mall-caps;">In Character

    The coyote woman was quite accustomed to this process, and it was one she often undertook, though she derived no pleasure from it. She knew it was good to add to the clan's numbers, and she enjoyed knowing all of the faces in Inferni, but it hardly helped to make these encounters any less monotonous. It was rare that Kaena was surprised by what she found on the borderlands, at least where strangers were concerned. She was not expecting anything different this time, her sun-yellow eye gazing forward rather inquisitively at the female coyote, still sizing her up.



    The younger canine spoke, her sharp words prompting the silvery hybrid to laugh, her expression absolutely indiscernible through all of the cris-crossed scar tissue on her face. It was something of a smirk and something of a smile, her remaining eye shining brilliantly. "Oh, that's all?" she responded coyly, tilting her shaggy Secui head to the side. "What ever gave you the idea we were into that sort of gory play?" she asked, an uncharacteristic and utterly out-of-place innocence feigned in her voice. It was jest, obviously—one who carried as many scars was obviously not peace-loving, and the skulls were practically a dead give-away.



    The silver woman smiled, her face and voice becoming far more natural, the usual rasp of the Centurion's voice ringing out as she began moving closer to the tawny coyote. "Kaena Lykoi. This is Inferni," she said, introducing herself and the clan at once. "So," she added immediately after, indicating there was more to come. Still, she left a hefty pause here, considering her words. "You can fight? Anything else?" she questioned, clear interest showing in her features. The coyotes were often in danger and they needed able bodies—the more the merrier. Still, the hybrid woman was required to ask these things, so she did.

umg, I suck. :/ You can reply once more, and I r close? We thread later? Sie needs less Kaethreads right now, so I gotta let some of them die off before I take more. <3 OH, also, please feel free to participate in the Inferni Game and add yourself to the residence list when you figure out where Bram's gonna chill. :3



    The hybrid woman had remained silent on judgment thus far; she was generally one to hurry along this border process, but she had been taken off of the beaten trail by Bram, and she enjoyed these odd paths now and again. Already, the younger femme had sealed her place in Kaena's good graces with her frank honesty and her proper read of the coyote clan's demeanor. Then again, any idiot with half of a brain could piece together what the skulls symbolized—but few she had encountered here on the borders took to that statement with the same vigor that this young coyote had. That in itself meant something to the silvery hybrid.



    The coyote grinned again, though she did not continue in the comedic revelry. It was rare enough to hear one joke pass from the hybrid woman's coal lips, let alone two in quick succession. The coyote's mischevious smile let Bram know that her humor was appreciated, though the moment the yellow-eyed canine began to speak the Centurion became infinitely more serious, that intense sole eye focused on the younger woman's face. It was true; wolves had done a hell of a lot to Kaena throughout her lifetime, though it would seem she was slowly learning that they were not wholly bad. Still, they were not to be trusted even a tiny bit until they proved they were worthy of it, and a great many of them were too stupid or too vile to bother with.



    There was the rare genuinely good egg, Kaena was finding, and it was displeasing to have such glaring errors in one's way of thinking. Kaena did not like it, though she rationalized her wolf acquaintances in the name of gaining information or favor. Certainly it had worked to Kaena's advantage to get to know Naniko and enjoy her company; the hybrid woman's most recent scuffle had nearly crippled her, and Kaena was thankful she'd had the herbs there. It wasn't quite as good as Fatin's healing touch, but still—it was certainly better than her usual method of healing, which was simply to soak her body in salt water.



    Wolves had taken quite a bit from the hybrid woman, physical pieces of her body, chunks of her heart, slices of her very soul. Two of her children were quite dead thanks to wolves, and that was enough heartbreak and pain to last a lifetime. "Anger is good," she replied, her steady voice speaking simple but meaningful words. "Anger can be channeled into action very easily." This was the truth; in her angriest moments Kaena Lykoi was a beastly sight to behold, all raging teeth and raised fur.



    The younger coyote continued, and she seemed eager to throw her weight wherever was necessary, though her foremost desire was apparently the warrior's path. This pleased the hybrid coyote, and she nodded her scarred head. "Our numbers recently dropped, but there have been a few additions to our ranks in recent days. You'll fit in nicely with the lot of them, I think," the hybrid said, nodding. "I am the second-in-command, and my son, Gabriel, leads us. For now, you will rank as a Tirones, our subordinate position." The coyote's words were as short as possible, leaving Centurion and Aquila from the speech to save spinning the poor girl's head around with all of the unfamiliar terms.



    The coyote woman did not want to simply walk off and let Bram figure things out completely on her own. Even if Kaena wished to round the borders once more, "You can make your home in the caves, where most of us live, or in the mansion—or anywhere in the wilderness you'd like," she said, tossing her head to indicate the wide territory the coyotes called home. The grand tour would have to wait, but the hybrid woman was quite confident her simple direction would aid the new Tirones in finding her way.



    "The mansion is not far—head deeper into the forest and you're sure to find it." The grand gardens and the large building was rather difficult to miss; it was the only human structure remaining within coyote territory, save the slag of the landfill. "The caves are at the heart of the territory. You're sure to find it if you follow the scent trails," she said. It was something like Rome; most coyotes of Inferni were headed into and out of the central point of the coyote territory. The silvery Centurion appeared pleased with the clan's new addition, and she grinned again, speaking once more. "Questions?" the coyote inquired, quite willing to linger if the new member of Inferni required any more accommodation before she was released to the wild.