homecoming

Lucia Marino · 03-07-2012, 01:29 AM

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All welcome. They're just a bit north of Amherst. Italics = Ren.

“Ho freddo,” the male complained. Lucia shot a glare over her shoulder to where the male followed a few steps behind. He responded to the glare with a teasing grin, pulling the old wool cloak he wore closer. “È stata la tua brillante idea di venire qui,” she growled as she returned her gaze forward. The reminder would be futile, of course. Ren’s preferred method of distracting himself from the cold climate seemed to be riling her up, which he was infuriatingly good at.

His teasing games were beginning to wear her nerves thin, however. The Marino girl did not want to be here. She hated this place, down to her very core. Already she could feel its poisonous aura re-infecting her. Their trip north from Freetown had been much slower than her trip to there had been, well over a year ago. Part of it was to accommodate her companion’s preferred slack pace, which she hoped was what he assumed was the sole reason. He was a perceptive bastard, though, and it was almost guaranteed that he knew the real reason they were taking their time; she was determined to put off arriving in Nova Scotia for as long as she possibly could. She still couldn’t believe she’d let the man drag her all the way across the sea to get here. The sandy-furred girl’s frustration at being here was just as much directed at herself as it was at him.

To spite him, she began moving through the frozen marsh at a much quicker pace. Her small satchel of belongings bounced against the guitar case slung across her back. “Eh, rallenta, Luci,” came the sing-song complaint. The woman’s pace remained steady, jade eyes fixed on the horizon where their next destination was in sight. “C'è una città vecchia avanti. Affrettati il culo se vuoi essere lì prima del tramonto.” She heard a dramatic sigh from behind her, one certainly meant to garner another reaction from her. She bared her teeth at the marshy plains in front of her and ignored the lagging fisherman.

Eris Eternity · 03-07-2012, 05:40 AM

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(402)
-rudely snatches-

Amherst was a familiar place for Eris. She had explored much of this sprawling town, moving from one street to the next, creating as best a mental map as she could. While it was not quite so confusing and massive as Halifax, the dark-furred woman did find its layout confusing, and many of the human houses appeared similar to her. It was easy to get lost in such a place, but Eris refused to admit she was lost. Instead, she was simply wandering or exploring. She had spent the past half an hour doing so, growing tired of the scenery of asphalt and tumbledown human ruins.

The houses began to thin out, and Eris continued onward eagerly. Suburbia gave way to farmhouses, each more dilapidated than the rest, and the dark woman found herself on the marshes once again, traipsing across the low hills and rolling flatlands so similar to Salsola's own claim. She had taken care to rub the scent of the pack from herself, though today -- strangely enough -- she traveled alone. Normally, Eris always demanded accompaniment when she left the pack's confines, but today was different. Living with quite so many canines -- her growing daughters, Basilaris and Salvador, her cats, and Molcaxitl -- had worn her down.

She had sought Amherst for that solitude earlier in the afternoon, and now with the rutilant glow of imminent sunset, the dark woman desired to return home. It would not seem fortune favored her, however, for two reasons: firstly, she was turned away from Salsola. This she saw immediately, for the mountains loomed up ahead of her, more low foothills than true mountains at this extremity of the Halcyon range. The second was headed toward her: a pair of canines, one pale white and one with a typical timberwolfish color. Though the hybrid was downwind of them, there was little chance they did not see her -- she stood in the open, a ruinous farmhouse several long yards behind her and nothing between her and these canines, not even a scraggly copse of trees.

She could not return to the farmhouse and would not, even if it was an option -- her pride stood in the way of this. It was one thing running from a threat, but running for no reason was too cowardly for even self-preserving Eris Eternity. So, she stood and waited, hopeful they might perhaps pass her by.

Eris is by Alaine!

Lucia Marino · 03-07-2012, 01:54 PM

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Yay, I'm glad you snatched! <3 I wanted a Sie thread.

Silence had fallen over the duo once the man failed to get a rise out of Lucia. The woman continued with her quick pace, satisfied with the shuffling behind her that indicated Renato was managing to keep up. She could just picture him trudging along, arms crossed over his chest and blue eyes focused on the ground in an aggrandized huff. She refused to shoot him a glance to confirm this, knowing that doing so would win him points in this little game of his. She was far too petty to allow him that.

So her focus remained steady on the buildings in the horizon. The Marino remembered passing through here when she had originally departed last winter. She recalled the town and the sparse farmland that was settled along its outskirts, designated in her memory as one of the last landmarks in familiar territory. And now upon her return, one of the first. That sickly feeling of dread was beginning to work its way into the pit of her stomach again. She tried to banish it by surveying what lay ahead of them, an old farmhouse most prominently nearby. But wait—that wasn’t the only thing in their path.

The sight brought Lucia’s pace down to a hesitant walk. This of course was quick to get the fisherman’s attention, who lifted his brooding, downcast gaze in hopeful curiosity. He pulled up beside the woman, glancing at her briefly before turning his gaze ahead to see what so had her attention. “Ohh, tua amica?” he teased upon spotting the stationary canine up ahead. Lucia remained silent, calculating whether it would be better to circle around or chance passing on by in silence. She didn’t get much of a chance to decide when Ren suddenly takes off at a jog, waving at the stranger in the distance. “Salve! Hello, hello there!”

Gods, what the hell was he doing? Jade eyes stared after him in exasperation. Honestly, she shouldn’t be surprised. If there was anything that could light a fire under his ass, it would be the prospect of some more company. It seemed even Ren wasn’t able to handle Lucia’s bitterness in isolation for long. She gave a frustrated sigh before chasing after the overeager male.

Eris Eternity · 03-09-2012, 06:43 AM

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(477) But. But. BUT I DID IT RUDELY. SUPER RUDELY. SO RUDELY. YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO LIKE IT!!!111one!!1

Eris is by Libri!

The dark woman watched impassively, her sharp green-yellow eyes trained on the pair in the distance. She saw their pace slow, and was certain she was now seen. For her part, Eris did nothing -- it was better to make no move, she thought, and cede the first action to this strange pair. She might disappear back into Amherst and hide somewhere if they proved foe, but Eris's encounters were generally not so exciting or violent. Statistically, her packland was a far more dangerous place than the lands outside of it -- her child had died on the borders, and the pack had been attacked on its own claim. Of course, Eris did not think like this, as few did, and so she viewed the outsiders as a potential threat.

It would seem one of the pair -- the timberwolf-colored one -- was more friendly, for he strode toward her at a faster pace than his companion, waving and trotting toward her. No threat, she immediately decided, relaxing her posture. Only a fool would come at her headlong, unmindful of any potential companions Eris might have been keeping behind her in the dilapidated farmhouse. Such a fool was not one to suspect trickery and falsehood from, and therefore Eris thought she might depend on this one to be honest. His pale companion, who hung back a moment, might well be the smarts of the operation, though.

His words struck her ears, and she stepped forward, finding some hint of familiarity on the man's tongue. The chartreuse-eyed woman could not identify it, for she was not so experienced in the world as to peg an accent to a place of origin immediately, but she did smile. It was a dazzling sort of thing that crept across her muzzle and lit her eyes. A liar who could not control her face was no liar at all, and Eris had practice with this. She intended them no harm, but neither did she intend to leave herself open to harm, either.

What a lovely accent, she called, stepping past some scattered and rotting wooden boards in the snow. Perhaps a decade ago, it might have been a fence. Now, it had furcated into several fences, each of them leaning a different way. None of the boards were still erect, but some stuck up out of the ground, and the charcoal-colored woman looked down to place her feet around them. Old wood splintered easily, and she did not wish to pierce her foot and suffer injury just now. Her gaze was quick to return to the stranger upon bypassing the fence, and her smile brightened further. Good afternoon, she said, glancing to the horizon in pretense of ascertaining the time of day. She looked to the man's pale companion, in truth, checking to see her proximity to the pair.

Lucia Marino · 03-13-2012, 05:35 PM

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Well... well, fine! You get a late post for your rudeness, then!!

It amazed her how little Renato seemed to understand the differences between remote areas like this and the bustling cities he was used to. The canines here led a different style of life that didn’t exactly make them the most trusting and outgoing souls. He had always waved off her warnings, and it showed in the unabashed way he ran forward to greet the dark-furred stranger.

The male offered the woman a bright smile of his own as he finally came to a halt. It took him a moment to decode her words, but when he did, his smiled widened. “Oh, thank you, thank you.” Lucia’s pace slowed when she witnessed the stranger’s friendly response to the excitable fisherman. There was no point in rushing now, though her suspicions remained. The fisherman, always mindful of his manners, decided it was time for introductions as the Marino woman made her approach. “I am called Renato, and she is Lucia.”

The sandy-furred woman finally arrived at her companion’s side and tugged violently at his cloak. “Che cosa stai facendo, Ren?” she hissed at him. His response was to flash her a quick grin before returning his gaze to the stranger. “It is molto… molto…” His brow furrowed for a moment in contemplation as he searched for the English words he wanted, features brightening greatly when he finally found them. “Very! Very good to meet you, yes.”

Lucia fell into a stubborn silence then, offering her friend a fierce glare that was hardly softened as she turned her gaze towards the woman. In her silence, Lucia gave the stranger a brief once-over before carefully eyeing their surroundings. She seemed to be alone out here, but she wasn’t about to let her guard down now.

Eris Eternity · 03-15-2012, 04:50 AM

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(344)
THIS THREAD IS SO FULL OF RUDENESS I DON'T EVEN. 8D

Eris is by Poppz!

This one, for his lovely voice, was either not very bright, or simply unused to the ways of this part of the world. The familiarity in his voice dawned on her as he continued speaking, introducing himself and his companion -- his voice shared traits of Sirius's own, she thought. Sirius's accent was muddled and far-faded, but still, it was there, and she had heard him speak in such tones as the pale one whispered. Though she did not recognize the words and certainly did not understand them, the cadence of the language was apparent to her, and she tilted her head, smiling brightly. Eris, she said, dropping her own surname, as was her custom -- even if he had provided a second name for himself and his companion, it was unlikely she would use her own.

And for myself, too. There are unfriendly faces in the mountains these days, and I am happy to see neither of you seem to come from there. She gestured toward the looming mountain range, distant as it once, and made a face. Did you encounter any of them? she asked, directing her speech toward the man. It was slow and direct speech, much the same as she used with Khirot or any of the others who lacked English for their mother tongue. She had educated Molcaxitl and Khirot both, and though she was not a kindly teacher, this had given her over to some experience in dealing with those who did not share her language.

The pale woman seemed to prefer silence, and Eris thought it best not to push her -- if she needed fear this pair, it was that one she ought to take care with. Quiet often led to a sharp mind, and the coal-furred coyote thought it wise of the woman to ascertain the situation before speaking. For her own sake, Eris hoped this was merely an act of defensiveness rather than aggression; she was truly well and alone, and she did not seek to bring this pair's scorn upon her.

Lucia Marino · 03-27-2012, 02:47 PM

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So full of rudeness I couldn't even stand to look at it for a week!! (but for serious, sorry for my continued delay ;~ Wink

Renato was clearly pleased with himself, both for proving his lessons in English had been successful and for discovering a friendly face. He offered Lucia an ‘I told you so’ grin, which she pointedly ignored. They had lucked out, though the Marino woman regretted the impression it would be giving him. The fisherman understood the sparce and spread out population in this region compared to Roma, but he didn’t understand the effect that had on the people here. And still wouldn’t, after this.

The man listened carefully to Eris’s slow and steady speech, picking out words he recognized and using them to estimate the meaning of the rest. He shook his head and offered the distant mountains a brief glance. “No, no, you are the first!” he answered, seemingly untroubled by the news of vagrants in the area. There would be no believing it until he saw it. He could be just as stubborn as Lucia, in his own way. “No people here, but beautiful lands.” He paused then, considering his words.

“We come to find her home…” he began, motioning towards his pale companion. “Eh, Luci, qual è la sua nome?” The Marino gave him a level look, but managed to rein in her frustrated sigh. Silence wouldn’t benefit her here much longer. And besides, she required information, so she might as well take advantage of the situation Ren had dragged her into. “Phoenix Valley,” she said, turning toward the coal-furred woman. “We’re looking for a pack called Phoenix Valley.” It would be their first of many infuriating stops in the area. If her family truly had returned (and she hoped to the gods that they hadn’t), the Valley seemed like a logical place for them to flock, with the pack of Dreamers a close second.

Eris Eternity · 03-28-2012, 06:05 AM

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(402) I SWEAR WE ARE GOING TO GET INTO A BITCHSLAPPING FIGHT IF THIS RUDENESS CONTINUES. DEM'S FIGHTING WORDS. PUT UP YER DUKES. Srsly though I don't mind delays at all, I'm just happy to be a'threading you agaiiin. ♥face

Eris is by me!

The farthest she'd gone from home was Eterne, the rock city buried in the vast desert, across the tall plateaus and nestled into a wild tangle of forest. The forests there were closer cousins to the jungles and rainforests than the broadleaf and conifer forests here, their overhead growth pressing down and blotting out the sun but for the sparsest patches of light. Eris had loved the scenery, but the climate had nearly killed her -- one such as herself, dark-furred and with a thick pelt, was not meant to live in such a hot place. These two seemed as if they were from somewhere beyond the seas, someplace as different and strange as Eterne, but in other ways. Renato called the land beautiful, and Eris smiled, nodding her agreement.

As the man continued to speak, the hybrid's interest grew -- the pale one's home was on this continent, then? Her surprise was apparent on her face in lifted brows and a smile that seemed faintly stunned. Phoenix Valley was a place she knew of -- they had been neighbors when she dwelled in Anathema and Inferni both. The dark-furred woman had never paid all that much attention to Phoenix Valley, however, and what she knew now was gleaned from bits and pieces along the wind -- conjecture and speculation rather than hard fact.

I knew Phoenix Valley, but they are no more, the hybrid said, gently enough. This gentleness was offered to the pale woman, for Renato had not even known the place's name -- it was apparent to Eris he bore little connection to the old pack, though she supposed he might just be one carefree or young enough to have forgotten. If the whispers of the world are true, Razekiel Lykoi took the pack from its old leader. He combined forces with Dahlia de Mai and went north. They became Ichika no Ho-en... but I don't think you'll find much of your Valley there, these days, she said, darkly, waving a hand toward the mountain. She would not delve into the details of this pack's interaction with Salsola, of course -- doing so would reveal her own connection to Salsola -- but she could offer that much, at least.

I'm sorry to give such news, my friends Renato and Lucia, she added, frowning. Your accent says you have come a long way to know this.

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