepy, she knew they needed his help. With no scent, he would hopefully help them make their way into the interior of the pack without being noticed. That was the plan, at least.

The ghost, a gangly coyote, lingered near her. He had his own mind and although Tayui had asked him if he’d like to scout around for any newcomers, he didn’t seem too interested. She just hoped he would cooperate when the time came. She had little to offer him, but promised to try and help him pass over into the next world if it was even possible. She had no idea. How did you bargain with a ghost?

Tayui had identified a huge, hulking rock in the shape of a face, which overlooked a river. She thought it looked like a howling wolf, so she hoped the landmark was distinct enough for her comrades. [html]
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#2
Being invited to torment Salsola was an invitation Terra couldn't pass up. She didn't get the concept of slaves, still very much rooted in her instincts. If one had submitted, everyone higher up controlled that person. That had been the way with all the wolves she knew. The only other system she knew was the one she'd been raised in, where everyone was equal to each other until bested by a trick or a difference in strength. Actually dealing with constant submission and dominance was a wolf's game.

Not wanting to bring trouble to her pack for her mischief, Terra had worked on ridding herself of her scent. She'd soaked in the cold water, rolled in the snow. Terra had mixed herself with the borders she passed on the way to Salsola, but still the pack scent was clear. Unwilling to give up Terra had finally found a dead deer. Remembering her experience with the dead cougar Terra rolled in it over and over again, until she smelled very much like a deer herself. It wasn't as good a job as those in Salsola did. Terra hadn't managed to retrieve their secret for disguising scent yet, but was definitely working towards it. Maybe if she got lucky she'd catch a Salsolan and retrieve their secret. Or secrets. Terra loved tricks and mystery.

At last Terra caught wind of another wolf. She couldn't discern the scent, as the wind was blowing away from her, but it definitely seemed to be that of the wolf that invited her here. Eager to begin Terra trotted up, only to have all her hackles stand on end. An unnatural thing stood next to the wolf, transparent and spooky. Not knowing what to make of this Terra growled, afraid that the creature might hurt her. The only other time she'd seen such a thing was in a cabin with a warrior. The experience had been so terrifying Terra had streaked out of there like there was no tomorrow. Cautiously she sat at a distance, eyes kept on the creature. I'm here.
#3
The temperamental woman had not necessarily been interested in the pack that the elder wolf had spoken ill about, but they were her neighbors to the south now and something about their secretive dark nature appealed to her. She wasn't certain how this act of keeping slaves and them wishing to stay was performed but it was strange just the same. She'd spoken of the cruel ways the pack dealt with those who disobeyed, while Firefly thought that just perhaps some deserved to have their tongues removed she wasn't certain if the idea was justifiable within one's own lands.

The metallic hued woman had decided to follow the older woman and her ghostly companion for reasons she didn't feel a need to reveal, but her dark mind was beginning to turn like clockwork, instructing her that perhaps she could learn from this pack's mistakes by following along for the mission. She had little need to actually do anything, and being a loner she didn't care if the pack knew of her existence.. soon enough she would make certain that the whole territory knew of their existence in the north west territories.

She padded up alongside Tayui, ignoring the ghost and coyote as she spoke softly. "I said I would come.. " Her eyes were hard as she looked to the white and cream woman. "I did not say I would help.." but she hadn't said she wouldn't either. There was something unsettling about the whole situation but soon everything would fall into place.
#4
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your soul is my feast
OOC

The prodigal son of chaos had returned, and he was determined to realign himself with his own birthright.

Wasn't that, after all, the name of the star he once bore on his shoulder, before Kerberos tore it off? Wasn't chaos the essence of his lineage? The shadowy male moved in the darkness of the setting sun, careful to tread through flowing streams and large snow drifts. He was at enough of a disadvantage with his orange hued muzzle and the remnants of the Lykoi tattoo on his shoulder. Columbine was very clearly a Lykoi, and hoped that, wherever he was going, there would be noone who could readily identify him. The man unashamedly loved the thrill of the kill, of the hunt of other wolves; he would not reveal this to his brothers, but the man was a murderer.

He remembered the first time he sunk his teeth into another and felt their life ebb away under his steely grip. It was only several days after he left Jacinto, Ilusion, and his mother; the male was still filled with rage, and he could not find any other outlet for it. The creature had been small, only at the beginning of its life, and it had the audacity to sass him. Him! Columbine Lykoi, who had, for years, protected his siblings against the tyranny of their father. And for what? For scars and insolence? For Helotes to leave, acting as if he were the leaders of the Lykoi siblings? Helotes, so high and mighty on his unscathed throne - he hadn't protected his younger siblings against their father. Columbine could not forgive his brother for such disrespect. All he wanted was some goddamn respect. Was that so difficult?

Respect. That was why the wolf had to die. It sassed Columbine, and Columbine, in his large secui form, challenged the creature to a fight. It did not last long, and the Lykoi man left the scene with blood staining his chops and his excited eyes glowing like embers in the night. Murder sat well with him, and his conscious did not protest. Kerberos saw to that, long ago. The man who gave Columbine life would also, ultimately, destroy any shred of good left in the ashen man. Perhaps that would be for the best.

He heard of this while on his many midnight wanderings. A group of canines, determined to cause chaos for a pack in the North. Columbine was indifferent to their reasons; the shadowy male was only interested in the destruction and death that could only accompany an unprovoked attack. He'd taken great care to ensure all scents of Inferni were washed away, so as to not involve the Clan in any unnecessary battles. Columbine had great aspirations for Inferni, and though he had not revealed them to many, he found it imprudent to do anything that might shed a negative light on him.

Soon he found the gathering, and the shadowy male stayed a distance away for several minutes while he shifted into his large, thickly corded Optime form. It was, by far, the most impressive of the three, though he did not use it while traveling. The snaps and cracks of his body shifting were probably visible; regardless, Columbine was confident in the rapid transformation of his body. Several minutes passed, and soon he was crouched on two legs and propped up with two arms. He stood and shook a bit, dark red eyes scanning for any danger before approaching the gathering. But, he was silent, and would not speak until something exciting happened. However, if he found himself unimpressed by this, Columbine would leave and create his own chaos.



WC :: +612
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#5
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Harr we goooo. Only the last three or so paragraphs are non-filler. xD

SSWM Word Count → 826


After all that had happened, Vesper had not been sure she would come.

Her Aquila had spoken of the slave-owning pack during the last clan meeting, stressing neutrality as the goal. There seemed to be a kind of understanding between Salsola and Inferni, despite the misgivings of a few of the other members. To cause trouble in the dark pack would be to disobey orders, and she was no longer a silly little newcomer whose presence did not matter in the grand scheme of things. No, she was a Praetorian, and to do what she had thought of doing would be to tread more dangerous ground than ever—and not simply danger to herself. Should she be recognized, it could mean danger to the clan she swore to protect. Her responsibilities to Inferni nagged at her brain, at odds with the pledge she had given to the Sequoia Alliance and her own personal vows for justice.

It was because so many had managed to escape that justice that she had been spurred on that morning. She still suffered headaches from the blonde bitch that had been carving up Kiara, and it only reminded her that the party from Ichika no Ho-en yet to find the woman. But there was no way that Vesper could risk her life to save her non-luperci friend only for the threat of Salsola to linger nearby. She doubted Kiara would remain as trusting as before, but character did not always change so drastically, and there was always a possibility that she would run into trouble with the dark-minded group.

Perhaps she simply needed a fight, too. Vesper had barely been able to contain her restlessness the past few nights after returning to Inferni, hiding her new cut with a constantly turned head. A scrap against someone who deserved it would ease her sparking muscles and fretting mind.

It did not take her long to sprint from Inferni territory toward the meeting place just west of the river. She had walked this path once or twice but hadn’t been aware of how close she was to coming near Salsola. The thought made her bristle now, teeth bared against her enemies, heart leaping into her throat as if its hatred could be spewed like dragonfire from her narrow jaws. Such a small body was so full of wrath and vengeance that it almost trembled, but Ves told herself that it was from the cold wind cutting through her soaked pelt.

Mud marred much of her scrawny frame, darkening the cream-tawny color of her pelt and hiding some of her scars. Anyone who knew her could tell who she was from her cold blue eyes, and her shape couldn’t be changed no matter how many muddy brooks she waded through, but the fact of the matter was that she could not be named Vesper of Inferni by any Salsolans she met. Depending on who Noir had recruited and which of those wolves actually came, her identity might even be a mystery to all but the skunk-striped leader.

The silhouette of a rock grabbed her attention, and the she-yote braved the river to reach that side. Luckily, sections of ice held well enough that she was able to cross with minimal swimming, so she wasn’t absolutely exhausted by the time she padded toward where she could see the others mingling.

Quickly, her pale gaze sought out those who had gathered, her tail rising hopefully. She hadn’t been fond of those she’d met last time, but to see Noir and Zalen would give her some confidence. The dark male was not there, however, and she frowned as she looked questioningly to the leader—or at least the leader in Vesper’s mind, the one who had helped direct all this. The others were faces that she did not recognize—an emerald-eyed coyote hybrid, a wolf of different golden and beige hues, and then a dark hulking monster she recognized. Her body stiffened immediately when she saw him.

Columbine Lykoi. What the fuck was he doing here in place of the freedom-fighters she had met before? The dark male didn’t seem the type to give a damn about non-luperci forcibly transformed into two-legged slaves. The ridge of fur along her spine stiffened as eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she did not speak aloud to identify him as a clan mate. He might have been a loner she had a scrap with over a kill for all the others knew, and she would keep it that way.

Still, she was uneasy as she slunk toward the old pale woman, closer than the others were sitting, marking her detachment from the assorted strangers. Where were the ones who had pledged camaraderie that day near Halifax? Vesper wasn’t sure what to do anymore, other than sit quietly and listen and quietly nurse her own vows and prepare to carry them out.

There would be some nobility today to justify the blood spilled.


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#6
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WORD COUNT - 458
Gunnar starts off in his Lupus form, but the post ends with him in Secui.


When Tayui, the rogue, had found him exploring unclaimed territory around CdC's borders, she'd first been interested in the scythe he wore. She'd spoken of a plot against the rumored gang, Salsola, and of slaves in need of rescue. When he'd shown concern for their safety, she'd asked him to join the cause, the fight for freedom. He'd agreed, hesitantly, only for the sake of doing something good for the people victimized by such tyranny.

When the day came to meet with the others in the group, he'd spent the morning worrying. He explained to Jazper the night before that he'd be going to track down his mother in Anathema, to tell her the good news of his engagement with Fia. When the leader had suggested bringing someone along, he'd declined; too many strangers would make his mother uncomfortable. So it was with a well-played lie that he'd gotten the okay to leave. With any luck, all would go well, and he'd come home and marry Fia as planned without any cause for alarm.

He packed only what he needed and with his scythe strapped to his back, the blade covered in thick leather, and a bag strapped around over that, he set off. The trip took him most of the day, a break near noon taken to wash his pack scent off of his pelt in the mulch pine forests, and he was almost disappointed to find a group already gathered by the time he got there. Tayui was there, and a coyote he didn't recognize. In fact, as he looked over the many bodies gathered, none of the looked familiar. A tawny lady in her lupus form, a pale woman with roan markings, a dark coyote with red eyes, a patchy scarred up creature with blue eyes. None of them he knew personally, which he thought to be a double-edged sword. While none of them could guess his weaknesses right off or know of his family back home, he wouldn't really know who to trust either. Still, he memorized each of them as he padded over to join the group, shuffling his bag around and setting both weapon and bag on the ground between front paws.

He took a moment to nod silent greetings to them all, and then another to shift into his more comfortable secui form; this let him wield his scythe (thanks to leather straps on the handle of it, added for such an occasion) as well as feel more comfortable in a group of strangers. Rock colored eyes shifted to Tayui expectedly. For now, he remained silent, demeaner cold and unwelcoming. This was the LeStrange in him now, the monster waiting to be unleashed. His mother would be proud.


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#7
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OOC here.

Word Count → 3+


Angel had left Inferni earlier that day, wanting to get to the meeting fairly swiftly. But he had had time to fill himself up before he was set to venture to the distinct howling wolf rock. And also, of course, to escape his nagging sister. He had visited it previously, wanting to make sure he knew where it was. His secui form was a shadow against the snowy blanket that found itself draped over the scenery. As masculine as ever, Angel cared little for the weather, he'd seen and been exposed to much worse. Searing heat and freezing cold. He didn't much care for Salsola, nor it's practices. In all honesty he would have prefered to leave them be but he was an old mercenary at heart and when Tayui spoke to his about this is was just recruitment again. He missed the old days and while Ana told him he shouldn't be 'poking about in other people's shit', he hadn't listened. Uttering a simple, goodbye and leaving the mansion. She tailed him all the way down to the lobby, but paused at the front door because it was hard for her to catch up with him in optime form and secui form was not an option with her injury. Though, saying that it was healing much better now. Pain plagued her less often and she's been so much more pleasant to him over the past few days.


He approached steadily, not wanting to rush himself like an eager puppy, simply because he saw no need for it. His body blended in with the evening darkness. It was late, if Angel were to guess he would have said six, or at least around that time. For that had been the arranged moment. He trusted this woman, his 'employer' of sorts. And so he greeted her, and his comrades that had already arrived, with a suave 'Buenos noches'.


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#8
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300+


To be alone was never something a born pack wolf could truly get used to. For the first time in nearly a year, Jaden found himself remembering the depressing power that came with knowing one was utterly alone. Last night he’d left Ichika and his only friend in the world. His violent habits were no longer their problem. For the time being he would become a problem for Salsola. When he finished seeing the goals of this somewhat noble group through, he would leave this land and get lost in the world. To where wasn’t important. Survival was his only foreseeable future goal.

Leaving Ichika had not been something Jaden ever wanted to do. It had been his home and his life. But peace wasn’t something he could support. Violence and death either always seemed to find him or were something he caused directly. Just the fact that he approached this group and joined them was proof enough of just how well he could keep himself out of trouble. For Ichika, he was simply a liability. There was enough love for that pack and its wolves in him that he could see it.

His title from before Ichika was the only thing he had left now: Assassin. It described his skills in enough detail. But a new title didn’t take the scent from his fur. His last effort to protect his former pack to draw their smell from him the night he left. He re-dyed his whitened fur into a glorious shade of blood red and the transformation from pack wolf to loner was complete.

Jaden approached the large, oddly shaped rock where his comrades had decided to meet on two legs. His dark forearms where shielded by blackened metal gauntlets and upon his back rested a bow, quiver, and plenty of arrows. The assassin was dressed for the occasion and he wore his weapons and armor menacingly. Around him, he could see and sense all sorts of canines who gathered for the assault. His blue eyes stopped to admire a wicked looking scythe that made him miss his dagger. The loss of his blade didn’t matter though. A dark attitude that seemed to bleed into the air around him was enough. The man didn’t need any more than what he had to be deadly.



Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

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#9
Anyone else is still welcome to pop in. Just assume they overhear Tayui explaining this for the sake of easiness.

Sidenote: two full moons from this thread in February 7th!
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[/html]Although the group assembled before her was a little less than what she would have liked for launching an attack on a pack, it would just have to do. She recognized Vesper and Jaden as the two oldest acquaintances. The rest assembled were much newer, all of whom she had met later into her time searching for supporters. She recognized Columbine as one of the darker folk from Inferni, as well as Ángel, who had struck her as a much kinder soul. First impressions weren't always reliable, so she tried not to dwell too much on Columbine's blood red eyes. It did't mean anything. Also assembled were Gunnar, Firefly, and Terra; all of whom hailed from different parts of 'Souls. She knew Gunnar from Jazper's new pack, but had no intentions of ratting him out. His membership was a closely-guarded secret.

As she gazed at the group, she quickly got down to business. After all, there was no sense wasting time.

"Hello all," she said. Her expression was calm, but inside, her mind was racing and her heart was beating frantically. "I'm glad you're all here. We'll be launching our attack on Salsola in a few days. I hope to confront one member alone, but I think we have enough here to have two groups. Our main goal is to free the slaves and do whatever damage to their lands as we can. This is a wicked pack and their goals, ideals, and lack of morals are disturbing. We do not need to kill; only to teach. Leave the children unharmed. Our fight is not with the young. It is with the murderers and slave-owners." A dark look stole across her face before she shook her head. "Terra will lead one group. I'll need another body to lead the second group. My plan is to have this fellow--" she gestured to the gangly ghost coyote "--lead us in to the territory. Once we split up, he'll do what he can. After the raid, we will reconvene in Halifax after the second full moon from now." She paused and then asked: "what are your opinions of this plan?" She not only needed a second leader, but also verification that the group was willing to follow her plan. If they were not, she hoped to hear alternative suggestions that would make their invasion and raid as painless for their side as possible. [html]
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#10
She was not a creature any would recognize, for her Secui form granted her the general size of her kind and she had unraveled the ribbons from her tail. The woman was still smaller than everyone there but she was not a tiny shrimp of a thing at least. Her grey lilac eyes she could do little with, but her pelt had been dulled with the help of walnut dye and lots of dirt and matting. She knew it would be a few days until the glossy vixen hues of her pelt returned but she didn't care, to be left a mystery in the mists of the gathering was exactly what she needed. Before she had shifted into her secui form the small woman had made certain to weave trinkets and bits of bone into her mane, scraps of leather cord and fangs of small creatures were like jewelry in her thick fur.

She caught sight of her wolf sister in the mix but stayed silent. Her scent had been covered with a variety of plants and prey scents. Her eyes roamed the gathering, pausing for a second on the form of Helotes annoying brother and then Vesper. There was one other Inferni member present but she only let the knowledge thatthe whole lot of them would be in deep shit if Ezekiel gathered wind of this. She growled softly to herself and moved through the other creatures, ignoring those she knew and not trading glances with faces she didn't. Her eyes were on the creamy hued woman alone as she stepped forward as the woman finished speaking.

"Don't be tricked.. the demons of the pack will attack without question.. without merit and without reason. Don't be a fool and think that bravery in a fight will save your sorry asses, it's not cowardly to have to run once the damage has been done.. if it saves your pelt and your life." Her eyes finally turned to the faces she knew, the clan members that knew just as well as she did that they should be there and just what was at stake if they were found out. The small woman had spied on the pack, more than once. She did not know the lands inside and out but she had something the others didn't atleast. Her eyes glowed as she glanced towards Noir. "I will lead.. if it suits you.." She might not be much to look at but the woman had the aide of poison at her fingertips and was not afraid to face the fangs of wolves once more. She glared at the others, daring them to challenge her.
#11
She ignored most of the faces that arrived, the metallic hued woman was here to cause chaos and have a bit of fun. In all honesty she didn't care about the slaves or that this pack had made others bleed. She admired the fierce nature of the people but it never hurt to strike them right where it would hurt, at the heart of their pack to remind them that they were just creatures like the rest of the beasts that roamed the lands. Her eyes lingered on the hulking male who had appeared for a moment before she watched each of the coyote hybrids appearing. A soft chuckle rose from her throat for a moment as she realized almost half of the beasts gathered had to belong to the clan. She wondered just what their leader knew of his clan mates playing at saving the very creatures that they seemed to hate so much. She rolled her eyes and turned to listen to Tayui speak a moment before movement caught her eyes as a creature in their quad form appeared. She almost wouldn't have recognized the small woman in this form except she had known the child from birth and even though she was fully grown now she wondered what this clan member wanted. Her eyes narrowed as she watched her sibling as the younger hybrid began to talk.

She was going to get herself killed, Firefly thought at Zana spoke up. She hadn't given her name or pack but Firefly didn't need these things, she had known all along who the woman was and even though she didn't really care what happened to her younger sibling she worried just the same for Timori was part of the clan now and without her ties to Zana she doubted she would ever be able to convince the boy to turn on the clan, even if his appearance rang through with his wolf heritage and she would find ways to turn sweet words in his young ears to show him the errors of the clan's ways. The de le Poer child would join her in her quest sooner or later, she just hoped the young bitch who had finished speaking wouldn't screw up her dark plans with this foolish game of hero she so seemed to want to play at today. Firefly just watched her silently, not commenting on her offer to lead, for if the woman wanted glory she could have it, thou
#12
Terra wasn't surprised to see that the gathering had drawn so many coyotes. They were tricksters and wanderers, after all. Their packs were fluid, breaking and changing. There was only one she recognized besides Tayui, a wolf that had been rather silent in their last meeting. He had left basically no impression on her, with not even a name clinging to her mind. The rest were strangers.

Tayui's explanation was much the same as before. They would come in, create some chaos, the more chivalrous of them would free slaves (whatever those were), and Tayui would confront a certain member of Salsola alone. What Terra hadn't known, though, was how the wolf planned on getting the group inside. Her fur bristled as Tayui turned their lives over to the unnatural creature. Even worse, Tayui openly mentioned her name. If anyone wanted to find her now they could. Granted, she smelled like a dead deer and probably no one would want to find her, but the fear was still there.

She snorted in disbelief as the smallest member of the gathering volunteered to leave after speaking about fleeing. We don't need to flee. I don't fear any demons. I've danced with death before, and I'll do it again. She looked around the gathering, meeting each of their eyes. If Noir doesn't mind, my group will find our own way in. I don't trust that thing. A light shiver ran down her back. Her instincts screamed at her to flee, to have nothing to do with this. She wouldn't leave until she'd gotten her fill of chaos though.
#13
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WORD COUNT - 382
Gunnar has eyes for Firefly. x:


Gunnar watched more raiders file in and he couldn't help but admire those with beauty. One who caught his eye the most was the redheaded lady with the tri-colored fur and green eyes, ears tipped in a familiar black. Yes, he was loyal to Fia, but that didn't mean he couldn't admire the scenery, right? Whoever this woman was, she was a sight to behold. Had he been any other man, he might've tried his luck with her... maybe.

Stone colored eyes flicked to Tayui as she began speaking, explaining the plan and asking opinions of it. He lifted his head thoughtfully and decided not to say anything just yet. A good choice, as next came a smaller woman's voice; and by small, one meant absolutely tiny. Whoever this pygmy lady was, she couldn't have stood much higher than he knee in optime form, or his stomach in even his lupus form. Was she really fit for battle? She spoke big words... but he couldn't help but wonder if she'd make it out alive after all of this.

Next came the lady he suspected to be Terra. It was then that he decided to speak up, after Terra had finished speaking. "Agreed." Raspy voice chimed up, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough not to hurt. "I'm not following some already dead stranger into the fray. No offense, but I can't bring myself to trust a dead man." He cast a heated glare at the spirit and felt a chill go down his spine; he hadn't really believed much in ghosts until now, and suddenly he hated them.

"I think I'll be joining your group if that's the case, though." He addressed the tawny woman carefully, stone eyes not revealing an inch of emotion. He shifted his weight slightly and brought his gaze back to the crowd around him, once more settling his gaze on the so-far silent but beautiful redhead (Firefly, if you haven't guessed already) before moving across the rest and settling back on Tayui. At least he wasn't the one standing out for a change; he was pretty sure the pygmy had that one covered. Mind you, Gunnar was at the other side of the sizes, being the largest one there if only by an inch or so...


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#14
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I SUCK I SUCK I SUCK WHY DO YOU PUT UP WITH ME TAMMI IM SORRRYYYY D: D: D:

Éloise had thought about her sisters words carefully. When Tayui searched her out a second time to ask help for a raid, the loner had initially said no. She was growing old these days; she didn’t need any trouble, especially not any brought on from her estranged sister. The years of distance between them had perhaps tugged at whatever heartstrings she had left, though. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, her apathy wasn’t how she really felt. As much as she resented her pale sibling, Él couldn’t ignore the blood that tied them together. After all the years of … whatever that went through her mind, she knew she owed her sister.

Her body was getting frail, despite her mental agility. She hated shifting to the point that she couldn’t even remember the last time she forced the transformation. Her four scraggly, quivering legs could still get her from point A to point B, however. Tayui had mentioned the location of their next meeting, and Él left plenty of time to get there. Still, as she stayed deeply hidden in the shadows, she knew she was late. A cluster of creatures had arrived there as had Tayui. She let everyone assemble, and she listened intently to what everyone said, but she couldn’t make herself take those few extra steps to let her presence be known. She was splitting the wolves up…. Now was time to approach, she supposed, if she was going to get in on any of the action.

Slowly, the woman plodded forward, ashy paws taking each step slowly. A dark man spoke, and when he was finished, Éloise made herself visible to the group. Icy eyes sought out Tayui's ever so peculiar ones. “If it’s not too late, could I possibly join your quest for revenge, Tayui? The two women were very similar looking; they could have even been twins in an alternate universe.


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#15
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500+


From beneath a tree Jaden watched and listened. The woman, who he knew as Noir, stepped forth and addressed all of these canines she brought together. Two groups, two leaders, and one of them had been predetermined. Some female name he didn’t recognize. The second was to be elected now. Since they were all considered comrades, perhaps they would decide by majority opinion? It seemed the most likely situation. Who wouldn’t want a say in the choosing of their leader in such a dangerous situation?

The first canine to speak up from the group decided to stake her claim as leader. The little coyote spoke of cowardice and what it was not. She called bravery a fool’s sentiment in this battle. Every part of her little speech pushed under Jaden’s pelt. His eyes burned back at her with discontent and malice, ears forward and tail erect. She was the embodiment of everything the man hated about her species. He barely needed to find reason for despising this coyote.

But his voice didn’t protest as quickly as his glare. Not yet. Surely someone besides him would speak their distaste for this sad excuse of a leader. A female coyote he had met once before stepped forward. Despite her handicap of sharing blood with the coward, the crimson wolf was hopeful. But she didn’t offer an opinion. Terra accepted her given position of leader instead. Another deceitful coyote he had met. What a surprise. When he had last seen her, Terra gave an alias. Her reasons didn’t matter. Deceit was enough proof of her weak blood and inability to lead.

The situation continued improving when a mystery wolf stepped forward and quoted Noir’s actions as ‘revenge’. Wasn’t this siege to be of noble intentions? Jaden had never truly trusted the woman he acknowledged as his leader. But it didn’t really matter now. It was too late and he was in no mood to be misled. Now he had to figure out whether he would follow a lying coyote or a difficult to trust wolf and her ghost. With limited options, the easiest choice was evident. He stood tall and stepped forward to address the others, clearing his throat for attention, In this battle to free the enslaved and damage the wicked, we need to all be brave. We do not fight for just ourselves now: we fight for those who can’t fight for themselves and for the idea that this disgusting treatment of our fellow canines is evil. He paused here only to sling the pygmy coward his own dark, challenging glare. We must have courage to face our enemy or else we are only left with cowardice. Noir, his icy eyes warmed with what respect he had as he turned his gaze on the woman, I offer myself as a leader. Our noble purpose would suffer under the command of one who speaks so selfishly. These were big words for someone who considered himself a murderer, but if this was to be the last good Jaden would do for this place he had called home, he could not stand to do it under anything less than heroic ideals.




Jaden does. Jaden speaks. Jaden thinks.

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#16
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Um. Skip until she talks I guess. Mostly rambling. >>

SSWM Word Count → 1104


As was expected, more canines appeared on the scene, drawn together under the howling rock by the pale she-wolf that had called them there. Vesper found herself rising onto fall fours again, her restlessness growing at the same rate of the crowd, and her pale blue eyes locked onto each newcomer, assessing their apparent strengths and weaknesses and trying to figure out which ones she would want to run beside and which ones to avoid.

She had thought that Columbine would be the biggest surprise of the night—but soon Àngel, the man that she had greeted at the Infernian borders, strode out of the darkness like night personified. Once again, she carefully maintained an indifferent expression to keep from drawing attention to them. Certainly, Ezekiel would punish them fiercely if he knew about this little rendezvous against orders. Her hackles rose at the thought of this betrayal, though once again she played it off as an effect of the cold December wind.

Even after it had seemed that all who would attend had come, including the crimson-stained dark wolf that Ves had gotten bad vibes from during the first meeting, there was one more “small surprise.”

At first, the mud-splattered coywolf’s large ears were turned toward Noir as she began to outline their plan. She mentioned forming into two different groups and cautioned them on leaving the fight for those who deserved it. Vesper nodded at that, remembering the boy crying in her jaws, and knew that killing would be the last of her objectives that night—though she did want to punish those who captured slaves and forced their virus into untouched non-luperci. Even now the thought caused her to shiver with suppressed rage. Though it would be simplest for death to be avoided, she had no qualms against maiming.

A dark, matted coyote moved through the group then, and Vesper almost did not pay her any mind until the coyote spoke with Zana’s voice. Her blue eyes turned to the decorated creature, mouth drawn into a tight line. While she felt no kinship toward Columbine or Àngel, she considered the pygmy woman closer to something like a friend than a simple clan mate. It astonished her that Zana had come here, but it also gave her an odd feeling of security. She knew that the tiny spy had tricks up her sleeves and knew that it would be one more canine on their side should their Aquila catch wind of this.

Zana offered leadership, but instead of agreeing, Vesper took a seat and rolled her shoulders silently. It would be suspect if she offered praise right away; her disguised clan mate might as well be a stranger to her tonight. Instead, she waited for others to speak and agree or disagree with the plan, while she mulled over it in her own shaken mind.

A green-eyed hybrid who was apparently the group leader Terra spoke—and instantly Vesper broke into a derisive smirk. Though she had little room to talk, this girl seemed too young and naïve to be able to make such bold claims. Perhaps it was the lack of scars marring her body; while some might see that as victory, Ves knew that it was impossible for creatures to “dance with death” without taking a piece of death along with them.

A dark curly-haired dog mix spoke up then, agreeing with Terra’s sentiment about the ghost. Though he wasn’t as brash, and his large body looked like it had seen battle as well, he still seemed insanely young. As for the specter—Vesper simply forced its existence out of her mind. It was no more than another canine to her, not a glimpse of the afterlife. She could not think about the afterlife.

Lastly, an older she-wolf shuffled onto the scene—dusty-colored and blue-eyed, and looking between her and their canine catalyst anyone could see that they were related to each other. It piqued Vesper’s interest, but not near as much as the name that emerged from the relative’s lips: Tayui.

Tayui? Vesper glanced quickly at the tawny-striped woman, raising a brow and suppressing a grunt of frustration, knowing it was pointless. They were all acting in secrecy tonight to save their own skins.

When Jaden spoke, the scarred female braced herself to wince and snort at his stupid sentiments, but surprisingly what he said caused a fire of a different kind to burn within her. She glanced at him, for once letting her face show the emotion of rather pleasant surprise. Despite all of his moral bitching last time, his motivations seemed to be pure.

All Vesper knew at this point now was that she did not want to go with the “young” group. She wasn’t sure if she should participate in the debate between Jaden and Zana, both because the others hadn’t had a chance to react yet, and she didn’t want to give her support for someone she shouldn’t know. Quietly, she gathered herself and stood, tail sweeping behind her.

“Both of you are right,” she said, glancing between Zana and Jaden. Her tone was not authoritative or belittling but did command the brief attention of the others in the group. “We are here to fight for those who cannot and to free these slaves—some transformed against their will—” this point she doubted would hold the same pain for others as it did for her, but it was something to mention “and no one should go into this if they don’t have that in heart and mind.” A fair thing to mention for those who were her for violence and nothing else.

“But many of us do have lives outside of this,” Vesper went on, her voice growing firmer. “Those who don’t care about the cause shouldn’t have even turned up, but there is a difference between amoral cravens and those who simply want to go home to their packs. Don’t be foolhardy. Our main objective is freeing the slaves and getting rid of the slavers who get into our way, not to kill everyone there, and if anyone feels like dancing with death, then that is one less comrade we can count on next time. The slaves may live to be rescued another day if we fail, but we won’t.”

Then she fell silent, realizing how socially awkward she was, wondering why she’d even bothered to speak her rambling thoughts aloud. She flicked her ears then gave her head a quick shake.

“I don’t care which group I join, so long as I’m alongside those who actually know how to think and fight.”


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#17
Whoo! Sorry for the mixups, dudes. Please make sure you sign up for a group over here. :]
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[/html]It seemed as though old prejudices rose again. After Tayui pointed out the ghost lingering to the side, few seemed eager to trust him. Tayui wasn't sure if it was simply out of fear or other underlying reasons, but she was not pleased to hear them so afraid of taking the coyote's help. He was the only one who could truly scout ahead in a foreign pack. If they even hoped to breach the borders, they would need his help. It would not do to carry one's pride across the borders if they truly wanted to do any good here. They would have to accept his help or suffer the consequences of being discovered by the border patrol. The Salsolans were suspicious and paranoid, which was likely why so few had heard of their nasty deeds. The pack did not let members leave freely; and Tayui knew they did not let outsiders in either.

There seemed to be some sort of consensus when her sister arrived. Quickly, the situation went downhill when she identified Tayui by her real name and her quest as revenge. Tayui's expression darkened when she heard Jaden begin challenging the other members here. Tayui quickly found herself frowning and then growing angry. This had nothing to do with cowardice or bravery. They had a goal and as guerrilla fighters, they could not try to deceive themselves that they needed to fight openly or honestly. She found herself trying to formulate a way of combatting Jaden's destructive comment when Vesper launched herself into the conversation. She said it far better than Tayui could have and without snapping at anyone. Tayui wasn't sure if she could do that just yet.

"Vesper's right. Bravery is not for us. We must get in to enemy territory, get the slaves, and get out. We can't afford such luxuries and we can't afford to be foolish. If we hope to even breach their borders, we'll have to use all the cunning we have. Terra and Zana will lead because they understand the importance of deception. We can't let our egos get inflated. We still have to get out of this alive. We can be honourable in our methods, but we need to be careful not to confuse that with stupidity or foolhardiness. We have to be smart about this. They're a pack with a lot of strong members and slaves who are trained to obey. They won't go down without a fight and if we need to flee to save ourselves for our next fight, then that is what we will have to do." [html]
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