Late evening, Tayui is in her lupus form, Arachnea's Revenge.
[html] [/html]Tayui had always liked The Dampwoods. Maybe it was the scent of the cedar trees or perhaps it was just that there were so many different trees, but she had always enjoyed her walks through this forest. The larch trees here were huge and hulking; perfect for the wet lowlands. There were also some spruce and white ash trees, as well as some black ash and the ever-present maple tree. She wasn’t sure what type she was looking at, but the leaves were distinctive enough to be able to distinguish them from the other hardwoods.
It wasn’t until a few hours later that she realized she had ended up past the borders of Casa di Cavalieri and was now running close to Infenri’s borders. She wondered what was going on in the two packs. After all, they were the only two packs she’d ever considering joining—even though as a wolf, she couldn’t even consider Inferni. She had liked Kaena and Gabriel, but that wasn’t enough to join a pack. She had even considered staying in Casa di Cavalieri after she’d begun to heal, but her visit to AniWaya had put in motion a number of events, which brought her to the orchard with Anu and her son. She didn’t mind, though, even if she didn’t think Anu would like the warrior pack. It wasn’t for them and if Anu didn’t like it, she would never join. She had promised the other woman that she wouldn’t leave her and she was going to stay true to that. She was not one to break her word.
Tayui wasn’t sure if she should head back now. After all, if she ventured much closer, she’d likely face the wrath of the scouts, or worse, the warriors. She remembered that the warrior, Hybrid, often patrolled the borders. She hoped he would not find her, as they’d had enough run-ins throughout the years. Still, there was a perverse desire to see him and speak with him, even though that hadn’t worked so well the last time. [html] [/html]
[html] (+419) Sorry for the wait! Also I just woke up and this sucks. Ves is in lupus too (and acting like she's a puppy omg).
Malnourished trees clumped together at the southern edge of the Waste, their scraggly shapes huddling so that their collective presence might be grander. Beyond, other little groups stood, and then those groups got larger and larger, sheltered by their friends from the wind and other elemental factors that kept a forest from breaking out. Eventually, the trees were able to band together at the edge of the forest, numerous and diverse, conquering the dry yellow grassland.
Or perhaps the Waste was just a scar, the result of some great force wiping out the Dampwoods and Arachnea’s Revenge long ago, leaving grass to grow. Standing outside the boundary of her territory, blue eyes staring at the vegetation, Vesper realized she didn’t really care.
She had always spat upon the past, especially the part it played in destroying the minds of canines who constantly dwelled on it. She had shoved her past bitterly aside and lived in the present for a long time, only minding where she would get her food or find a place to sleep from day to day. Now—now everything was different again; the future was the strongest presence in her mind, and a bright future it seemed to be.
The vanilla-colored coywolf smirked and stretched luxuriously, her muscles groaning in relief. She could probably stand to leave the clan alone for a few hours; other than wandering far north and south for news and messages, she hadn’t had a relaxing stroll for a while. As fond as she was of the raven, it would be nice to walk without Stark’s shadow constantly hanging over her, too.
The Inferni subleader bounded through the grass, jumping over a fallen tree and falling into the shade of the woods. She pressed her nose to the bark of a larch then dove into a clump of ferns, her movements impulsive but relaxed. She walked as she did before she had a pack to worry about, although the happy energy balled in her chest was a constant reminder of her pack.
The summer-strong scents of the foliage and the lack of wind made it hard to smell what was around her, but eventually Vesper caught a familiar whiff. She grinned, sly as a fox, and dove into the shrubs again, moving quick and low to the ground. Catching sight of the white shape ahead, she ran through the bushes then leaped out in front of the older she-wolf.
“Tayui!” the scarred coyote yipped, and aimed to nip at her good ear. [/html]
Ahahaha well that's okay! Puppy Vesper makes up for it. Also too excited to post more because OMGOMGOMG
[html] [/html]The sound of movement in the distance first alerted Tayui that another was coming. She moved to leave, but paused when she caught their scent: it was Vesper! With a wide grin, she turned in time to see Vesper burst from the bushes with Tayui’s name quick upon her tongue. She laughed as Vesper nipped at her left ear and then tried to duck under Vesper’s neck so that she could nip at Vesper’s right ear. They were sort of a mismatch, with Tayui’s right ear ripped up and Vesper’s left ear all but gone. Neither of them minded, but if they sat side by side, she was sure that they would look rather humorous (in a scarred, war-like sort of way).
“Vesper,” she said, her voice warm. She moved to step back and give the over-eager coyote some space; though, she wasn’t sure if Vesper would let her. “You’re awfully cheerful,” she commented. Her grin turned lewd and she cackled quietly. “Is there a new beau in your life? Or a belle? How is Inferni?” When she turned the topic to the clan, her lecherous smile became much tamer and she stopped wiggling her eyebrows up and down, as she had done earlier.[html] [/html]
[html] (+350) Ahaha, I love Tayui.
Vesper was filled with the kind of happiness that came when you didn’t have a single care in the world. You could feel the non-presence of your burdens, all the weight lifted off you and no longer weighing down the infectious gladness. Combined with the sight of her friend, this put the scarred coywolf on cloud nine. She laughed as the other grabbed at her ear in turn, the other’s shoulder and neck against her chest, and momentarily let go of her balance so she could fall back, rearing on her hind paws for a second. The older wolf backed away in that moment, and Ves herself managed to calm down, returning all four feet to the earth even though her tail still wagged.
Tayui’s bawdy grin and questions shut down her own smile, only to have it replaced with a humorous deadpan look as she shook her head in wonder. “I must be literally glowing,” she breathed, knowing how easily Stark and Helotes had caught on to her twitterpation. She grinned crookedly, and took a seat at last to address the question of her clan, trying to remember exactly how much to cover that Tayui didn’t know.
“Inferni is, at present, doing great.” She smiled, a much softer thing, but became solemn as she went on. “Not long after I ran into you, though, there was a war. Coyote-hating wolves who came from the same place Gabriel did attacked us. We had to team up with Salsola”—a brief frown, although nothing bad had come of their alliance this time—“but we wiped them out. None of our own died, but recently our Aquila Ezekiel left the clan.”
She paused, taking in a deep breath and just holding the fragrant summer air in her lungs, before exhaling and making her conclusion. “But things are looking up. We have a new leader now, Myrika Tears, and she’s really what the clan needs.” Her smile turned warm and shy, and she too-quickly met the other’s mismatched eyes and asked: “What about you? Trying to project your lovestruck yearling’s feelings onto me?”
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Fufufu now that Tayui is with Anu everything is about a belle. ;D ;D ;D She can't get Anu off her mind omg lol. And I love Vesper, so we're even!!
[html] [/html]Tayui grinned when Vesper replied. Tayui didn't think she was nearly that perceptive--and besides, Vesper was not glowing anyhow! But she was so wrapped up in her own soft-footed romance that every time she saw someone else, she could only hope that they had something similar for themselves. But when Vesper didn't deny her question, well, Tayui naturally drew her own conclusions. She wondered if it was a coyote or a wolf --or something entirely different-- a male or a female, or any possible combination. The last time they'd met, they'd held one another in a way that was so intimate but with so much meaning. Did Vesper even like women? Was she just grasping at straws?
After she realized what she was doing, Tayui felt a little weird. It was a bit odd to speculate about a friend's sex life, so when she realized that that was what she was doing, she tried to stop.
Vesper went on to detail the recent happenings in Inferni. Tayui was glad to hear that they were doing well, but not too pleased to hear that they had sacrificed their morality for the convenience of partnering with their neighbour to fend off attacking wolves. She didn't bother to hide her displeasure at this and she was quite certain that she made a rather unappealing face at this news.
She was surprised to hear that Ezekiel had stepped down as Aquila. In her time, she'd only known Kaena and Gabriel as the leaders, and then heard of Ezekiel, but those before him had lasted a very long time. It was strange to think that he was gone.
Her ears perked up when Vesper mentioned that the new leader was Myrika Tears.
"Myrika Tears? Is she related to Laruku Tears, do you know? Laruku used to be the Alpha of Clouded Tears some time ago--he was their last Alpha before the fire." She frowned, but then added, on a more light note: "I think I've met someone. So maybe I am, maybe I'm not." She wiggled her eyebrows again. "Though we're hardly yearlings. Her name's Anu; we used to be members of Jaded Shadows. I've known her for years. We're living in what used to be Dahlian territory, in an orchard. You're welcome to visit," she added with a warm smile. [html] [/html]
[html] (+391) Sorry for the wait. :c I was on vacation but then I didn't have any excuse.
The other’s change in expression when Vesper mentioned Salsola made her tail drop, only because her own thoughts had wavered on the subject. Once, she had been willing to kill anyone and everyone to free some slaves, to fight for her ideals, to end the needless suffering of others—but now? She hadn’t liked it, certainly, but she’d been more interested in the welfare of her clan. War made for strange bedfellows, wasn’t that the saying?
That wasn’t to say that Vesper had lost her ideals. She still hated suffering, and she still waited in the dark for the souls of those she killed to rise as vultures and devour her heart. She just had something, and someone, more important to look after.
One scarred and one full ear pricked at mention of the new Aquila’s name, and the silly thought that Tayui might’ve gotten to Myrika first jumped to Vesper’s head and made her smirk. The question caught her off guard, though, and she mumbled, “Oh, I don’t know.” She had only recently learned what the fire was, let alone the names of alphas outside of Inferni’s rulers. After a moment, going over the history that Myrika had told her, she asked awkwardly, “Did Laruku have a daughter named Rachias? I think that was Myri’s mother.” The Aquila had said the son of some Clouded Tears wolf had given Kaena children, but she hadn’t said that he was a leader. She realized how little she really knew about Myrika’s direct heritage or anything like that, and how little Myri knew of her family, as little as she thought of them. It troubled her, but she decided she had plenty of time to fix that in the future.
Tayui said that she’d met someone, and Vesper grinned before recognition flickered in her blue eyes at the name. “I met Anu once,” she said, somewhat bewildered. The old grey she-wolf had been kind to her, told her gently about the departure of Ves’s “girl” at the time from Nova Scotia, and given her advice. Knowing how much it might mean to the other woman, she added approvingly, “Anu was very kind; you’re lucky.”
She grinned and nodded, indicating that she’d probably visit sometime, but then a frown tugged at her muzzle. “Wait, why are you living there? Isn’t Anu from Crimson Dreams?”
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That's okay!
[html] [/html]Tayui hmm’d in reply as Vesper tried to consider her question. When Vesper asked her if Laruku had a daughter named Rachias, it was Tayui’s turn to shake her head in response.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “He was about my age I think, so it’s possible that—Myrika—is his granddaughter,” she explained. As she said this, she realized that meant that Myrika was the age to be her granddaughter, too, and therefore Vesper as well. She hadn’t felt old ever, but for the first time, she realized that she was aging. It was a strange realization. She was quickly torn from somber thoughts at the mention of Anu, so naturally, she had to smile. Thinking about Anu always made her want to smile.
“I didn’t know that you knew her,” she replied slowly. “That’s lovely,” she added. “We’re living in the orchard now that Crimson Dreams has disbanded. The other leader, Savina, returned to Italy. In Savina’s absence, Anu chose to disband the pack. We’re staying together with her son, Oak. I’m not sure where we’ll end up,” she explained with a shrug, “but I’ll be sure to give word when we find somewhere permanent.” [html] [/html]
[html] (+315)
“I only met her once,” Vesper said with a quick smile in response to the older woman’s. “I was feeling pretty low at the time, and she helped me out.”
It was strange to go back to that day, her heart broken and her mind refusing to let its pieces trip her on her way. She’d come awkwardly to the borders of the quiet pack asking after the dark-furred girl, and the she-wolf had given her the truth and told her that, if she was meant to, she would return. It turned out that dear Blind would return, but it became too late for any of that anyway; the world had taken her away.
There was a brief somberness in her face, but her emotions were private and betrayed only by a soft flicker. She paid attention to what Tayui was saying, however, and she shook her head in understanding. Ichika no Ho-en had disbanded after her Shepard had taken over, shaken by the departure of its old leaders; it made sense that Crimson Dreams could crumble too, with time. She didn’t begrudge Anu her decision.
The coywolf nodded earnestly when Tayui finished. “I wish I could take you in,” she said before her mind caught up with her mouth. Her ear fell back awkwardly, and she hunched her shoulders slightly. “I mean—into Inferni,” she mumbled. “You talk of it as if—well—I just wish it could be a place for you. Even though Myrika and I lead, we can’t change the old laws.” Inferni was, first and foremost, a coyote clan, and even though Ves dreamed for peace between them and the woods, she didn’t think it’d be fair to bring a wolf into their midst and expect the clan to adjust their behavior. On a case by case basis, perhaps, but she wouldn’t wish the outsider rank on Tayui or Anu.
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[html] [/html]Tayui couldn’t help but smile when Vesper recounted her meeting with Anu. She didn’t smile because she enjoyed hearing about her friend’s pain, but smiled because that sounded so like Anu: she was always helping out others in need. Her nature was so gentle and calm that it made Tayui feel strong; perhaps that was the sort of strength she had been searching for for so long.
When Vesper spoke again, Tayui chuckled. She had thought about asking to stay in Inferni before, but she’d never followed through with it. With Gabriel gone and Kaena no longer in command, she wasn’t sure if this Infenri was the one she had known; it was too different.
“There have been wolves in Inferni before,” she replied. “I—I think I’ve heard of it before. I can’t remember when, but it’s happened. I always suspected that it was why there were so many hybrids in Inferni when they claim to be coyote,” she explained with a small smirk. “But not for Anu and I. Maybe before I found her, but not now. But I’ll visit you—I hope. I’ve had a few good and bad experiences with members of Inferni, so I’ll try to be careful when I look for you,” she added with a small, almost gruesome, smile. [html] [/html]
[html] [/html]Vesper had heard of the wolves that Inferni welcomed into the fold, although she couldn’t remember their names if she’d even heard such specifics. Most of them had been wolfish half-siblings of the coyotes, while others might have been lovers to the high-ranking. She knew that several of Kaena’s children had Canis lupus blood in them, and it wouldn’t have surprised her if some of their fathers had been Outsiders in the clan.
“Yeah,” the coywolf said with a lopsided, somewhat abashed smile when Tayui pointed out their hybrid blood. “Some of them can’t stand to be reminded of it. I know I couldn’t care less, but…” She shrugged slightly, not fond of making excuses for her clan mates but forcing herself to understand all the same. Had she not been so fiercely coyote in personality, she might have been considered too “wolfy” for the clan; her blood was exactly half and half, after all. Would she have turned out different had her mother been the wolf rather than her father?
She nodded at the woman’s explanation. “Right, she doesn’t deserve having to deal with us,” she murmured honestly. She had no doubt Tayui was strong enough and had enough respect for the clan to put up with some of its more prejudiced members, but Anu seemed too gentle, someone to protect. “But I’d love to have you visit. If anyone gives you a hard time, I’ll kick their ass,” the small lupus-formed woman said fiercely, and she stepped forward to give her friend another nuzzle.[html] [/html]
Omg these two. BFFs4L
[html] [/html]When Vesper gave her that sideways smile, Tayui realized that she was referring to herself. It made sense: after all, Vesper did have a bit of a coyote look, but she also moved and acted like a wolf in ways Tayui couldn't quite explain. Of course, given her extensive scarring and her missing ear, Tayui could believe that someone might think that she was completely coyote. Tayui always found the ears most telling in terms of appearance.
Tayui didn't want to agree with Vesper when she pointed out that Anu shouldn't have to deal with them, but she was likely right. Even if Tayui had joined Inferni out of her own obsession with the clan, she would have never been accepted there, no matter how many members she knew. It had been a stupid thought, but it had kept her afloat: the thought that the only place for her was restricted except under certain circumstances.
"I'd love to visit," she replied quickly. "I'm sure I'll get all of the good parts and none of the bad if I don't stay too long," she added, grinning. She didn't really believe it, but it was fun to pretend.
Tayui nuzzled Vesper in return, but paused long enough to add: "you'll have to show me some fighting skills when we're not busy being all mushy." She licked Vesper's cheek and grinned even more widely. [html] [/html]
Yes they are. 8D And I hope is okay I ended it; figured it was wrapping up anyway. ;_; Reply or archive as you will. <3
[html] [/html] Vesper wagged her tail at the other’s remark, knowing that she could keep Tayui safe at least for a bit. She knew that, as the Centurion, no one should question her. It might make things rocky, but it would be worth it to give her friend safe passage for at least a while. She might even introduce her to Myrika; she wanted both of them to approve of each other—although that wouldn’t be hard. Both were intelligent and strong women, and both were deserving of her deepest affections.
She grinned at the lick on her cheek. “Yeah, probably cut out most of the mushy stuff next time, I’ve got a bit of a reputation to keep,” she said, her tail wagging even harder. She would be glad to teach the other and maybe even learn some fighting tricks in return, if the arctic wolf was serious. Either way, she knew their next meeting would be just as pleasant as this one.
“Anyway,” the coyote said more reluctantly, “I should probably head back to the clan. I’ll see you later; just howl for me.” She touched her nose to Tayui’s then turned, trotting back through the woods with her tail waving.
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