WC:440 // <333

Colibri padded lightly along the dirt path, following the winding trails as she had all morning. She needed something to distract her; she could not stop obsessing over her chance meeting with Alder, over Crimson Dreams, over the reason she kept lingering in this area. The springtime sunshine was warm on her back and shoulders, gleaming on the tiny braids she had woven into her chocolate-brown mane. She ignored the warmth, though, flicking her tail stump in irritation. Think about something else, anything else. There were old structures in this area, crumbling foundations and the dilapidated remains of abandoned houses. Not all of the old human settlements had been adopted by the werewolves, and this was what happened to the ones nature claimed. She let her ice blue eyes wander, noticing the tiny movements of mice and voles darting from the stones. She might have distracted herself by pouncing on a few, but she did not have the patience right now.

Sighing, the lean female turned her back on the rodents, moving her attention instead to the nearby lake. The placid surface glittered with the sun's reflection, sparkling on the horizon as she approached. She stubbornly pushed aside the memories of Rabbit Lake, refusing to dwell on the turbulent emotions she thought she had stifled years ago. She was hardly a lovesick little girl any more; Colibri was a bitter husk of an adult, too far gone for anyone to save. She should just claim a den somewhere, and remain a loner forever. A hermit, even. No one would know she returned, or who she was, and she would just stay alone until she died. That sounded suitable for someone like her.

Grimacing at her own defeatist attitude, Coli shut her eyes, inhaling deeply. It was an effective tactic for calming herself, whenever her many anxieties threatened to consume her. The scents filtered in a rush, the aromatic grass, water reeds, flowers of early spring like the daffodil... She turned to exhale, facing the other direction. Now the scents were of the musty wooden boards, the mossy stone foundations, the scurrying rodents, and the exposed dirt. Her eyes fluttered open again as she caught a faint scent of something else on the air... another wolf. Not being a tracker, Coli was unsure if the scent trail was old, or if there really was another wolf out here exploring the ghost town and the lakes. It warranted a closer look, since she was too edgy to ignore the possible threat. Steeling her nerves, the chocolate-and-cream furred Luperci moved quietly toward the derelict shacks, ears swiveling cautiously for the faintest of sounds.

WC: 285 // Lilin is awesome. Cx

Then came the sound of shattering glass. Colibri stiffened, hackles bristling from her neck down her spine, lips drawn back to flash her fangs. The knee-jerk reaction was a foolish one, she quickly realized as no attack was forthcoming, because it showed whoever this stranger was just how nervous and tightly-wound she was. But it was too late to act casual now, as she could tell by the svelte figure standing framed by the window of a nearby shack. She was being watched.

Growling faintly with frustration, Coli tried to size her up while maintaining a safe distance. She could tell by the female's unfamiliar scent that she did not live here; another wanderer exploring the area like herself, without attachments to a pack or mate. A loner was less of a threat, or at least would have less reason to kill her. Grudgingly, Coli smoothed out her bristling fur, trying to calm her thundering heartbeat. The warm sunshine illuminated the other wolf's features as she edged warily closer, and it made her catch her breath -- one side of her countenance was dyed midnight black, and the other half was marked a rich earthen brown not unlike her own pelt. Her wavy mane framed blue eyes, matching the hue of a pendant around her throat. What a strangely distinct look, vaguely familiar somehow...

"What are you doing here?" she finally called, hoping she sounded tougher than she felt. She was suspicious and paranoid of everyone she met, but it didn't make her any better at combat. If this bi-colored female turned out to be vicious after all, Coli wouldn't hesitate to turn tail and flee. Her coward's instincts had saved her many times before.

WC: 238

Coli huffed, breaking eye contact as she turned her face aside, subtly acquiescing to the younger female's strength of will. Confrontation had never been her strong suit, and as much as she wanted to muster up some of the bitter frustration she had been accumulating, she couldn't validate why to direct it at this stranger unless she was given good reason. Flicking her tail stump and crossing her arms in a surly manner, she grumbled, "No one you care to know. I've probably been a loner longer than you've been alive," she added sourly, noting the youthful pride with resentment. She used to be young and pretty, too, but that was too long ago. Now she couldn't even be bothered with grooming her coat -- it wasn't like she had to keep up appearances.

"Colibri Haki," she added as an afterthought, assuming it wouldn't mean anything. She easily recalled during the Dahlian-Inferni war how mortified she was to be seen and have her pelt recognized, to watch the faces of strangers make the connection between Haki and Haku. In some ways it was a relief to have finally left his shadow, but it also made her feel very lonely to see how quickly her father was forgotten. She was like a ghost now, fallen through the cracks while she roamed these abandoned houses and fields. This lovely stranger would no doubt forget her face and name by tomorrow.

8) WC: 334

Colibri had a bad attitude, but she was not a fighter. If she didn't possess such a stubborn streak, she would have already admitted to herself that she hated being a loner, and just found a pack already. "Yeah, let's call it that," she muttered under her breath, "-and definitely not a lack of social skills." She raised an eyebrow as she watched the other wolf sidestep, wondering idly if the stranger wanted to continue searching the old shacks for whatever she was looking for. It wasn't like Coli was about to stop her, if that's what she'd rather be doing. She didn't have anything interesting to talk about.

That was, until the next thing she said. Coli caught her breath, blue eyes widening. "Y-yes, actually," she stammered, thrown off by the question -- though there was no doubt who they were talking about. Coli's conception had been an accident, when a young and foolhardy Haku Soul seduced a mated female. Neither that wolf's family nor Haku had wanted to raise her, which she suspected was the reason she had not been given a real surname -- just a little made-up name to designate her from her grandmother. As he matured, Haku sired many other litters, some of whom he did give his family name -- just another way he made his first daughter feel unwanted.

"Who... are you? Are you one of his, too...?" she asked breathlessly, quickly closing the distance between them. Through all of her gloom, the thought of a real family always brought her hope; whether it was the time she spent living with little Willow and her mother Deuce, or watching Conor and Emwe grow up from afar, or even the notion that she could have her own children one day, however unlikely it was becoming now. These days, without a pack or family or even a friend, Colibri felt so utterly lost and useless. It had to be fate, if this distinguished young woman was actually her sister...

8D Lolol, no worries there~~ I am quite a slow poster, it's nice when I don't always have to catch up! WC: 242

She caught her breath as the striking female introduced herself. Lilin Soulstorm, how pretty! Coli and Lili even sounded like sister names, a thought that invoked a flutter of excitement. Lilin was fortunate enough to have her own beautiful portmanteau surname, a unique blend of the two families she belonged to. Coli gently exhaled, unable to keep herself from feeling inadequate by comparison. She was so much older than this alluring sibling, with nothing to show for it other than some scars, a docked tail, and grumpiness. At least she could answer any questions Lilin had about the Soul side of the family. She never did learn anything about her own mother, the Jolie family.

"I guess that's not uncommon when it came to Haku... He sired quite a few litters, but he hated children, never wanted anything to do with them unless he had to. It was probably for the best if your mother kept you away from him." She shrugged, trying to keep her tone neutral, though there was an edge of bitterness she could not conceal. To the best of her knowledge, she was one of the only children he had raised personally; Conor and Emwe were the others. They had all been beaten and abused in various ways. "For example, you got to keep your tail," she added with a wry smile, flicking her bobtail for emphasis. That experience wasn't something she would soon forget. Still humiliating, too.

=D WC: 541

Coli watched Lilin's demeanor shift subtly, feeling a faint rise of concern. Was she upset? Coli had long since come to terms with the idea of having many siblings with different mothers than hers, and simply wanted to reach out to them, forge bonds with those who suffered from the same tainted blood. They were lucky if they did not know their father personally, and luckier still if they were never told his name. "I know of a sister named Willow, brothers named Emwe and Conor... there was a litter born in Aniwaya, though I don't know their names... It's been a long time, though, I don't know how many are still in these lands. They've probably all left by now." The thought made her feel so weary, too old to still be without a family of her own. Unlike Lilin, Colibri did love children, but felt she had missed her window of opportunity to have her own.

Lilin seemed aghast when she learned how her sister's tail had been docked. It was not a story she liked sharing, but given their circumstances it seemed better to tell her everything. It made her feel guilty to divulge such information, though, gleaning that Lilin had a poor relationship with her mother. It couldn't be easy to hear that both parents were such wicked creatures -- her sister seemed so beautiful and proud in comparison to Coli. "Ah, it's... well, it's honestly not the worst thing he did to me, just the most obvious. He was a leader in the pack Dahlia de Mai..." Colibri paused, unsure if Lilin had heard of the pack. They seemed to have disbanded at some point during Coli's exodus, after garnering a vicious reputation thanks to Haku's warmongering. "I joined the pack under his rule so that I could be near other relatives, warn them about his instability. War broke out, and I tried to leave... Haku didn't look fondly upon deserters." She sighed heavily, bowing her head. That was the last time she had spoken directly with her sire, and it had ended with him trying to murder her. Again. She should have hated him for it, but instead it left her with a hollow sense of failure, as though it had always been her fault for triggering his episodes. He wasn't always a bad man.

"His moods were... hard to predict. He appeared so calm all the time. And he and I looked a lot alike... almost identical. He was missing some of his tail, too, but I never paid much notice or asked why since he had a lot of scars..." A thought occurred to her then, something she had vaguely considered before but never really wanted to elaborate on. Had he collected tails other than hers? By the end, his madness made him far more violent and less rational, and it was disturbingly possible that he had fixated on tails as trophies to make up for his own. A shiver chased down her spine, realizing yet again how lucky she had been that Anu had rescued her that day. There was no doubt in her mind that his fangs would have torn out her throat, to make sure he finished what he started.

<3 This got kinda long, sorry~~ WC: 702

Courage? Coli managed a half-smile, twisted with a bitter edge. She had wanted to be brave back then, but it had failed utterly. The few relatives she managed to warn -- cousin Cercelee, auntie Mew, cousin Firefly -- had rejected or ignored her story. They had all lectured her on being loyal to the pack, not sowing seeds of dissent among their ranks. And when Conor and Emwe were born, she finally bowed to the pressure and did not move to help them, even when she learned her father was abusing the boys. It took all the 'courage' she had to simply flee, leaving her tail in Haku's jaws.

"If I had made any kind of difference there, maybe it could have been called courage. It was a pretty feeble effort though, bravery has never been my strong suit." Coli shrugged, trying not to dwell on the subject of Dahlia de Mai. She made a lot of mistakes there, and the one wolf she cared to see again -- Conor -- had apparently disappeared without a trace. She was starting to worry about him. "My allegiance was not to him, but... there were others I should have done more for." And it wasn't the only pack I deserted, she added silently, deciding to keep that extra facet of cowardice from Lilin for now. If her newfound sister saw her as having any courage at all, that was better than the image she carried of herself. "I don't have a home, I'm still drifting around," she admitted honestly. "Like I said, I've been a loner for a long time... I don't see myself joining a pack anytime soon, but maybe I'll claim a den somewhere around here..." She was quite taken with the bewitching Soulstorm woman, but could not make any promises to see her again soon. There was too much on her mind, too many feelings she had to sort out before she could settle down anywhere.

Coli felt Lilin's eyes on her, and it gave her an idea, albeit one that did not greatly please her. "This... isn't something I would do for anyone else, but if you're my sister, you should at least know what our father looked like..." She spoke slowly, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat. As a Lupus and an Optime, Colibri's pelt was nearly a perfect match for Haku Soul's colors, but her delicate frame and feminine curves made it obvious she was a different wolf. But her halfling form, Secui, had the same rough, beastly, wild appearance that their sire so loved, wearing that form almost exclusively. Coli had been terrified to be mistaken for her father during the Infernian wars, knowing the coyote clan would execute her on sight -- the paranoia led to her only shift in safe and secure areas, something she still carried with her. It took an effort to override the anxiety, but she comforted herself with the notion that she would only do this once.

Coli held her breath and began to shift down. The change started slowly, unfamiliar after all the seasons she had spent on two legs. Her coat thickened, dull brown fur hanging in lank ropes along her body as her braids unraveled. Her back broadened as she dropped to all fours, claws lengthening into talons that sank into the dirt. Her muzzle and skull grew thicker, coarser in design, losing the fine details that made her appear so fragile. Her vivid blue eyes were the only element that remained constant throughout the metamorphosis, piercing in their intensity. She released the breath she was holding once the changes were complete, peering up at the now-taller Lilin. If she had felt self-conscious before, it was many times worse now; she was a hideous brute in this form, all traces of femininity vanished. "He was always in this form, because of the power and intimidation it gave him," she said softly, disheartened to hear how thick and distorted her voice was. "I guess this is the closest you'll get to seeing him face to face. How fortunate for you." She tilted her head, watching curiously for any reaction. It was surely a strange encounter for them both.

yesss, fade to black! you can archive once you've read this. WC: 445

There was no denying that leadership ran in their immediate family. Colibri Soul had co-founded Dahlia de Mai, until she was ousted by her son; then Haku Soul in turn was replaced by his son, Conor. Even Coli could remember a time when she felt that way, bold and spirited as a little puppy, but it had been broken out of her. Lilin could have that dominance in her as well, the strength of will to command the loyalty of others. After all, she had humbled Coli with her eyes alone when she was first approaching, and that was before she even recognized their connection.

They both fell quiet, pensive as they mulled the information over. She was offered the name of a location, a vague invitation if she wanted to seek out her sibling after their conversation ended. She nodded wordlessly, filing the information away. Without a pack, nothing was set in stone for either of them; they could vanish without any notice, having no real way to contact each other. The life of a loner was exhausting to her, the lack of stability taking its toll on her poor health and appearance. And yet she was too stubborn to settle down just yet, even if it meant she could lose track of this alluring sibling. She was always a hypocrite.

Standing on all fours, Coli gazed up at Lilin, quietly studying her pretty face. She felt bare and hideous, an encounter between her inner beast and the beauty of her younger sister. And yet she was not met with the disgust she deserved, or the revulsion she expected, but rather a silent awe. She was relieved that her offering had been accepted. Honestly, she was relieved that the wolf before her stayed long enough to listen to her ramble, until she was comfortable enough to shift in front of her.

She bowed her heavy head, allowing Lilin's fingers to stroke her mane. Normally she shied away from physical contact, uncomfortable with letting others touch her unless they could earn her trust. But Lilin was different, Lilin was family now, someone whose acceptance she instinctively yearned for. The touch was reassuring, confirming the sisters did have something between them, a reason to see each other again. She did not know if she would visit their lakeside camp, or if their paths would cross in another way, but for the first time in a long while she desired the company of another soul for no reason other than friendship. She subtly leaned into the chocolate-brown fingers, the color that matched her own pelt perfectly. She did not need words to express her own gratitude; this was enough.