[html]  I HOPE THIS IS OKAY. I think we talked about a thread and I am on a freaking roll tonight (I think this is number eight!?) and I don't want to stop writing for Kaeface. ;____; IF PERCHANCE you are too busy my dear, you should edit the thread title with your superpowers to make it a regular AW thread and I will not be offended. XD But if you can make it, grand!  Forest of Nod.
It was raining again. Kaena's ear flicked as she listened to its pounding outside, the constant drumming of the drops against the already sodden ground. It had rained for most of the day, and the silvery canine was attempting in vain to fall asleep, but the cacophony from the outside world was making that impossible. Sometimes she found the sound of rain soothing, and other times it annoyed her beyond belief. Tonight was one of those latter times, and the silvery canine found herself rising, a snarl half-forming on her face as she stalked to the entrance of her cave, squatting down to stare glumly into the blank darkness.
A sable ear twisted to listen to her lover's breathing behind her, again contemplating the mess she'd gotten herself into here. She loved the red wolf deeply, no doubt about that, but she had clearly been unfaithful. While Fatin was being tortured and burned, Kaena had probably been screwing Jacquez in that damp cave. The thought made the Optime woman shudder, and step out into the rain rather unceremoniously, wishing it would cleanse her. Kaena did not have to wonder why she was troubled; she felt as though she had failed her russet woman in not being there to pull her back from danger's edge in the nick of time.
Sighing as the cool water fell over her, the hybrid woman wished it would wash away the stormy thoughts parading her head, adding to the insomnia already provoked by the drumming rain. No such luck; now she was just wet and miserable. Snorting at herself, the silver canine meandered forward through the caves, figuring on ringing the borders. Why the hell anyone would be out in a rainstorm like this, Kaena Lykoi had absolutely no idea—but it was always a possibility. Stranger things had happened.
The canine loped across the plains, water and mud splashing up onto her belly and across her legs as she went. She made a note of this and hoped it would not flood here again. It had not been fun last time, though the Centurion was able to survive by fishing the coast, some of her other clanmates were not so good at that type of hunt, and it was difficult to provide enough flesh from the water to sustain an entire clain. The coyote mulled over this as she entered the forest, deciding to follow a creek to see how badly it was swelling. Angry water roiled in the normally serene, tiny creek, and the hybrid woman peered over the bank to ascertain just how close to spillover the water was.
It was alright; if it stopped raining in the next day they would escape another flood, she thought. If it did not cease to rain—as it had some weeks ago—they were screwed either way. Such was life in the lowlands, though that thought didn't help any, and the hybrid woman could not supress a growl of annoyance at the elements, shaking her head as she meandered away from the creek, contemplating the health of the clan at this new development as she cut through the woods, heading for the borderland. If it were not for the rain, the hybrid woman knew she would have smelled death, the wolf trespasser the coyotes had recently felled, but at the moment, she could only smell water.
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[html] Hybrid had been asleep when the rain had begun. He had fallen asleep beneath a tree and awoken to the sound of rain. At first, his intentions had been to wait it out, but as the rain progressively worsened, he had remained beneath the tree, doing nothing. He had waited for hours, but the rain had not relented. Eventually, he decided to venture forth and head back to his den despite the rain. It did not look like it would let up any time soon, and he had no desire to remain in the Forest of Nod any longer than necessary.
Hybrid was drenched. Although he had been waiting beneath a tree for most of the day, the moisture and dampness had permeated his mangy coat; Hybrid was now had the appearance of a drowned rat. Although he usually looked like a malnourished rat, now he simply looked like a drowned and malnourished rodent. Hybrid suspected he looked rather pathetic, though, he failed to realize that his matted fur made his many scars all the more visible. He also had the appearance of being a very dirty and unclean rodent to boot. In short, the rain did nothing for his normally unattractive appearance.
In all honesty, Hybrid wanted nothing more than to return to his den. As he set out, he noticed the form of a large canine moving toward him (or his relative area). He could barely make out whether it was a coyote or wolf due to the rain; he tensed, ready to fight should the creature be an enemy. He waited as the creature neared, frowning when the canine came closer. He paused, then relaxed, realizing it was Kaena. He twitched, unsure of what to say to the older hybrid. He had never spoken to her directly, and had grown used to her absence. Gabriel was still the only one he would ever follow, but by extension, should the need arise, Hybrid would willingly serve Kaena as well.
He frowned, squinting into the rain. He inhaled, about to greet the female, but stopped abruptly. He did not know what to say. He waited. [/html]
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The silvery woman was left to contemplate the fate of the clan in the evening's rain, again wondering how they persevered while the packs fell to pieces around them. How was it that the less-social coyotes, the loner cousin of the wolf, would retain a stable group structure for all this time while the packs had been able to make a simple journey? This was an interesting question to her, and Kaena thought she had several pieces of the puzzle. For one, they had been more family tethered to Inferni in those days. Then, Anselm had been waiting on this side of the mountain for them, ready to help them to settle down into the new lands, adjusting them quicker than the rest of the packs. Third... well, the coyotes just kicked ass. Maybe the years of wolf persecution had given them a keen new awareness of their position in the world, underlining the importance of sticking together like glue.
Through the rain, the hybrid woman's ears could just faintly detect the heavier patter of paws against the ground, distinctly different from the pitter-patter of the rain. The coyote turned, her sun-yellow eye lighting on Hybrid. They had seen each other only in passing in the past few months Kaena had returned, though in general the silver coyote had not seen much of him. Then again, she had little reason to actively seek him out. The ash-furred woman trotted a little closer to him, dipping her head almost imperceptibly. It was a tiny gesture, but rather significant. Though they both had been longtime members of Inferni, they had never been particularly close. This fact didn't seem to bother either of them, though now Kaena was faced with the awkwardness of having known Hybrid for a very long time without knowing a single thing about him. She smiled a toothy sort of smile toward him. "Lovely night," she commented simply.
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[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> She took the initiative to speak first. Somehow, Hybrid was glad he was not the one to have to initiate the conversation. If it was up to him, he would have said something either fair more bland or far more repulsive. Hybrid did not consider himself to be anti-social by any means; he was just reclusive. If there was a difference between the the terms, Hybrid would believe it, but somehow, it felt as though he was just fooling himself. Of course, he didn't need to be social, friendly, or talkative when his only goal was to defend Gabriel and Inferni. Although in his youth, Hybrid had been in and out of Inferni every so often, he had somehow taken the clan to be his home. He did not identify with his parents' clan, or even those who bore his name. Even his own daughter took Ryan's name as her own, and yet, they were both gone. But none of that really mattered in the long run anyways; his only task was to protect Inferni's legacy. To keep Gabriel safe. To keep Inferni safe so that Gabriel would be safe as well. To be better than any creature that tried to threaten the safety of Inferni. Hybrid did not need social skills for that. He needed sharp claws and pointed teeth.
Kaena greeted him with a dip of her head, somehow making the motion look elegant on a creature as scarred as she was. Hybrid still did not understand Samael's obsession with the women. Of course, Samael would probably never understand Hybrid's obsession with him, either. For being so similar in personality and design, the two were so very far apart.
Hybrid jerked his head to one side in reply, shuffling in the opposite direction as some sort of mangy greeting. He coughed, trying to clear his throat. "I guess," he replied, still coughing slightly, "you could call it that." He flicked his ears back, then drew them back, lowering his tail slightly. In the short time Kaena had been back, she had easily managed to surpass Hybrid in rank. Now, Gabriel's family -- Anselm and Kaena -- sat at the top. Hybrid had liked it best when it had been Gabriel as the lone Legatus. But, of course, having Kaena beside him made more sense, and having Anselm nearby in a top Immunes rank, too, made sense. Gabriel was safer this way and so was the clan. Hybrid could not help it if he resented being a Hydra -- equal -- with one of Vitium's children and expected to remain complacent.
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[html] | http://sleepyglow.net/rp/kae/kae_razor.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> The silvery coyote eyed her clanmate for a moment, noting how similar he looked to how he remembered. Hybrid had never been on the massive side, and his wolf's blood ran thin, though he was certainly true to his name in mixed blood. He had always seemed disheveled and unkempt, though now in the soaking rain it would seem even more apparent. The hybrid woman herself must have been a bedraggled mess, for certainly she herself was soaked to the bone. What would drive a creature out in weather such as this other than an odd affinity for it or a sour mood?
Kaena again wondered how they could have been residents of the same clan for so long without hardly knowing each other. There were gaps in both of their histories here, and certainly they had overlapped at some time or another, but Hybrid Holocaust was a name as ingrained into Inferni's history as her own. She recalled his service during the Aremys war quite clearly, and how eager he had been to serve her desire to push the wolves away from coyote territory.
He spoke, and the silvery canine smirked, then paused for a minute to glare menacingly at the stormy sky before continuing, "I do think I have seen enough rain these past months to last several lifetimes." Neither seemed particularly happy at the weather or each others presence, and the canine was rather surprised at the mild display of submission from the soaked Hybrid. She could not supress a face of distaste, and she looked at him earnestly, opening her mouth to speak, shutting it abruptly, and speaking in a burst.
"Don't do that," she half-requested, half-demanded. Kaena did not wish to give him any personal directive unless absolutely necessary, but she also desired to let him know that she certainly did not require any such sort of displays of submission except in the most formal of circumstances. She was comfortable beside Gabriel at Inferni's helm, and there were some canines she thought needn't show that she was elevated above them. It almost seemed wolfish to her, anyway. "You're not some new face that just floated across the border," the silvery hybrid added, the strained look on her face conveying the awkwardness she felt in the moment.
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[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> She did not seem to say much. Although her reply was satisfactory, a simple reflection on the monotony of the weather, Hybrid suspected that, for Kaena, actions spoke louder than words. He remained silent, having nothing to say in reply. It rained; Hybrid remembered the rain from the summer, and now, it rained again. He had nothing to disagree with in her statement, as it was completely true, but had nothing to add to it. And so, true to his nature, he remained silent. He only seemed to speak when he sought to taunt or ridicule, or to cuss and swear. If anything, when he spoke, very little good came of it, be it for him or the other creature.
Hybrid was mildly surprised when Kaena spoke again. Although Hybrid had never recalled ever submitting to Gabriel -- even when Gabriel had threatened to break him -- Hybrid did not want to find himself in a fight with Kaena, for whatever reason. Hybrid had no knowledge of her demeanour or her personality; he did not know what could make or break him. But even now, he was surprised; he never would have suspected Kaena would feel uncomfortable when he allowed her the rightful dominance she earned. She was the mother of Gabriel. She was second in command. Hybrid was a dispensable soldier. She had no right.
"As you demand," Hybrid replied, looking away for a moment. He might have well been a new face; in the past three months, he had done nothing of note or recognition. He had ignored or resented Halo and had not helped her in any way to improve her fighting skills. As his fellow Hydra, he knew he should be concerned for her safety, but he could not bring himself to care. Should Halo be injured in a fight, it would only bring him down. But the last three months had been a neutral haze of apathy, and its mists still clung to his fur.
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[html] | http://sleepyglow.net/rp/kae/kae_razor.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> The coyote could not remember much of Hybrid from the past. He had been present for some meetings she had attended, certainly—they must have seen each others' faces several times even over the past few months, passing by some several hundred feet away from each other without stopping. Kaena had assumed he was attending to his own business, or she was in the process of attending to her own. Either way, the hybrid woman now felt rather apprehensive about not seeking him out, though she had no reason to. The coyote possessed no knowledge of his encounters with his children, his history with Vitium and even now in the present, with Samael—though if the rain had not been pounding on their heads, she might have smelled her son in his coat.
Dismayed, the coyote looked at him again, trying to discern a mood from his face. There was nothing, just blank apathy there, sunspots flaring in his crimson eye on occasion, presumably the same dark fury that crept across her head on occasion. The silvery canine could not suppress a sigh, and her gaze jerked to the ground, her single eye watching rivulets of runoff as they cut across the ground, constantly finding new space to invade and cover. "I didn't mean it like that," she said, still frowning at his use of the word demand. For the first time, the hybrid woman felt awkward in her rank. She knew her own place, she knew her duties, but she did not feel the need to underline it unless necessary. Maybe that was a bad attitude to take, maybe it would cost her her position sooner or later—but the coyote woman was hardly one to fight it if it came to that. She was getting quite old, and in a year or two, perhaps she would be too arthritic to be of use to the clan. In the meantime, it was important to prove her worth in the hopes that they would take pity on her and care for her then.
The hybrid woman thought her best hope for that was Halo, partially because she was female and also because the girl had an exceptional liking for her. Samael would always be there for Kaena, she knew that—but there was strife in his very soul and according to the prophecy for which he was conceived, he was not bound for this earth long. According to Astaroth, the Prince of Fear was a demonic reincarnation, given to Kaena to nurture and cultivate. The hybrid woman had proven Astaroth himself was no devil, but then again—it did not mean that his ideas were all worthless.
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[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> Hybrid frowned, paused, looked away, and -- another pause -- exhaled. He clenched his jaw, not wanting to say or do anything that would put him in a bad position. That is to say, he did not want to do anything to put him in disfavour with Gabriel. He glanced up at Kaena, the scarred extension of her son. Most would have thought Gabriel to be the scarred extension of his mother. But that was false. Kaena was a withering beast, and although she still clutched to her remaining shreds of dignity (which Hybrid did not doubt she had), she had lost her glory. She looked old and tired. Hybrid would not pity her. It was her choice. She chose this; she created this.
"Then what did you mean?" he demanded. "You're oversimplifying things," he claimed, then looked away. Like Jean Jacques Rousseau, he would make a claim and stop. He did not elaborate. Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains. Stop. You are oversimplifying things. Stop.
This was not an elaborate puzzle to be solved, nor was this a mystery. It wasn't even miscommunication. It was the fault of using too many models and assumptions to simplify a complex world. Well, the world was complex, and you could not always rely on your watered-down notions of how it worked. Reducing a clock to merely two gears would not make it run. Removing all your emotion would not make you unbiased. And throwing away your beliefs did not make you a conformist.
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[html] hooray siefail D:
There were stories, rumors—Hybrid was a madman, and Kaena had appreciated that in him once, but now she found it frustrating. His movements were strange and awkward to her, though she patiently waited for a response from him. He was her clan-mate and she was obligated to know him and serve his best interests in her actions, was she not? The hybrid woman conceded to herself that it didn't mean she had to be his best friend, either—wasn't it better and easier for everyone involved if she was simply aloof, elevated? She was too damn awkward anyway. She caught herself folding her ears and ceased halfway through, keeping them half-mast to listen to Hybrid speak. The rain still drummed about them, and the hybrid coyote now regretted her decision to wander about in the storm. It would have been a better night spent curled up alone in her cave, sleeping until morning came to break the weather.
Oversimplifying? The hybrid had trouble wrapping her head about that one—what could he possibly mean by that? "I meant I don't feel the need to show rank unless it's called for," the coyote said, thinking maybe that convoluted the situation even more. Kaena certainly wasn't above flaring her hackles and showith tooth, that was for sure—but she was not the absolute authority of Inferni; that was Gabriel, and he alone had the power to deliver punishment among them. She was only his sidekick, though she much preferred this set-up, especially at her age. "Why should you?" the coyote added, shrugging a coal shoulder. Though the coyote was frustrated with herself and Hybrid, her scars masked some of it and the dim lighting took care of the rest, only the occasional jagged bold of lightning flashing across both of their features, making them each appear fearsome in the sudden brilliance.
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345. Was reading Edmund Burke before I wrote this. :> And apparently Hybrid has, too!
[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> For a split second, Hybrid could have sworn he saw Kaena give something of a pensive sigh. Her features were all crumpled up, as if she could not decide if she should draw her brows together in concern or frown in annoyance. It almost seemed as though she was giving Hybrid's comment a lot of consideration. It was either that or she was simply thinking. But the moment was gone and Hybrid had no reason to consider it any longer. Just as soon as Hybrid had noticed the quick expression, Kaena was addressing him again.
Hybrid flicked his ear to one side, taking a few moments to contemplate the woman's question. He considered remaining silent; then she would be left standing in the rain, and the only thing that would separate them would be the rain. As Hybrid considered this possibility, the silence stretched on, save for the quiet pattering of the rain. In reality, it was much greater -- and Hybrid was in fact underestimating the power of the natural forces of nature -- but it was more of a distraction for the male coyote than anything else. Or was Kaena the distraction? Hybrid glanced up at the female, studying her battle-wrought features. Her muzzle was adorned with the carefully-cut marks of her enemies, serving just as much as a reminder to Kaena as those around her. Her single golden eye peered out beyond a history of carnage, revealing emotions Hybrid could never hope to understand. So delicately marred were her features that she now carried herself with an elegance befitting to her line. A mixed line of hybrids and mutts, defined by murder and gluttony. Hybrid could not find his answer in her features, nor would he find it in anyone's appearance. However, she did somehow convey the essence of what he was thinking.
"Perhaps for the aesthetics of it. What is power without authority?" he queried. "Or making up for past transgressions. I can't decide," he mused. This was perhaps the most he had spoken in the past three months. He grinned.
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[html] | http://sleepyglow.net/rp/kae/epidemic.gif); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:226px; padding-left:25px; padding-right:25px; padding-bottom:10px;"> I had to google him up. I are unedumucated. D:
The hybrid woman was content to sit in silence with Hybrid. She didn't find it uncomfortable after a few moments, and as she was not given to talking excessively herself, she could hardly pressure him to answer. If that was all they had to say to each other, then Kaena would leave him in peace in the rain and continue about her own business, though the meeting would echo on her mind and dampen her mood for some time, to be sure. She had worked through much of her awkwardness and anxiety where social situations were concerned, and it would dishearten her to have another setback.
There was a ring of truth to the Hydra's statement. Power without authority was nothing; without anyone beneath you to boss around and use as you please, you were just a madman laying claim to power without any actual proof to back it up. The silvery canine smiled toothily in the rain, her sallow canines showing in a rather amused grin, her answer a familiar subject to herself and the coyote before her. "Madness, I'm sure," the coyote said, halted a little by his next words. Past transgressions? That was a new one; the hybrid woman did not think Hybrid had done anything particularly evil or crazy. Then again, she had not been here a terribly long time, and the time that she had been absent was long. A year and a half was plenty of time to wreck havoc.
The coyote tilted her head to the side, her yellow-golden eye narrowing as she looked at the man once more. "So far as I know, you owe me no debt for anything you've done. If anything, it would be mine owed to you," shrugging her shoulder. She would not pretend some of the awkwardness and frustration she encountered here (and he, likewise, so it would seem) was none of her fault. If she had bothered to seek out the Holocaust canine as an Aquila, or even upon her return—maybe they wouldn't be here like they were at the moment.
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335. I got to read a long, rambling letter written by Burke about how the Glorious Revolution of 1688 in England and the French Revolution were not the same at all... and he was very upset someone said they were. :> It was interesting, and there were points I agreed with (like the aesthetics part) and others I did not (how hereditary kindship = freedom!)
[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> She smiled. Hybrid blinked, surprised, at the show of emotion; it was unexpected. If anything, this blatant show of body language was disconcerting for Hybrid, as much of his body language was polarized. He either moved too much, pacing and snarling, constantly itching to do something; or he moved too little and remained silent and still for hours on end. His range of body language was therefore very limited; hence his reaction to Kaena's obvious display of it. Somehow, he felt inept.
Just as quickly, words replaced actions: madness, I'm sure. Hybrid clenched his jaw, not wanting to laugh. He did not want her to know her words had amused him; for some reason, it would feel like treason. Treason against the aesthetics of things; treason against authority.
She moved her head, narrowing her eyes for a moment. Hybrid hesitated, then unclenched his jaw, recoiling slightly. What did she want now?
So far as I know, you owe me no debt for anything you've done. If anything, it would be mine owed to you. Hybrid frowned. What did she want? Or, what did she claim she did not want (that surely she did?) She had to be lying. Why would she even think that she owed Hybrid anything? He had never done anything toward or against Kaena; why would she think it was she who carried the burden? Hybrid narrowed his eyes in return, thoroughly confused. He shook his head, trying to figure out how to reply.
"No," he noted, "not to you personally." He paused. "I attacked Gabriel last year. I was bored," and sexually frustrated, but she needs not know that, "and he won. And nothing else." His words felt mechanical, as if he were forcing them out. But the source of his guilt did emanate from that day (though, calling it 'guilt' would be stretching it a bit far). As the mother to Gabriel, Hybrid felt as though telling her about this would somehow pass it on. To whomever. Hybrid didn't know.
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[html] | http://sleepyglow.net/rp/kae/kae_razor.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> See, this is why our school systems suck. I've learned almost nothing of any other countries' histories, yet I've taken American history from colonization up until the second world war twice over. Forget about anything from WWII to the present, forget about foreign history. -_- Hooraaaay NJ school systemz, lawl
The coyote could recall clearly why she had respected this canine to begin with; when she had returned from her long hiatus, he had been one of the first to throw his weight in with the clan, eagerly taking up arms against the Aremys pack. The coyote woman could not forget that—how fearsome they'd all been, charging the invisible line separating coyote territory from wolf territory, their shoulders rubbing against each other, goading each of them to outpace the fellow next to him or her, to be the first to arrive and spill the wolf blood on the other side of the border. For that, the coyote hybrid could not help but hold this member of Inferni just a little higher than the rest.
His words were just a bit surprising to the hybrid woman, and she wondered what might have possessed him to act in such a way. He had no good reasoning for his actions, listing boredom as the primary cause. The coyote tilted her head to the side, seeming to mull over this revelation for a moment, and then she shrugged her shoulder just slightly, lifting it up and dropping it flatly. "We're all entitled to our moments of madness," she said. At her very worst, the coyote woman had turned on her own daughter for no good reason at all. "It's over and done with, yes?" the coyote said, though it was a paradoxical statement for her to make, of all creatures—if nothing else, Kaena was obsessed with the past, and she often immersed herself in it.
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325. Aww, that's too bad!  I love history -- I'd be very sad if I only got to take Canadian history over and over again. But I did get to take American History in high school! It was fun! I still have an ongoing feud with a friend over whether Theodore Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson is better. We decided they turned into mecca robots and had babies, named Theodore Wilson and Woodrow Roosevelt and lived happily ever after.
[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> Hybrid let out a quick, barking laugh at the Centurion's words. Entitled to only moments of madness? Surely she meant to say they were entitled to long, arduous stretches of madness that bled into one another, seething and careening as they washed over you and swallowed you whole. Surely, that was what she meant, for that was exactly what Hybrid experienced. Of course, madness was not so much external, as Kaena implied, but internal, as Hybrid experienced it. His madness was hardly even a madness; for, one would had to be mad to experience madness. And Hybrid was not mad. Perhaps Kaena suspected he was -- or perhaps Kaena herself was -- but Hybrid was perfectly sane.
He regarded the ancient matriarch with a perusing glance, curious to know how much of this momentary madness she had experienced. He wondered if she truly believed what she preached. Did she really think if one was mad they could be entitled to a moment of it? Vitium had allowed himself a moment of madness, and now he was an exile, loathed by all clanmates (and rightfully so). His moment of madness had been his downfall; he could never put it behind him. Likewise, Hybrid wondered if Kaena had any "moments of madness" she wished to be forgiven for. His grin widened; perhaps she did. Or, perhaps she was just lying to make herself feel better. Hybrid hardly knew the woman; thus, he felt no guilt for wondering if she lied. How honest was Kaena Lykoi?
"Do you really believe that? That we can be allowed our faults if it is only fleeting?" He glanced away, pausing momentarily. Could she even justly or legitimately forgive someone who, a) had their moment of madness, and b) claimed it was over and done with? If Hybrid had a moment of fleeting weakness and ripped off Kaena's leg, could she forgive him? Would he want to be forgiven? Would it matter?
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[html] http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/kae_bloody.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:fixed; padding-top:230px; padding-left:15px; padding-right:15px; padding-bottom:10px;"> LMFAO. XD At least they got a happy ending. XD Learnings is fun. I love school and learning and expanding my braiiiinz, but I can't stand math because I am beyond terrible at it. >_> I've always been the best at English. D: I should just suck it up and become an English major, durf. /textwall
Put to the test, a lot of what Kaena thought and believed about the world fell flat. She hated wolves, yet she slept with them, had their children, and was even partially wolf herself, though she had seemed to square that away long ago—identifying as coyote was as good as being a coyote. It was just the same as tearing out the wolf half and setting it aside, except, that didn't make wolf instincts fade. That didn't make it any easier to reconcile the instinct that screamed for her to lift her head and tail up high when she was around lower-ranked coyote, perhaps why she fought against those instincts, or tried her best simply to ignore them, in most situations.
The idea that family was of the utmost importance also fell flat, considering her actions (which spoke far louder than words). She'd walked away from her own children: see also, Kerberos and Maeryn, abandoned at the Jaded Shadows border in the hopes that they would find a better life. Kerberos was lucky enough to survive; Maeryn followed her mother and fell prey to just such a moment of madness that Kaena certainly could have found unforgivable, had it been another mother slaying her daughter. There was also Andrezej, Arkham, and Rachias—and Andre might still be breathing if she had been around to save him. She had cast out Vitium because his actions against the clan (and the family) had been beyond forgiveness. If familial love saved all, then shouldn't be have been forgiven, too?
His words had given her obvious pause, and now she responded, speaking as she rose from deep thought. "Did you kill Gabriel? Cripple him? Scar his mind?" she inquired in turn, knowing the answer to these questions already. "Depends how destructive your faults are," the hybrid said, shrugging. It was all a matter of consequence to her; Vitium had cost them the life of a trespasser and betrayed his roots (meaning he would do it again). Kerberos had lived, which made abandoning him forgivable. Maeryn had died, and killing her was unforgivable. Rachias and Arkham would never love her as a child should love their mother, and though that was despicable, their fate was better than the grave, and thus an offense for which she ought to be forgiven.
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8D learning is lovely.
[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> She did not understand. He could see it in her eye. She was looking right through him, not caring what he meant. She only cared about what she thought. Hybrid wondered if she even cared for Inferni at all, or for her son. How could she forgive him for attacking her son so easily? Did she not feel something toward her kin? Although Hybrid did not hold his kin close (they had all abandoned Inferni; thus, they were scum in his eyes), he was certain family had to mean something to someone.
"It's the thought, not the action. Mutiny is not just..." he began, trying to gesiticulate with a shake of his head. Mutiny is not just saving a wolf. Mutiny is not just Vitium. It's the thought, too. Hybrid knew what he wanted to say, but for some reason, he could not say it. He had not held a conversation in months. He had not spoken to anyone in months. He was forgetting the art of conversation (of course, he had never known it).
"It's the will, too. The desire to do it. That sort of behaviour is unacceptable and punishable." That was what Hybrid didn't understand. Why hadn't Gabriel retaliated? Obviously, he did not view their fight as punishment. It was self-defence. It was natural. It was what Hybrid had needed. And Gabriel knew it.
Kaena was nothing like her son. "Gabriel understands," he said at last.
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The silver coyote peered at Hybrid, trying to determine his motive for bringing this up for the first time. Did he believe he had not incurred proper punishment for his actions? The hybrid found it strange, then, that he would have come to her—she had no knowledge of this past transgression, and she would have been blissfully unaware of it had Hybrid not mentioned it himself. Gabriel hadn't considered it prudent to mention the attack to her, and thus the silvery woman assumed it did not feature prominently on his mind.
The Centurion listened intently as he spoke, remaining quiet until he had finished his thought, though her single eye did not waver from him through the rain. The coyote no longer regretted coming out; this conversation was delving into old wounds and strange territory, the latter of which both irritated and spurred her thoughts at the same time. The coyote woman now wondered why Gabriel had not thrown him out then and there—obviously it was too late for retaliation now, but even the bedraggled coyote's current rank was one of trust. As Hydra, he was expected to protect Gabriel's life, yet he had endangered it with an attack.
"Then would you say Gabriel is a fool for trusting you with the Aquila's protection rank?" she questioned, a barbed one at best. "I would say he believes your one traitorous act was not enough to condemn you forever," the hybrid pointed out. Some were, some weren't—in retrospect, maybe she should have forgiven Vitium. The heat of the moment and being so close to tearing that Aremys trespasser to pieces, maybe that had made her act too rashly. It was long over and done with, though—there was nothing Kaena could do now to draw Vitium back.
"Over and done with," the coyote repeated. If Gabriel believed Hybrid was capable of such behavior again, he would not be at his present rank—he would not be here speaking to Kaena at all, and he might have been lucky to still be breathing. Traitors were not treated kindly among them, and the hybrid woman did not believe Gabriel would have trusted Hybrid with his life if that sort of behavior had any possibility of becoming a pattern.
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465. Hybrid = IDKIDKIDK. :| (Also! I want to get the Inferni monthly points thing! Maybe they could bond and go hunting for some food and then see a wolf hunting nearby, kill the wolf and the prey and skin both? 8D )
[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> Something was not right. Hybrid could feel the conversation shift ever so subtly as Kaena spoke; he instantly regretted his words. Why had he divulged such a part of his history to her? Perhaps he had wanted to reveal something about himself to connect with her. Perhaps he was looking for acceptance, or better yet, punishment. Perhaps he still felt guilty for the incident. He didn't even know anymore. Kaena's replies only brought about more question, and her inquisitive golden eye stared him down as he listened. Her features, lavished with scars and adorned with marks of battle, victory, and defeat, mocked him. Like Kaena, he bore such wounds, but there were some that still shamed him. There were large gashes on his throat, healed skid marks on his shoulder, and a healed dislocated shoulder all from Gabriel. But somehow, the injuries were not enough. Hybrid needed to pay reparations somehow. He had tried his confession. He had been wrong.
But again, Kaena questioned him, and again, he had no answers. He flattened his ears, recoiling slightly. Never would he harm Gabriel. But that was exactly what he had done. He was useless.
"I am not a traitor," Hybrid replied venomously. "I--" he began, but stopped suddenly. I would never betray Inferni, he wanted to say, but he knew Kaena would misinterpret that. He had not betrayed Inferni on that day. It had been something else. Something lesser. He had needed Gabriel to show him what he meant as a leader. As a superior. And he had received it. Gabriel had done exactly what Hybrid had needed. And he had understood. But for some reason, Hybrid could not effectively convey this to Kaena. Yes, what he had done was wrong, but it had not been a traitorous act. It had not even been a test. It had been a confirmation. It was how Hybrid was reminded why Gabriel was the leader and why he served him. It had not been Hybrid testing out Gabriel's strength or trying to assert a false sense of superiority. It had been anger, pure and raw.
"You created him -- why don't you understand him?" he asked at last. She had created him, yes, but she had not shaped him. Hybrid, on the other hand, had witnessed much of the shaping of Gabriel. Perhaps that was why he identified so closely with the other male. Although Hybrid could not attempt to understand Gabriel, he knew there was something about the other hybrid that made him who he was. Hybrid respected that in some twisted form. Maybe he just chose to show his respect in a different way.
Maybe he wanted to ask, Your clan created me -- why don't you understand me? But maybe that was asking too much.
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http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x242 ... table1.png); background-color:#000000; background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; text-align:justify;"> Homg, yes! They should bring back wolfy's head and put it on a stick (ala Lord of the Flies XD) and let it rot into a new skully decoration... FOR MOAR POINTS. XD!
Kaena had faith in very little. She had never been instilled with religion; the furthest her father had attempted to go with that were the brief explanations and stories of the old worlds, Roman mythology and a little Greek as well. She knew the stories of Icarus and the dangers of flying too close to the sun, but nothing of any god. It had never been a part of her, though she thought about the afterlife quite a bit, and she definitely believed in devils—sometimes it seemed like fate had a hand in all of their dealings, but more often it seemed they were adrift in a sea of chaotic randomness, nothing particularly sensible or right about it. One of the few things she did trust blindly, however, was her eldest child—Gabriel had never shown himself to be weak to Kaena, excepting his youth. She saw in him all the things she had not been as a leader, all of the qualities which perhaps had lead to her own failure.
Hybrid's words elicited a smile from the hybrid woman, and she nodded her head quite vigorously for a moment, agreeing wholeheartedly with him. "No, definitely not." That was the point—Hybrid's one small act of kind-of, sort-of betrayal had not been enough to give Gabriel cause to throw him out on his ass. At the man's question, she could only helplessly shrug a shoulder—she understood Gabriel no better than Kerberos or Conway or Rachias and Arkham, or any of her other children with whom she had no deep relationship—despite living with Gabriel longer than any of her other children. It was one of the strange and sad facts of life, Kaena supposed, and it brought a grimace to her face, her coal-dipped shoulders shrugging in response. "I don't know, but I wish I understood him better." Her answer was almost flat, deflated—the coyote woman did not like to think back on her rocky relationship with her son. It was certainly not the worst; the hybrid woman knew she had done wrong by Kerberos, and she would never recover that particular relationship. She looked at the Hydra, shrugging her shoulder.
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316. AMAZING IDEA! Maybe after this, we could initiate that?
[html] http://i42.tinypic.com/2dif428.png); background-position: center top; background-repeat: no-repeat; width: 500px; background-color: #000;"> Hybrid clenched his jaw, eyeing the older matriarch uneasily. She spoke in riddles. They were not normal riddles, no; nothing like ones that looped in circles and used more bombastic language than a king upon his throne. No, it was simply that Hybrid and Kaena appeared to exist on two different planes. She saw the world as she liked to see it, and Hybrid did, too. The only problem was that, despite how similar in design the two were, they had little in common. Hybrid knew she could be vicious, but it appeared as though she was being more vicious with her words than her teeth and claws. Hybrid did not understand this kind of aggression as much as he did physical aggression.
Thus, her second admission came as no surprise to him. Or, it shouldn't have. He still found himself clenching his jaw tighter, surveying the woman with an even more apprehensive eye. "You've lost control of Inferni, then. Gabriel and I are the only ones remaining from the previous incarnation. None of the other members know what Inferni is. Not even you." He said the last bit with a touch of a sneer, somewhat annoyed she could have let this monster escape her. Inferni was a monster. It was a living, breathing creature that could achieve much, but always had its greatness trumped by some external factor.
He could not speak with her anymore. All these words and nothing to do with them. Hybrid could not continue like this; nothing good would come of it. He whispered a quiet farewell, and began to back away. His movements were slow and almost languid, tired even. All these adjectives, but none that properly described him. He slowly placed one paw after another, moving away, keeping his eyes on the Centurion. If Kaena did not understand Inferni, Gabriel, or Hybrid; Hybrid most certainly did not understand her.
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