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Hokay, this is for Inferni's game and it's the day after this thread, where in the beginning Kae raided the graveyard and got some bones, and now she's going to hang them up and stuff. But, like, if a few people want to hop in, we could progress to stories, hunting, mock-fighting, whatever. I'm down. :3
mall-caps;">In Character
The hybrid had a long walk from the city, and it afforded her time to mull over things in her mind. It had not been so long ago that she'd loved Fatin, though both of them were not so faithful to each other as to halt their completely separate, opposing lives and dive in with the other. It was never like that between them; though the Lykoi matron held the gorgeous red wolf in the highest regard and loved her still, even Kaena didn't know if they would ever really work together. They were two completely different souls; perhaps they were just destined to remain at an arm's length from each other. Fatin was kind-hearted and loving; Kaena was black-hearted and filled with hate. They were different ends of the spectrum entirely. It was Fatin's beauty and her dainty, almost-coyote canis rufus features which had first attracted Kaena to her, but it was her kindness and compassion and the love she had shown for Kaena's children which had forever cemented the woman into Kaena's heart. Salvaged Eternity professed to have loved her once, and perhaps that was just Fatin's luck—she was the kindest of souls, doomed to attracted the worst dregs of society, the monsters and rejects no one else could really love.
As the coyote drew closer to the Inferni border, her thoughts turned away from Fatin and to the other long lost face she'd rediscovered on her brief trip around the territories—Rachias. If Eris was the darkness, the monstrosity, Rachias was the light, the beacon of decency within their bloodline. She was a Lykoi, still—but she was the polar opposite of her devil half-sister. She had all the dainty beauty of a coyote and the exotic appearance of hybrid blood, her features perfectly coordinated. Kaena ached to be close to Rachias, and she did not know how long she could stay in Inferni before she sought her daughter out again. There was a longing for Rachias to come home in Kaena's heart, and it had hurt to walk away again. At least this time, both mother and daughter knew it was not for good. For sure, when she'd come back and found Inferni empty of Laruku's children, she thought they might be gone for good. She held no sway over them—if Inferni and the family they knew did not drive them to return, her presence certainly would not. Andrezej would never be coming home, she thought, that same crushing sense of waste overtaking the hybrid once again. Her father's namesake, squandered—Andrezej was nothing more than a traitor to the blood, no better than her half-brother Kairo.
The coyote came to the border, and stopped, shrugging her pack from her shoulder and setting it delicately on the ground. The bones in there were fresh dead, no more than twenty years beneath the ground, but they still would not survive being knocked around much. The faster she got them strung up and in the trees, the better. Once again she was annoyed that she did not have red paint, but thankful that she still had a fair bit of twine in the bottom of her bag from her failed attempts at jewelry-making. She was lucky she hadn't lost that tooth of Astaroth's. He only had two good canines by the time she was done with him; she'd cracked his skull hard enough against a tree to break the other two. Both of them had bled a lot that day, and when Kaena woke, covered in coppery flakes of it, her fur dried into matted clumps of red, the whole tiny meadow, that dingy little break in the woods surrounding it—all of it appeared doused in crimson, growing brown and rotten with the hours she'd been unconscious.
Kaena rather unceremoniously dumped her pack out onto the ground, shaking it to fully empty it. She put her cigarette case back, and the teeth. They were cold in her hand, and she looked at them for a long moment before she stuck them back into the bag, listening to them clink softly as they hit each other and the metal tin she kept her smokes in. There were none in there now, but Kaena would find some eventually. There were a few other miscellaneous things she replaced into the dingy green canvas bag, and then she set to work on the bones, setting the skull aside for the moment while she took the two large femur bones, putting one atop the other. She grabbed her twine, and began winding it around the meeting point of the two bones, wrapping them where they would touch and then going around the exterior a few times, securely binding them together.
When the silver coyote was finished with that, she took her knife and sliced the twine, tying it to itself several times to keep the knot tight, then stood, carrying the cross shape over to the nearest empty tree. The scent of Inferni was powerful here, their borders clearly marked and screaming hostility to passerby. The ashen hybrid crossed them without second thought, and put the bone shape beneath her arm. She carefully climbed up onto a low-hanging branch of the tree. She steadied herself, crouching down and then sitting on the branch, leaning the cross shape against the body of the tree as she wound several layers of the hardy twine around the branch, grabbing the bone when she was done and doing the same to the large knot at its end, going back and forth between the branch and the bone several times so the thing wouldn't simply fall off in a few weeks. Kaena let it drop gently, and it swayed for a moment before growing still, hanging just above an average Optime's head, clearly proclaiming their borders as unfriendly. She grinned, and lowered herself off of the branch, hopping onto the ground when she was at a safe distance from it.
The monochrome hybrid stepped back a few feet to study her handiwork. She was pleased—she reached up and touched the knot of bone closest to her, swinging the thing gently back and forth. Surely it wouldn't survive hurricane-force winds, but it would hold for some time. Perhaps she could get something to strengthen the ties before then and make it more durable. For now, it would have to do. She returned to the skull and the contents of her bag, wondering what she might do with it. She studied it, separating the jawbone from it with a crack, looking over the flat, useless teeth of the human. The hybrid ran one long finger over them, the still-white, near-perfect teeth of someone who had died very, young. Kaena's deft fingers took up the twine again, and she began to thread it through the skull's eye sockets and around each end of the jawbone, tying it with enough slack to allow the jaw to hang ajar. She hunched over her work, her thoughts growing quiet as she busied her fingers and put her ever-wandering head to rest, allowing the mechanical motions to take her over.
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Hope you don't mind that I'm usually a short poster. :3
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What was this? A break in the rain? Ryan emerged from the cave situated not far from the den she shared with her daughter, fingers grasping the cool, damp rock as surprise clearly worked its way into her features. After all this miserable weather, Ryan would have only assumed that it would never stop raining. But it seemed that the clouds had grown tired of crying. At least, for now. The young Inferni woman turned back into the cave, grasping at the bag that housed much of her sewing supplies. She wouldn’t tell Valkyrie, but she was making the girl a dress for when she grew older and was able to shift. That was still months away, but Ryan had needed something to keep her hands busy. Maybe if she could find Ember again, Ryan could strike up some sort of trade. With all of her visits to Halifax, the hybrid had plenty of supplies for a few new projects.
The bag was swung over one shoulder, the bulk of it falling at her side and causing the plaid fabric of her dress the crease from the contact. A swipe of one hand sent the auburn curls bouncing over her shoulder, and the de le Poer set off. Common crimson eyes studied the greyscale horizon, looking for any sign as to whether or not the heavens would soon open up. Though sun was sparse, nothing looked too threatening. Perhaps the hybrid would be blessed with a few hours of calm to get her chores done. Traveling in damp clothing, Ryan had come to find, wasn’t quite comfortable.
She hiked the strap further up her shoulder, readjusting the bag so that it fell more against her back, rather than her side. Her destination was a common one, and the trail there was easy unmonitored. Ryan let her feet guide her as her crimson gaze searched the scenery. She didn’t see a soul in sight, but figured the other clan members were waiting out the rain in the mansion. Maybe they didn’t realize that the drizzle had ceased for now.
The stream was what she sought. It was here that she usually washed her clothes, preferring the fresh water over the bay which made her clothing stiff with salt. The purple dress was easily pulled over her head after the bag had bent gently set aside, and Ryan went to work. Kneeling along the shallow shore, she dipped the garment and begun to scrub at it. She was careful not to be too harsh, but it would be nice to have a clean dress again. The only problem that was likely to arise was the rain; she hoped the calm would last long enough for the fabric to dry.
When she finished, she laid the dress out on a bush, hoping the mist would hold off. It was strange for Ryan to be unclothed, but it reminded her of the occasional times she spent on four legs. It had been just under a week since the last time; the form was usually reserved for hunting. Brushing the bangs away from her eyes, Ryan decided to wander away from the stream. A strange scent had caught the girl off guard and her curiosity told her to investigate.
She watched amused when she finally discovered the woman holding a skull in her fingers. Inferni’s choice of exterior decorating had never bothered Ryan (though she knew Savina wasn’t a fan). She didn’t mind that someone had decided to add to it. Had she known the legacy of the woman before her, perhaps Ryan would have been mystified to be in her presence. Instead, the girl simply offered, "I may have some more twine in my bag," forgetting for that moment that the bag had been left behind with her drying dress.
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occ- -pounces- I too am a short poster. I also need to post on Souls in general more. >>;; (400+)
Vexx was back in Inferni after an eventful "adventure" with the wolf named Flayra. He knew that not many wolves were fond of the coyotes, even the hybrids, but he never knew the extent. He was young and he needed to learn more about his own pack in general. Vexx decided to go searching around for some of the members who were older and higher in rank. It was a smart idea, in case he met a wolf who was not so fond of coyotes themselves. He really never meant harm to anyone. He was quite benevolent, but then again some still would have a vendetta against him. The hybrid traveled deep into the coyote clan's territory, seeking those who would share some very helpful wisdom with him.
Vexx was a shy guy, yes, but he was a little scared when he happened upon a graveyard full of corpses and skeletons. The boy was a little of a wimp, even though everyone else in his pack were ruthless and mean. Well maybe not mean to him, or so he hoped. He stepped carefully, rattling of bones making him jump every other moment. However, over the rattling he heard voices. Not the voices of ghosts, but rather actual living things. He hurried across the graveyard in the direction of the voices.
He ran and ran until he came across a stream, accompanied by two female coyotes. Vexx wasn't much of a ladies man, but he wasn't girl shy. In fact, he already knew one of them. Ryan, who he had met when he first joined Inferni, was talking with another woman. He didn't know the other coyote, but he was sure she was somewhat of a new addition. The hybrid walked up slowly, shaking from nervousness. The woman he didn't know had a skull in her hands, which freaked out the poor boy even more. His pendant which dangled from his neck was bouncing around furiously and he was shaking. He stood a few feet from the women when he gathered up the courage to talk. "H-H-Hi t-there. Wh-wh-what're ya d-doin'?" He sat down, though his legs were still shaking like jelly.
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Yayyy. :3 Short posts are totally fine. I write long intro posts and I adjust to the thread as it goes, so, s'all good by me.  Moar people can totally jump in later, too.
mall-caps;">In Character
The hybrid was absorbed into her work, threading the twine through and around again and again, tying it securely when she was through. The hybrid detected an approach, her acute hearing picking up the distinct sounds of footfalls as they came closer to her. She was unafraid; they came from deeper within Inferni, so it was most likely a clan member, and if not, then one friendly to them, for otherwise they would not be inside of their territory. The footsteps stopped just behind her, and a voice rang out, an unfamiliar tone. Kaena could finally smell the newcomer, and indeed, she was an Inferni coyote.
"I got a few more bones," the Lykoi began, turning around to face the woman. She was startled by her eyes—they were that unmistakable shade of ruby-red, that deep crimson that proclaimed her a de le Poer as clearly to Kaena as if she had screamed her surname at her entrance. "... but I might have enough here," she finished her thought, clearly distracted. For a moment, Kaena thought she'd found another grandchild, but upon closer inspection she realized Lykoi blood was not present in the stranger. Still, she was as taken with those eyes as she was the moment she'll looked into Ahren's. Before the Lykoi could ask her about her heritage, however, another exploded on the scene, wild-eyed and looking rather freaked out. The Lykoi did not recognize him, but he smelled of Inferni.
He shook and quaked like a leaf, and he appeared to have some difficulty speaking, stuttering this way and that. The Lykoi leveled a golden eye at him at the question, grinning like a madman and cackling for just a moment before she answered, holding the skull up in one hand at the tawny coyote. "Decorating, my dear!" she said brightly. She was teasing him, though there was no menace in her voice. She couldn't help herself; everything about the young coyote screamed fear. "Kaena," she said, introducing herself to both the male and female coyotes before her. A nod of her head was offered to each, and she waited for their introductions.
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A response was not offered to the words the stranger gave her. Instead, Ryan watched interestedly as the woman worked easily and pointedly with the skull in her palms. The movements of her fingers made Ryan wonder whether or not she had any experience with sewing; she wouldn’t have been surprised, what with what seemingly ease she fed the twine through the orifices of the skull. Upon studying the woman’s appearance, Ryan could draw no logical conclusion of her heritage. When meeting Talitha, for example, the young Inferni woman had easily been able to identify the child as Gabriel’s. Even when she had caught Ahren’s glare, she knew there was de le Poer blood. This woman, however, still remained a mystery; her legacy unknown.
The footfall was what first alerted the no longer dress-clad girl to raise the crimson gaze towards Vexx’s approach. She did not worry that it was an intruder; he came too noisily, too hurried. Surely an enemy would take more care upon entering enemy lines. She recognized him once he came fully into view. She still remembered when she had first allowed him to stay in Inferni. Poor boy. She tried to recall… hadn’t he said something about losing his memory? Ryan tried to dissect her thoughts and think back to that meeting long ago, but she was distracted by Kaena’s voice. Ryan hadn’t even heard Vexx’s words having been lost in concentration. A thin smile appeared at the woman’s response. Inferni did have a sick sense of design. Perhaps it bothered Vexx just as it bothered Savina, Ryan’s best friend.
Unsurprisingly, Ryan hadn’t heard the name before. Perhaps it was shameful for the subleader not to know the history of her own clan, nor recognize the founder that stood before her, but Ryan would openly admit that she was still naïve to much about the clan. Its reputation Ryan had learned of outside of the clan borders. Still, none of it bothered her much. At least, not as much as it seemed to be upsetting the cinnamon colored boy. "I’m Ryan," addressing Kaena since the other was already aware. She raised her gaze from the Lykoi to look expectantly at Vexx.
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The woman's cackle reminded Vexx of witches (which he couldn't remember a thing about though), and it made him further uncomfortable. He shook a little less, but wasn't inclined to be close to the coyote, and hid behind Ryan, although he still faced the other woman. She said she was merely decorating, but Vexx still stared warily at the skull gripped in her hands. "Sure is some decorating," He said quietly to himself. He quaked slightly as the grey coyote took some pleasure in finishing up her "decorating". She introduced herself as Kaena. That was a name his etched into his memory. "Nice to meet you Kaena,"Vexx replied quietly as he was shielded by Ryan's legs.
Then Ryan introduced herself to the older coyote. She didn't seem as bothered by the skull which the tanned boy just couldn't take his eyes off of. Maybe she was just a little more used to it than Vexx was. Lucky her, she didn't quake in her boots -or rather dress- as the situation called for. The hybrid noticed that she seemed lost in though about something, but he didn't ask. It wasn't any of his business anyway."Nice to see you again, Ryan." He looked up at the woman with ears flat against his head, but an earnest smile on his face. He turned back to Kaena, although the smile faded from his face. "S-So the skulls for the borders, right?" It was a stupid question to ask, but Vexx felt like he needed to say something or he'd just be a third wheel.
It was sad how Vexx still couldn't remember his past, but he found out how he lost his memory. He wished he hadn't though, because it disappointed him beyond words. He refused to talk about it with anyone else. He could remember just wandering into Inferni and Ryan so nicely taking him into the pack. He felt like he didn't need it, but then again, he had nowhere else to turn. He knew he wasn't well liked because of his coyote heritage and looks, and just the way he looked in general. He had freakish, half blind, deep blue eyes with crazy tattoos on his face to match. The pendant around his neck freaked some out too, even though it seemed normal. His "normalness" as opposed to the ones that were "Luperci", although Vexx still wasn't sure what that was, made even more discourage him. What a terrible life Vexx had led. So far.
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[html] | http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/kae_disorder.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> The coyote Kaena had pegged for a de le Poer introduced herself, sans surname. Kaena would figure it out sooner or later; blood ties were hard to hide. The Lykoi nodded at the coyote, though naturally, she couldn't discern simply from her stance that she was second-in-command. Inferni had long refused to lower itself to wolf standards of dominance and submission, and it would have been as out of place for Ryan to raise her head and strut about with her tail straight up as it would have been if Kaena had pressed herself to the ground or tucked her tail between her legs. That wasn't to say the instinct to do such things was altogether absent from the coyote; she grappled almost daily with that particular issue.
The hybrid was about finished with her skull, and she tied and picked at the knot which held it all together. The classic method of mounting it to a stick would do here—now, to find a stick. The Lykoi stood, stretching and extending her arms once she did, exhaling a big sigh. The golden coyote spoke, and Kaena glanced at him, wondering what manner of coyote this was. He reminded her somewhat of Kidorah and Segodi, the coyotes eager to make nice with the wolves and quick to stay the hell out of their way. She did not disregard his kindness, however, and offered him a smile as he said it was good to meet her. "And you," she replied softly. There was hope yet—Vexx hadn't outed himself as a wolf sympathizer like those two, but he seemed frightened, as if he'd been pushed around all his life. Though there was little light in the coyote's heart, but she was not altogether cold, and as she glanced at Vexx, there was some residual sympathy for him.
The coyote meandered a very short distance from the pair, though she listened to Vexx speak again. She returned after a moment, a thick, young stick in her hand. "Yep. Helps keeps the pests out," came her reply. By pests, she meant wolves, naturally. Kae rather unceremoniously jammed the base of the skull onto the top of the stick. There was a sharp crack as part of the bone gave way, and once Kae released her hand, the jaw hung agape, tied securely to the top of the skull by her deft fingers. She grinned, offering the creation to either of the two coyotes. "Wanna plant him?" she asked, knowing Vexx would probably decline. Ryan might not, though—and Kae was eager to share in the revelry of Inferni. It had been too long since she'd felt that sense of belonging. This was home, sure as anything.
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She found it interesting, watching this woman work so simply with the skull so that it could join the others in marking off Inferni’s borders. Ryan wasn’t sure why, but somehow it was captivating. Maybe it was because she had never actually seen anyone put the piked skulls up – they had always just been there. She supposed it had never crossed her mind before that someone had to actually come along and deliberately place them where they stood. But this all amused her. And when the invitation was open, Ryan eagerly accepted, "Of course."
A sideways glance was spared towards Vexx, wondering whether he would want to tag along as well. Ever since Ryan had accepted him into the clan, she hadn’t heard much from him. Perhaps he was still dealing with regaining his memory and judging by his actions now, it didn’t seem as if he felt particularly comfortable around the other clans members. Maybe that was speculating too much. "Where’re we going to stick ‘im?" She asked Kaena, who still held the piked skull in his clawed hands. Her crimson gaze studied the milky white of the bone, a thin grin finding her features.
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His kindess was met by the older woman's as he greeted her. She had said it "kept the pests out". It made Vexx wonder about what type of pests she meant. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as she had offered Ryan a chance to "plant" the skull. It bothered him, that Kaena had asked Ryan, instead of offering to both of them. He could have done it too, although he wasn't really planning on it. "I'd do it too. Except, I kind of don't have thumbs. " The hybrid looked down at his paws, normal looking like they should be.
He seemed a little more comfortable now, as he discontinued hiding behind Ryan, and standing out facing both of the women. The skull that Kaena held tightly in her hands, which was now piked on a stick, still bothered him somewhat. Maybe it was the fact that it was a skull that she held in her hands. Vexx had seen the planted wolf skulls near the borders, and never even noticed. Maybe Vexx was just getting weirded out by nothing.
Ryan had then asked where they would place the skull. "I think the borders," the tanned boy repplied earnestly. He didn't mean to sound like a smart-ass about it, but he was sure it was a little obvious. If all the other skulls were there, why place it far from its buddies. It just didn't make sense to him. He looked to the grey woman, hoping that she would say something as well. Vexx didn't like sounding like an idiot.
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Kaena's mind drifted, thinking of the first time they'd made it a tradition. It had been her and Gabriel—well, it was Gabriel's idea. He had said his people in the desert had done that, and Kaena had adored the idea from the instant it left Gabriel's mouth. She remembered painting those first skulls with him, splashing bright crimson as the bone of Baneesh's killer burned beside them, crumbling into ash and bringing that dark era to a close at long last. Her son had called it psychological warfare, but Kaena just thought it was damn appropriate. Inferni meant "the dead" in some ancient tongue, and it was only so fitting that they would adorn their perimeter with symbols of death.
Ryan accepted the skull as Kaena figured, and she shrugged at Vexx, a half-hearted apology. He had seemed bothered by the bones to begin with, although Kaena hadn't considered that perhaps he was just shy—in any case, he seemed to be calming down, and Ryan asked where they ought to put the thing. Her eyes wandered over the area; there were more bones than they'd ever had for the former territory. The coyote peered around, looking at Vexx with confusion on her features, one black eyebrow quirked. "You don't shift?" she inquired bluntly, having only rarely heard of such a thing. Non-luperci were the anomaly now—everywhere she went, she encountered werewolves of some form, whether they revered their strange new heritage or loathed it.
The tawny coyote spoke again, and Kaena smirked. "Probably put him somewhere that's looking bare," she added. There were a few different skulls and bones scattered around them, the newest of which hung nearby, swinging lazily in the gentle wind. There was a big, bleached-white wolf skull nailed to a tree a bit further away, and Kaena could barely see the outlines of another canine skull just a few feet beyond that. She looked the other way, and saw just a large, unidentifiable leg bone stuck into the ground between a few smaller trees, and nodded in that direction. "Less stuff that way," she added, her golden eye darting between her two companions.
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Beneath thick lashes, her ruby eyes turned on Vexx, studying him in a new light. She hadn’t known that he couldn’t shift before. Any time she saw him he was, of course, in lupus form, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a Luperci. She found it slightly odd, as non-luperci seemed rather uncommon for the most part nowadays, but it didn’t bother her in the slightest. Ryan wasn’t really one to judge.
She turned her attention back to the task at hand – their decorating. Ryan too scanned the territory that surrounded them, nodding to Kaena’s words in agreement. "Yeah, over there’s probably best." A hand idly swept the auburn curls from her shoulder as Ryan began in the direction Kaena had mentioned. Her movements seemed strange to her without the smock of fabric lying over her rusty colored fur, but the sun had remained out for now, so hopefully her dress would be close to dry by the time they had finished with the skull. Her gaze traveled to Kaena then, curious. "Have you just joined?" It was obvious that she had, since Ryan had never seen her before, and she was sure that it had been Gabriel to allow her inside the borders. But maybe some colloquial words while they planted their art would solve some of the mystery and answer the questions Ryan’s mind always wanted to ask when it came to new faces.
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[html] | http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/kae_disorder.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> Alrighty, since Vexx has gone on extended absence, me and Ryan are gonna continue this thread. :3 No worries about how long it takes you to reply, though, I would also really like it if Kae and Ryan got to know each other. ^^; Vexx, when you get back, we'll definitely thread. ♥
Ryan seemed to agree to Kaena's plan, and the two hybrids began walking in the direction Kaena had suggested. After a few feet, the grizzled coyote realized their companion had declined to join them, and she paused a moment, peering behind her with that damaged gaze. Vexx was probably moving off in the other direction, deeper into Inferni's territory. The woman was perplexed by this, but she did not mention it to Ryan as she caught up, shrugging one coal-powdered shoulder at the sepia-toned woman. She was content not to mention their clanmate's anti-social tendencies; the woman held no grudge against the bronze coyote for it, anyway. Many of the coyotes in Inferni had darker pasts to speak of, and perhaps it caused him some amount of strife.
As they walked, Ryan posed a question, one which Kaena was uncertain as to how to respond; the answer was at once a certain yes and a resounding no. There was no succinct answer Kaena would have given that would have been truthful, so she instead immediately told the truth in the shortest version she knew. "Rejoined, yes. I helped to found this clan on the other side of the mountain years ago," the swaggering air apparent as she said those words, though the pride was not of herself, but for the clan. Inferni had managed to survive this long while packs fell to pieces around it, unable to survive something as simple as a transplant to new territories.
"Gabriel is my son," the coyote said, assuming since her name had sparked no recognition that Ryan would be unaware of that fact as well. She smiled at the woman, that same pride creeping into her. She was quite happy Gabriel had done so well for himself; he had held the reigns and established in her wake what might have been referred to as a dynasty of Lykoi to rule the coyote clan. "How long have you lived here?" she inquired, having no knowledge of the woman or even her rank within the clan. They arrived to a blank space in the canvas of bones, and the coyote peered around, nodding to Ryan to wordlessly say this was where she thought best, though there was surely still room for adjustment from the tan female before her.
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Sorry for the wait on this! :]
300 Ryan had come to Inferni four months after the fire had ravished their old lands. She had come to learn of the fire through others' recollections of it, though this area had always been Inferni to her. It was strange for her to hear that Kaena, the woman before her, had been one of the founders of the clan that Ryan held so dear. And to think, she had been around when the clan had banded together on the other side of Halcyon. Ryan had always just thought of Gabriel as Inferni’s one and only Aquila. "Oh, wow," Ryan breathed, startled by this confession. She suddenly began to look at the woman in a new light.
She trailed after her, her eyes catching the gleam of the bone as the sunlight danced on it. "Your son?" She automatically replied, now turning her gaze back onto Kaena. She didn’t see much resemblance, but that of course didn’t mean it wasn’t true. In fact, she was amazed. Ryan had always had a great amount of respect for the Aquila, and she could picture herself developing similar feelings for the great woman next to her. "Wow, I didn’t even realize," a soft laugh escaping her lips.
"I’ve been here for almost a year now." Wow, had it really been that long? It was strange to think back to last fall when she had first discovered her father in Inferni and had finally found herself a home. And now here she was, with a daughter and leading alongside Gabriel. "Last fall I came and found my father, Anselm, here. And I’ve been here ever since," she told her, as she moved over to the spot Kaena gestured to be their garden for planting the skull. "Looks perfect," and she moved to the other side of her companion to survey the area. "How far down does it have to go?"
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[html] No worries, I hope you're having fun! It must be inspiring being around the wilderness and everything.
There was admiration from the younger coyote after Kaena had spoken a part of her legacy, although the grizzled hybrid had never been a successful leader. In simple terms of longevity, Gabriel had already bested her at that. She had changed their ranks, yes, but then again—so had Segodi, and so had Kidorah before him. But Kaena's system seemed to stick; it served their purposes without requiring the constant kowtowing and submission demanded by wolf hierarchies. She supposed that was why it was still in place, albeit slightly modified. The basic idea still existed, and Kaena considered this an important turn. Gabriel could have easily reoganized the hierarchy at any point during his long rule; yet here were some of the very same words the grizzled hybrid had selected to define their rankings.
"We don't look very much alike," she commented. Her son looked far more doggish than his mother and their coats were almost directly contrasted; Kaena was a dull, drab gray highlighted only with white, black, and that single splash of roan red across her muzzle. Their eyes were the same, but many canines had golden eyes. It was easy to mimic certain traits; others, like that brilliant crimson of the woman's eyes, were not. That deep red shade was remarkably rare, and though Kaena had dimly realized the woman was a de le Poer, it did not become completely obvious to the grizzled canine until she spoke her father's name. Two sable ears perked up, and there was a frightening grin on her scarred features. "I should have known you were a de le Poer," the monochrome hybrid said with a laugh, shaking her head. "It's good to meet you." There was no need to mention the connection between their families; that was obvious.
Though they shared no blood, they were a sort of family. She was some kind of cousin or something to Gabriel—the hybrid woman had no idea beyond first and second cousins. That was close enough for Kaena; she marveled for a moment at the tawny woman's coyote appearance. Her father could easily pass for a wolf to any untrained eye; the hybrid woman correctly assumed Ryan's mother must have been wholly coyote or at least high-percentage. There was that petiteness and slenderness about her, disguising the raw power of a predatory canine. "About this much. Doesn't need to be perfect; nothing's permanent in this world." The coyote held her hands roughly six or seven inches apart, having no knowledge of what an inch was or how to convey measurement other than gesture. She spoke merrily of being temporary; no doubt eventually they would have to replace the stick.
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Ryan crouched down where they had decided their decoration would be placed. She swiped her clawed fingers at the ground, breaking away some dirt from the compacted earthen floor. Of course in lupus the task would be easier, but Ryan just wanted to get a small hole going so that it would be easier to strike their piked skull into the ground. She didn’t mind as the dirt gathered under her claws when she dug deeper, leaving a small pile of it gathering beside her. When the hole seemed satisfactorily deep, Ryan rose to her full height, swiping her hands on her thighs to brush away the loose soil. "Hopefully that’ll be enough to get it in there." She brushed an auburn wave away from her eyes, before turning to Kaena.
"Are you planning to stay?" She didn’t mean it offensively – she wasn’t judging her for ever having left Inferni. In all honestly, the clan seemed to scoop up stragglers here and there, only to find them gone a week or so later. It would be nice to have more permanent members around to keep Inferni strong; especially because of her blood, it would be nice to see her stay. "I mean, I was just curious if you were just visiting Gabriel." He had lost much of his family, so perhaps Kaena’s arrival would be good for the Aquila. But that was just Ryan’s assumption from the outside looking in – she had no real idea of the duo’s relationship with one another.
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[html] | http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/kae_disorder.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> The silvery canine was quite happy to be adding to Inferni's decor. There were many different types of bones adorning their borders, but the coyote woman did not believe she'd seen any human skulls. Then again, she supposed finding one that wasn't already decayed to dust and nothing was hard enough. The other coyote began to dig, and the hybrid helped where she could, stretching a paw to scoop some dirt when Ryan was putting it to the side. Generally, though, Kaena tried to stay out of the other canine's way while she was digging the hole. The mahogany-furred woman spoke, and her grizzled accomplice nodded, stepping forward to place the stick in the hole. She held it upright and as still as possible, pushing at the dirt with one of her feet to begin filling in the hole.
The hybrid woman smiled. It was a familiar question, and one she'd settled before she'd even returned. "Yes," she responded at first, simply. The hybrid had been reaccepted and ranked into Inferni again; there was no chance of her wandering anywhere else. If so, she was destined to die—the coyote woman was far too old to survive on her own again in the open wilderness. "I'm not going anywhere. No reason to, and I wouldn't make it out there again, I don't think," she said, shrugging. It was a natural fact of life—aging was as unavoidable as death.
Back then, the silvery coyote could have no more turned her back on Eris than she could have her other young children—and at least with Arkham, Andrezej, and Rachias, Kaena had known they would be relatively safe in Inferni, raised with their older half-brother. Eris, on the other hand, had been taken by a madman, and there was no guaranteeing her survival and safety. "When I left last time, it wasn't really my choice... well, no, it was. But I had to go, you know?" the hybrid said, hoping she would understand. The coyote did not mind elaborating on her story, but neither did she wish to bore anyone with the inane details of it. Were Ryan to ask a question, Kaena would have gladly answered—but for voluntarily divulging information, the Veritas was typically content to just share the skeletal frame of the story.
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Ryan didn’t know Kaena’s specific situation, of course, but she thought she could understand. Though it was her physical choice to move her paws and leave, something else had compelled her so that she wouldn’t have been able to stay even if she had wanted to. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Ryan felt similar now, though she had not allowed her situation to pull her away from Inferni just yet. Where she felt compelled to go, well, it wasn’t as easy as walking there… Ryan would have to find a boat. Even then, she knew it would be hard to find him.
"Perfect," wiping her palms on her thighs again, she admired their work. The strange shape of the human skull added a little something special to their decoration. She hadn’t seen one of these strung along their borders before. Somehow, Ryan thought it seemed more frightening. "Would you mind going for a short walk?" She thought of her dress drying along the brush where she had left it. It would be nice to get a few more words in with Kaena – get to know her better – before Ryan wandered off towards her den again. And suddenly she was feeling strangely vulnerable without her purple dress; perhaps their decorating had done its job to send a small shiver down Ryan’s spine.
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[html] Social skill had never been Kaena's particular saving grace—she generally only felt truly comfortable around her very own family and a select few others. There was constant, itching paranoia when she was with wolves—even friendly ones. It had taken her some time to trust Naniko, but showering the scarred woman with gifts had certainly helped the pallid wolf's case. The silvery hybrid was quite happy to have taken her trip out there, though it was troubling that she now felt indebted to a wolf—one from the very same pack that had recently been causing some kind of trouble for the coyotes. Her wounds from Xeris still ached, though they were minute in comparsion to the havoc Haku had wracked on her body. Kaena had been lucky indeed to survive that thrashing. In the weeks following it, she had often wondered if she would survive it again, and she was rather happy to have put him in the ground.
The coyote woman nodded, glad that the auburn woman had not pressed. There was another awkward smile from the coyote, and her attention was drawn to the finished decor. She grinned widely, and nodded her head in approval. "Sure should do the job," she said with a grin. The coyotes were perhaps the only creatures who felt compelled to proclaim their territorial claims so loudly—perhaps because their borders were so often disrespected by wolves. The hybrid woman thought of the bastard who had been smashing their skulls, and where he was now—served him right. The other coyote's question came suddenly, and the hybrid woman did not have to consider it long. The desire to know her clanmate and strengthen the bonds that held them together was strong, and she shook her head. "Not at all," she said in her somewhat raspy tone. "What did you have in mind?" The silvery coyote was not always the greatest at the social aspects of life, but she was not entirely useless when it came to befriending others.
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Invitation accepted. Perfect. A genuine smile formed at the corners of her lips, and Ryan nodded. "Great. I left my dress by the stream not too far off, so I figured we could walk back that way and get it. I’d love to be able to chat. It’s been awhile since I’ve took the time to really get to know some of the others around here." Ryan still attributed that to the pregnancy and care of Valkyrie, yet her daughter had hit seven months of age already, and was becoming quite the woman. The Centurion didn’t have much of an excuse anymore.
She twirled to set them off in the right direction, walking at a leisurely pace since they were in no hurry to be anywhere. Because of the woman’s age, Ryan pretended for a moment that it was her mother Leah walking beside her, and that thought warmed her core. "Are you glad to be back?" She wasn’t sure if Kaena had been to this Inferni before, or if she had only been a part of the Inferni over the mountains. Either way, they were both an entity of the other, so she figured it was all the same.
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[html] | Baww. ;; Ryan is leaving?
mall-caps;">In Character
Of all the things Kaena loved about raising children, there were certain things she would not miss. There was the slowness of pregnany, the pain of birth, and the intensive, long hours required during their youth. Kaena had managed to raise a litter of eight, and their numbers had only dropped to six while in her care, and neither death would have occurred had there not been murderous wolves. Perhaps the world was a safer place now, perhaps not—with Haku dead, there was one less monster to worry about, and Kaena was quite glad for that. She still felt as though it was sheer luck (and perhaps a dash of experience) that had brought him down. A simple error, a slip of the foot, and it could have easily been her.
The coppery hybrid spoke again, and Kaena's interest piqued. She did not know many canines who regularly dressed in human clothes, though she was vaguely aware of it as a style. The grizzled hybrid had never felt the need to cover her own body; she rather liked the display of scars etched across her. They were worth something, though the possession and use of human objects was also significant. Canines who did that had mastered technology, which was a dangerous, wonderful thing in and of itself. The woman smiled, reflecting her clan-mate's sentiment, and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. You usually dress in human clothes?" she asked, too curious to resist. She wondered if it was beneficial to dress in such a way. The hybrid had never seen armor, though she would probably be completely enthralled at the idea.
The pair of coyotes set off, the silver woman trailing for a second and then trotting to catch up, falling into step next to Ryan as she spoke. She grinned at the question and nodded enthusiastically. "I've never really thought of another place as home," she admitted. "This is a different place, but it is the same clan," she said. Her family still dwelled here, and it was here they would all eventually return. The coyote almost laughed aloud at an idea—she wanted to get someone to paint a sign that directed other coyotes to the new Inferni, and plant it on the old, burned beach. That way, if anyone showed up there looking, they'd know where to go for sure.
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