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 Matrix was not entirely convinced that she was awake. After all, that meant that this consciousness was a continuation of the consciousness found earlier in the day--that is, she hadn't been dreaming earlier. If Nirvana was simply a dream, however, that meant that this was too. And in reality, the discoveries she was making now were just as exciting. Perhaps they wouldn't equate to mental elation sedation, but they had much more utility and practical significance. Maybe.
Earlier in the day, she had stumbled upon a heavenly region known to the locals as Nirvana. Even though the chill frosts and come and decimated the outdoor plants for the season, she had recognised the scent from literally a mile away. Upon closer investigation, she had found more than a small handful of seeds, as well as what appeared to be a small barn of sorts. Inside, dried out plants hung from the rafters and she'd be damned if she didn't take her fair share. Now, she had an idea, which was simply this: why not grow her own?
Naturally, this required tools. Naturally, an old human city was the perfect place to go. Strolling through what was once a ritzier neighbourhood, she rummaged through old garages and tool sheds. It was not long before she found a whole lot of what she was looking for: potting soil, fertiliser, some pots, a watering can, a wheel barrow to haul the crap around, etcetera. Of course, she didn't suspect this would be the challenging part. The real issue here was heat. This would require a more creative solution, and it was this dilemma that she mulled over whilst absently tossing a hammer up, allowing it to rotate fully mid-air, and catching it once more. Leaning with her back against the garage and the wheel barrow full-o'-crap at her feet, it was peculiar how much she looked like she belonged there.
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Sorry for the delay, and thanks for the permission for slight powerplay.
A cool autumn breeze flew over the desolation of the ancient waste as the lean form of a slightly underfed werewolf stalked through it in silence. A great sigh escaped the figure's lupine jaws as he cast wary eyes on the wreck of civilization humanity had left the wolves. This place always makes me a little uncomfortable...what was it that VoidFane saw in this place? He looked up at the ruin of a small human domicile, a shell of what it had once been, he was certain. It wasn't that it had sustained any external damage, but the silence was maddening. This place must have once been thronging with humans, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up to think of being this deep into alien territory, despite the fact that he had made journeys through here many times before. He probably saw a reflection of himself in this place. Humans knew great success, had known renown and pride, and allowed their shortcomings to tear it all away from them in the blink of an eye. So too it was with HawkWind, the broken wolf that VoidFane subsumed into himself...
What? Who... The wind brought the scent to his nose just before he heard an indistinguishable noise of some kind of indistinct motion. The smell was familiar, not just familiar, he remembered smelling it recently. Coming around a corner, Skoll's amber eyes fell upon a creature that they never expected to see again. He recognized her by the eyes, they were breathtaking, always had been. He saw her mother there, a woman he had been attracted to, if only briefly. She was already looking his way even before he had stepped into view...she'd detected him at least as early as he'd detected her, he guessed.
"This is certainly unexpected," the once-battle leader said warmly, a small smile forming on his lips. "How have you been, little one?"
~The lyrics are from the best song ever written.
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In her mind, it made more sense for him to be here than her, too. From what she understood, Skoll had roots here. Perhaps those roots were not the critical tap root that anchored him most firmly, but there was definitely a connection. He had lived here before, he had fought for territories within the region, and he had spilled blood. Vaguely, she wondered exactly how much significance this place held for the tattered warrior. As his scent continued to flood her senses, she looked about casually. Now when she spotted him, he was treated to a rare sight indeed: her eyes lit up just slightly, and her tail swayed behind her. Matrix liked to think she didn't need a familiar face, but it was almost painfully senseless to deny her social instincts. Hell if anybody else had to know about that, though.
"Skoll," she said, her deep voice laced with a degree of warmth most would never witness. At the "little one" comment she offered a sceptical look, and decided to interpret it literally for the sake of moving on. Her mixed blood placed her size far above that of the average 'yote, perhaps even in the small to midsized wolf range... but she was definitely still smaller than him, and far less built. "I'm here; I'm alive," she stated vaguely, truly not having much more to say about the matter. "How about yourself?" So far, nothing had happened to really make her experience in the land of Bleeding Souls particularly excellent or unbearable--although, the seeds were just a little ray of sunshine in her typically cynical outlook.
"Actually, I found some seeds. I'm going to try to grow them indoors. So far, I've found almost all of the supplies I'll need." With this, she motioned toward the wheel barrow. "I still need a heating system, I guess." She peered at him now somewhat curiously; did he have any ideas? She realised had no idea what areas of expertise the bronze wolf could claim, other than kicking ass and taking names.
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The bronze werewolf flicked an ear(a shrug, for all intents and purposes). There wasn't anything terribly wrong in his life right now...he had been invited back to Storm if he wanted back, though the Gamma would oppose that, he was sure. Either way, without a pack to defend actively, without a border to survey, he only had to watch out for himself, and that was much easier than keeping vigil over miles of land. Other than the fact that he wasn't eating as well, he didn't have much to complain about.
"It is much the same with me. I've received a few injuries with some of the residents here since the last we met, which has made hunting more difficult, but I'm doing alright. Bleeding Souls is a nice place to live most of the time, and without other professionals looking to carve me up to earn their meat, I don't have to worry about my own safety much if I keep to myself." He wasn't sure how true that was, exactly. He didn't want to worry the girl...but luck could make any battle go either way. The Lykoi-son, who he had recently learned bore the name Gabriel, wasn't new to battle, and would know how to push the advantage if luck favored him. Skoll was easily the more experienced of the two, he suspected that he had undergone a more precise training process, and probably practiced more often, since very few canines--whether they were good fighters or not--practiced alone each morning. That was to be expected, though...the standard method of fighting, with tooth and fang on four legs, was impossible to do without a partner; he was fortunate to have been taught motions he could go through alone. Despite all that, a stray stone, a fallen branch, could trip even the best warrior, taking them off balance long enough for a sharp opponent to go in for the kill. Still, as long as bad luck didn't factor in, and he didn't go looking for trouble, he felt that he was safe enough here.
"Well, most planters I've met used the sun," he said, brows furrowed. He looked up at the ruinous monolith she had just emerged from, crossing his arms as he tilted his head sideways. "You know, though, humans didn't have pelts, and I've heard in tales that they wouldn't eat anything that hadn't been charred by fire...I'm sure that between those two things, they needed some sort of heating device in their dens. Those they lived in were certainly massive enough to fit whatever they needed." He turned to look at her, wondering what she thought about the concept. If they ascertained that a heating device must be located inside--either for food or protection against cold for the poor furless creatures--then the only obstacle left would be to identify what it looked like, and to find it amidst whatever else was inside.
~The lyrics are from the best song ever written.
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-Scatterbrained and trying to write, woo!- :/
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It was always a bad idea to sign your soul over to the devil without reading his contract first. To some extent, Matrix had done just that. Her mother had mentioned Bleeding Souls, a coyote clan, and that she had met the warrior before her within Bleeding Souls' borders. In reality, Twilight herself had not been around for long enough to truly appreciate the general "fucked-up-ness" of the society of werewolves that inhabited this region. As such, the young girl was somewhat intrigued by the picture Skoll painted--it was not that of a paradise, but not quite a dystopia, either. She couldn't say she expected much else--there was no reason to assume that any one area was more "evil" or "good" than another. Positive and negative energy wasn't something she was prepared to swallow.
Unable to come up with much useful to say in response, she simply shrugged and listened once more as he suggested such a simple, yet elegant solution to her dilemma. Fire. Duh. She had been cooking up elaborate schemes in her head that would probably fail, as there was too much room for inefficiency and malfunction. "Hm, of course. I suppose I mostly need to find the proper structure, now, as well as a furnace. Hypothetically I could find a working generator of sorts, but..." she trailed off here, shaking her head. That was more work than they needed to do. "Have you ever heard of a greenhouse? It's a human-made structure composed entirely of glass. Sunlight gets 'trapped' inside, plus more is available than through a mere window."
Things were finally starting to come together in her mind. Perhaps Inferni would benefit, too--she was more interested in her weeds than medicinal plants, but she realised now if she found a greenhouse sufficiently large enough, she could maintain a sector for herself and allow others to utilise the rest for something arguably more practical. Even if she found a run-down greenhouse, she figured she could repair the glass herself. Hell; she could set up a glass-blowing furnace and use the heat from that, if necessary. At that point, the main concern would be water. And although Skoll may not have realised it, she too liked to train herself and keep in shape--and hauling lots of water around might just prove to be a useful exercise after all. "Would you care to help me?" she asked, tail swaying just slightly behind her. "I guess I need to find a greenhouse first; the furnaces I've used before for glass work were all very heavy, nigh immobile, and I wouldn't want to move one further than I had to."
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Sadly, Skoll couldn't claim much expertise other than his combat ability. It gave him an undeniable edge to be as focused as he was, but in times of peace or low-threat areas, he wasn't worth much. He had been trying to expand, generally just making himself busier rather than cutting into his training time, but that only worked so well. Between keeping himself fed, keeping his body in top form, and keeping himself sharp and his skills honed, he often had no time to attempt anything more than walking and sleeping. His days were often full, and he rarely had more than a few hours to dedicate to the daunting task of learning new words and what they meant, nor even to practice the hobby that Gale had taught him: whittling.
"I'm not sure if I have," he said at her query, though he did listen closely to her description. He had never seen a greenhouse, though it sounded very strange. He knew what glass was, Gabred had almost used a shattered bottle against him in their final battle, one which Skoll had decidedly lost(he was still thankful that Tsunami's distraction had allowed him to escape with his life). "I'll help, but I'm not sure what I'm looking for. A house made of glass..." he envisioned a human structure build entirely of glass. He had seen skyscrapers before, he wondered if that wasn't what she was referring to. "I wish I'd seen them before so that I'd know what I was looking for. So, your plan is to find one of these greenhouses and plant your seeds there?" He supposed it made sense, but having never planted nor discussed more than the very basics of growing plants, he was ignorant about most of the details.
The skill-set that Twilight had taught her daughter was certainly strange. She apparently knew a good deal about glass. Knowing Twilight, Skoll had no doubt that her daughter also knew how to defend herself, probably had as much emphasis in that area as her mother thought she could manage at such a young age. Skoll was around her age when he first left StoneTree, and set down his path. He certainly hadn't been as educated as she seemed to be...he'd never seen a human dwelling that young, hadn't known what glass was, hadn't even learned how to fight properly. He had depended completely on his berserk rage that early on...things had changed a lot. He wondered where she'd be five years down the road.
~The lyrics are from the best song ever written.
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Matrix was adept with her hands, and she took pride in this ability. To some extent, she sought to be a jack of all trades--much like her father. Apache had been a very talented individual, able to craft remarkable pieces of glass, able to erect sturdy wooden and stone structures, and even able to bang metals into usable and different forms. His daughter took a quick interest in these skills and practised them regularly--although it still took her much longer than Apache to get things just right. One day, she hoped to be able to work as quickly and elegantly as he. All the while, she exercised and kept her mother's gift well-tuned, too. Because of her sleek form and rich coyote heritage, Matrix was able to move even faster than Twilight at times--although she grew distracted by her father's teachings, too, so she couldn't practise as regularly as someone like Twilight or Skoll could. Of course, gathering and preparing the materials necessary for glass, metal, or woodworking could be a workout on its own.
Either way, Matrix knew that she was fortunate. She was lucky to have two parents that were experts in their fields, and she was lucky that she possessed the mind and body to take advantage of her teachings. Although she did her best to remain humble and relatively well-mannered, she couldn't help but feel slightly superior to many individuals--especially those around her age or younger. Indeed, the hybrid would often came across as older than she really was, if not for her youthful face. The net result was that she rarely valued anybody else's opinions, and because of this she simply didn't ask. With Skoll (and definitely her parents), however, there was a well-crafted foundation of respect. They had already proven themselves, in her mind. She trusted her mother's words enough to believe in Skoll, at least.
"Yeah; they're generally on the smaller side, only as big as one of the largest rooms in a traditional human dwelling. The walls and roof are composed entirely of glass panels," she explained, not sure how else a greenhouse could be described. "They have dirt floors, though, obviously, for growing the plants." A shrug. He would probably know one now if he saw it. Her best guess was to wander about the old human suburbia-hell--maybe one of the old families had a vegetable garden out back. "But yeah, I figure that'll be my first major project. Maybe I'll set up my own little base--somewhere to grow the plants and even to work on my metal and glass-work. Perhaps a shed extension for the greenhouse? Heh; it'll take a few months, though." At least she was being fairly realistic. When she was done, though, she had an inkling Gabriel would be pleased. She wasn't sure how much she cared about pleasing her leader, as much as proving to someone she could do all of the things she said she could.
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For someone so young, Matrix had a disproportionate level of confidence, and he understood exactly where she had gotten it from. Given what he knew of her mother, her confidence was likely not ill-founded, but matched a disproportionate level of competence, to boot. He had met Apache, one of many concerned about the priests and their sacrifices, but he had only had a glimpse of his abilities. Given that Twilight was as focused as he was when it came to fighting, the old wolf had to assume that Matrix had taken her interest in glassworking from her father. He was sure that Apache had played some role in the fashioning of his wrist-brace, though it had not been Matrix's father that presented it to him.
"That sounds like a plan," he said, looking around for the best place to begin a search. "We should be systematic, I think. Start here, and work our way out. Humans always seem to build their structures by these strange tar rivers..." he paused a moment, knowing how outdated he must sound. Many wolves would know their proper names, but even though he had some meager reading ability, he had failed to ever find the right title for those strange aisles of soft stone. "So we could go down each one and eliminate them as we go." He had spent a lot of the time in the Concrete Jungle, but if he had ever seen one of these things, he hadn't known what it was at the time, and thus hadn't committed it to memory.
"So, few canines have a strong taste for vegetation. What is it you're hoping to plant in this greenhouse?" It was a legitimate question, though the answer would likely confuse him somewhat. He had seen alcohol and its effects before, as well as some forms of smoking, though he had never partaken of either. Nothing which would make him less alert, or less able to do his job had any interest to him. There was also the risk of becoming unable to stop...he had seen a few wolves consumed by their drinking or smoking habits.
~The lyrics are from the best song ever written.
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Feel free to powerplay a lengthy search, as we discussed. :o
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Skoll outlined a very systematic (yet simplistic) means of finding what they were looking for. Matrix could not help but appreciate such sturdy logic and planning, even though she had to admit she wasn't opposed to a free-wheelin' adventure, complete with random diversions, nonsense, and relaxation. Really, it all depended on the company she was with--would the businesslike or laid-back approach be more appropriate? Their mission certainly wasn't for anything critical, but in this case, it made more sense to be efficient. Surely Skoll didn't want to waste oodles of time on a wild goose chase that would eventually leave them with little more than stinky green plants that intoxicated the senses. Hm.
Either way, she couldn't help but giggle somewhat at his "tar rivers" comment. She supposed it was an accurate description--she at least understood what he was talking about. "The kids these days call them 'roads,'" she joked, although she was also intending to inform him of the updated name--just in case he was curious. "Anyway, that sounds good to me," she said with a smile. She had to admit, this would be her first major undertaking. It was on a bigger scale than blowing a vase or a single pipe--this was a whole building. It would essentially be her own building, too (although she had full intentions of sharing!).
It was now that Skoll asked more about the details, which was reasonable. She wasn't entirely sure how he would take, it though--other wolves' reactions to drugs were diverse and somewhat unpredictable. Twilight had more or less stayed away from any intoxicants, while Apache had really introduced her to them. The coyote was a spiritual fellow, and he seemed to enjoy meditation whilst under the effects of certain chemicals. "Eh, well, I mostly want to start growing some marijuana for myself," she offered simply. "I doubt the entire operation needs to be devoted to that, though. I was hoping that maybe some healers could use it for whatever it is that they grow, too." Here she was largely clueless. She couldn't tell which would poison and which would heal--they were designed to eat meat, and that was nearly the only thing she'd ingest without asking for a second opinion.
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I figure the search can be implied? You could post with Matrix having found it after a period of searching, or having Skoll howl that he's found it, either or works for me.
Smiling, slightly embarrassed, Skoll nodded at her words. He had heard of this marijuana plant before, though he had never partaken of the stuff. It allegedly dulled the senses, slowed reaction time, made alert wolves lax. While he had heard it was a pleasant experience, he had no interest in curbing his abilities. Fighting was what he was good for, sometimes he suspected it was all he was good for, and he wanted to be ready for a fight always. He was lucky that he was so hardy; he got sick seldom, and despite his myriad injuries, he was still in good fighting form. There would come a day, he knew, when his age tore him from his way of life. When that happened, he wasn't sure what he would do.
"Then we shall find a road, and follow it, move ever outward and survey all the land we can. Howl if you find what you are looking for. If not, then curl back in time to meet me back here. These 'roads' tend to make boxes, meet one another so that they enclose groups of their dens and constructs. I think that we can explore a few square miles of this place before sundown. Even if we don't find your greenhouse, we'll know that it isn't here, and won't have to check it again." He began his downward shift, setting his satchel off to the side of the garage where they had been talking. He would be back for it in a while, but in the meantime he preferred the stamina of his four-legged form. He would have to limit himself to a trot, he knew...Gabriel's bite still made it difficult to run, the scar tissue didn't like being stretched. Still, it was faster than walking two-legged.
As his frame began to shrink down, his arms set so that they would meet the ground at the proper angle, he looked down the road. He was somewhat close to Inferni, a bad place to shift, but he would smell them if they came near, since he was using his eyes more than his nose to search for this thing. Looking over to Matrix, he nodded slightly, and began walking out to the road, looking up and down its length.
"I'll take this way, you take the other. Call me if you find anything." With that, he set off at an easy trot.
~The lyrics are from the best song ever written.
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Since I ultimately want the greenhouse moderately close to Inferni, and since Matrix would obviously be more willing to tread there than Skoll, I figure I'll just have her find it. :o Pluuus soon we can get around to our next thread. (:
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As he began to shift before her, she turned her eyes away. Something about watching another wolf shift perturbed her deeply, although it was something that she probably wouldn't admit to. It was unsettling watching another body contort and transform in a way that seemed so unnatural and--more importantly--painfully illogical. She enjoyed the utility of her bipedal form, certainly, and it wasn't like she had to watch herself do it in a mirror. It was harder to ignore when it was staring her directly in the face. She had to admit that it was a good idea, though, so she kept her gaze safely off to one side and began the process herself. Halfway through, she opted to stop. Good enough.
The bronze wolf's plan drifted in and out of her mind, and she nodded at all of the right places. What he was saying made sense, and so she set off on her search. As deliberately as Skoll chose to steer away from Inferni's borders, she chose to navigate toward them. It would be more practical in the long run--healers that chose to use her greenhouse wouldn't need to stray so far from familiar territory. There was something about keeping your medicine on foreign grounds that seemed extremely unappealing, just from an instinctual point of view. Reserves were a different story, but as far as she could tell, Inferni didn't even have a plan A for that sort of thing yet. Eh, who knew? Maybe she'd wind up flying solo--"flying," at that point, was rather appropriate.
And so, she pressed onward in her search. All the while her ears twitched gently, listening for signs of success from Skoll. As the sun continued to creep across the sky she grew slightly discouraged...but then! Before she could even investigate thoroughly, a triumphant yowl rose up from within her chest and sounded across the suburban hell once known as the Luminous Sanctuary. A small business owner of sorts had erected a greenhouse here decades ago, and as she came closer this became more and more obvious. The glass panels were cracked and broken, although none were missing entirely and the roof--miraculously--was still intact. The door had come off its hinges long ago, and the innards of the greenhouse were littered with useless debris. No matter. All of the important parts were there, and she was confident she could fix the place up. Her tail swayed slightly behind her as she took in the greenhouse, which had begun to take on a surreal orange glow as the sun started to sink. The light danced across the rooftops of the neighbouring houses, and for how unnatural and ugly the humans' structures were, she had to admit that right now.. they were almost beautiful.
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I think we can wrap up here? You can have her reply, but assume that he waves goodbye and leaves by the end of the next post?
It took Skoll some time to return to her call, considering all the while what would happen if someone from Inferni answered it as well. Most of them didn't know him, he supposed, but the pain of four-legged walking was bothering him anyway, so he shifted and picked up his effects on the way. Arriving fully shifted, his gear at his hip, he sidled up alongside her, looking at the structure that signified her victory.
"So, this is a green house. Funny...you never mentioned the color, but I'd figured there'd be more...green." Humans were weird, either that, or wolves had renamed the structure, in which case, wolves were weird. He didn't see the same beauty in it that she did, he could not see its potential the same way, but her happiness brought a smile to his face all the same. "So, you plan on growing some recreational leaf in there. I've heard it's an enjoyable activity, but it's always been my feeling that I ought not to dull my senses when it can be helped." His brows furrowed for a moment, wondering if he needed to tell her about his history with her new clan or not. It would probably be best, though the details could be reserved for later.
"Especially not around those who wish me harm. You may find Inferni more agreeable to you if you don't mention me, lass. I've got some quarrel with the leader of the place, and his family as well. I'm sure it can be a suitable home for you, just leave this old wolf out of the banter, eh?" The tone of her call had not been of a nature which should attract the immediate attention of her clan, but it was better that he take his leave soon, anyway. He could take care of himself, but he had no desire to fight today. As long as they were content to stay within whatever borders the wolves allowed them to take, it wasn't his business anyway. Let people fight their own battles. It would take him a while to get used to that thought.
"I must be off, Matrix, but I congratulate you on your victory here. Keep in touch, will you?"
~The lyrics are from the best song ever written.
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I'll get our next thread up shortly. :o
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Her head tilted at his humorously simple yet logical conclusion, and she smiled and shook her head. "Silly. Give me some time, and it will be very green," she promised. She could only imagine her greenhouse teeming with vegetation and life, filled with the intoxicating scents of flowers and marijuana alike. Maybe one day, she'd take her time to notice specific flowers that smelled nice. Roses, lilacs... these all had strong, pleasant scents, but she could think of no more. "Mm, well, if you ever change your mind, you'll know where to look. It has a nice minty scent, too... I'm probably going to grow some roses and lilacs, too. It might just be cool to turn this into a nice, pleasant atmosphere. Colourful flowers, great scents." She shrugged a little.
What she heard next made her frown a little, and she tilted her head up to study his face (hew now towered over her, seeing as he was shifted and she was not). While informative, the things he told her generated numerous questions on their own. What had happened between Skoll and Gabriel? Was it justified on either end? Was it perhaps justified on both? Was this something at the front of everyone's minds, or the back? How likely was she to get drug into it? Well, on the last one she had control, and she elected to stay out of everyone's business so long as it didn't interfere with her life.
"Noted," she said, her tone for an instant deeper and more serious than before. "No worries, though. I don't normally yammer on about folks I know with strangers, anyway," she said with a wink. "But yes, same goes for you. I might need more help with this later on, and either way I'll want you to see it when I'm done." With this, she offered a smile and a wave of farewell.
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