Lunatoke gasped for breath, alternating between a combination of limping and running, and walking. She couldn't stop quite yet; she wasn't sure whether the flames were still behind her. And plus, she needed to find shelter.
As if an immediate answer to her prayers, she came upon a section of the rock wall she was running parallel to that had a sort of roof overhang to it. That would certainly do nicely.
To be safe, Lunatoke shifted into Optime form and tested the rock's sturdiness; didn't want it to come crashing down on her head. The rock was sturdy, and flat. All she had to do was find some leaves and she'd have a makeshift shelter. Lunatoke looked around. The only bunch of trees around her were a couple of miles away. Lunatoke shifted into Secui form. If she was going to make a shelter, she was going to have to do it now.
Lunatoke ran faster in her Secui form, but she was still ragged from the great amount of miles she had run away from the flames. Her friends, her mentor... what had happened to them?
Lunatoke shook her head, ridding herself of such thoughts. No need to brood on the past; focus on the present and everything would be fine. At least, she hoped so.
Fortunately, the leaves hanging from the trees were just soft enough. If Lunatoke tried, she could certainly sleep on them. All of her problems were fixed for exactly one and a half seconds until her stomach growled. Loudly.
Lunatoke snarled to herself. Food! Food, of course! How could she be so stupid? She smelled the air. She really couldn't smell anything but some berries and a rabbit or two. She sighed. Looks like she really was going to have to start all over again.
It was hard trying to be quiet when Lunatoke was so tired. She felt like she was cracking every stick in the jungle. After a bit, she realized she was too tired to hunt a rabbit. So, she settled with just the berries for tonight. Using her Optime form, she picked some of the berries off a nearby bush and wrapped them in some leaves from one of the trees. They weren't poisonous; she couldn't smell the faint bitter odor that always wafted from poisonous plants and animals.
After the berries were firmly wrapped in the leaves, Lunatoke shifted back into Lupus form and picked up the bundle gently with her teeth. She walked this time, afraid to collapse in the middle of nowhere and have it rain on her.
Finally, she got back to the little roof. Lunatoke turned back into Optime form (getting tired of all the shifting) and unwrapped the berries, setting the leaves into a bedlike pile. She ate the leaves, staring at the sunrise. Lunatoke yawned. How long had she been running?
After the berries were well and gone, Lunatoke went Lupus again, and plopped down on her small pile of leaves. Her last thought was that she hoped she wasn't on the territory of a hostile tribe; that would really be ugly.
Okay. Will somebody please reply to this? I'm not allowed to reply to any other posts until a moderator responds to my roleplaying. Please? Someone? Anyone?
ooc: here you go!
He had been traveling a while now, and his paw pads hurt from the walking. The plain Eastern Timberwolf had been trudging along for almost a full day now - he had left his old pack after he had turned two years old yesterday and had set out for a new adventure in Nova Scotia. The mild-mannered wolf was weary, but excited as well; he had never strayed very far from his home in the northermost Halcyon mountains, and was wondering for a while what was out there in the wide world. His mother had wanted him to stay, but she didn't force him to stay - she knew that if he wanted to leave, he should be able to experience what was out there and maybe join a pack different from where he was born.
It was then, deep in thought, that he scented a different scent than he had smelled before. It was another wolf, it seemed; he took another deep breath and determined that the scent was female. He hadn't seen any wolves in his life other than that of his old pack, and occasionally the passing loner - the latter, however, he didn't talk to or really see very much. Uncertain, the wolf padded on in a Lupus form towards the scent and before long, and sure enough, he found a wolven girl in her Lupus form lying in some soft leaves.
"Hello," he said softly, walking up to her on four legs. "I really hope you don't mind if I rest here a bit? I've been traveling almost all day," he said proudly and wearily at the same time. He was excited and happy that he had made it this far - but he also was unsure of this person and whether or not they'd be offended if he rested there for a bit.
(Wow this is a short and bad post.)
Lunatoke startled awake to the sound of a male voice. She jerked her head up, looking the Timberwolf straight in the eyes. He seemed friendly, and he was in a resting position, so it couldn't hurt to talk. Lunatoke stretched her sore bones and sat up, her voice and body still shaking a bit.
"Hello," she said. She remembered the voice waking her up asking something about resting. "Sure, you can rest here. I don't mind a bit; I just scraped up a few leaves and crashed here myself. Who are you? If you don't mind my asking," Lunatoke added, going into a minor state of submission in the last sentence. She wasn't sure whether the male was a pack wolf or not; for all she knew, he could be the alpha.
OOC:
It's pretty important for you to make sure you're patient when roleplaying. :3 I know this is your only thread right now, but partners in roleplay can't always reply, and there are some days where none of your threads will have replies here at 'Souls -- it does happen. You can always make new threads, but right now, it would be prudent to focus on this thread and making your posts as good as possible -- you can also take your time in replying and don't feel pressured to reply immediately.
Your first post is filled with great detail, but it seems to happen over a long span of time -- when you roleplay back and forth with another person you can't always make time pass so quickly and write about the action, so when interacting with others you can always give more detail -- for example, when Lunatoke reacts submissively, you could describe her body lowering and her ears folding back. The Essentials page on the RP Guide details many additional things you can write about. It helps your fellow player to give detail.
Another small detail regarding the understanding of Luperci -- in your first post, it seems Lunatoke is tired but she continues to shift from one form to the other. Shifting does take a bit of energy, as quoted from the RP Guide:
Quote:Shifting takes a bit of energy no matter the time of the month or energy level of the individual. Luperci are not able to swap quickly back and forth between forms. If a Luperci shifts numerous times consecutively, s/he may faint from the amount of energy eaten up by the shifting process.
Just thought you should take note!  Also, I've inferred from your opening post that Lunatoke would smell like smoke, but I'm not sure whether she's just escaped a fire or the fire was some time ago. It can help your fellow roleplayers to give a bit of reflection, perhaps on the fire that Lunatoke is running from, even in posts that don't directly react to such action. I didn't have Enlil mention the smoke smell, but if the fire was recently, maybe he can inquire about the odd smell, if that's okay with you?
Thanks for being patient and working with us a bit here. An administrator will be sure to get you properly and fully accepted to the game soon, but we still recommend that you continue to work on your post content and the general length of your posts. If you need further assistance with anything regarding posting and writing improvement, please send a PM off to this account.
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IC:
She seemed uncertain of him -- her voice shook, though whether it was fear or tiredness, the wolf did not know. Still, he was wary of her, too. Despite his wariness, he was determined to be friendly -- she didn't seem aggressive and he was quite lonely after traveling alone. His ears pricked upwards and his eyes remaining on her in curiosity, though he respectfully avoided directly meeting her gaze. His sharp mustard-yellow eyes instead roved around the small shelter, taking in her setup with interest -- though it seemed thrown together rather haphazardly, it seemed extremely comfortable after sleeping out in the open for so long.
"Thanks," he said, a smile drawing across his tan-hued muzzle. She didn't seem too proud of her shelter, but he marveled at it. "I'm Enlil Kaveh. Who are you? Where are you from?" he remarked, unable to help himself from rapid-firing questions at her. He was starved for conversation -- after growing up in the mountains with his mother and siblings, he missed company terribly. Not to even speak of his family, the very canines he missed more than anything.
Still, here was an opportunity for conversation -- and besides, this was a great place to rest. The rocky overhang would have provided shelter from any rain, though the male did not think any were on the way. The skies had been clear and cold. He suddenly realized there was an odd smell -- it was coming from the stranger herself. It was not altogether unpleasant, though he had yet to recognize it as the lingering smell of fire. He did not inquire upon it to avoid offending the she-wolf -- after all, demanding to know what that smell was might well get him kicked out of this comfortable resting place -- and instead waited patiently for a response to his first question before inundating her with another.
OOC: I think I fixed everything. How's this post?
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IC:
The male seemed eager and happy, unlike herself. He was also being a bit submissive himself, so he was probably a loner, like herself. She loosened her posture a bit, trying to seem more relaxed. Her fear of rejection and wish for another's company and comfort warred, and her wish for someone to speak to and her past confidence won. She looked around for some berries or whatnot, just in case he was hungry. He hadn't said anything of the sort yet, but just in case...
She nodded and wagged her tail slightly at acknowledgement of his thanks. He then proceded to ask many questions in one breath, and she couldn't help but wince a little. She then regained composure, remembering that if she was going to be among others, she was going to have to answer some questions. She did, after all, come out of nowhere. "My name is Lunatoke Asnar, but you may just call me Lunatoke," she answered. "If that is alright with you, Mr. Kaveh," she added, being polite. "I am from down south, where the climate is warm and there are many squirrels." She settled down even more, remembering her past life. "I used to live among four tribes. The alphas were kind and true, and the members helped one another no matter their origin. I fished a lot, but I mostly stayed on my own. I found out a few recipes to heal wound infection and the like--Oh, I do hope there are some of those fruits out here--and that was pretty much it." Lunatoke winced, remembering what happened afterwards. "Then, there was a great fire. Lightning struck our Great Tree, and flames devoured everything. I ran to the north, and I wound up here. That may explain why this smoky stench clings to my poor fur," Lunatoke shrugged, as if it didn't matter.
She snapped back to the present, and worried about whether she had put a burden on the young male with her ramblings.
"I hope that wasn't too much for you," she whimpered. She really did feel terrible about reflecting on the recent tragedy. "Are you hungry?" she remembered, looking at the small berry remains she had found while looking about. "I've still got some rations left. You are so skinny, you know. Where are you from, if I might ask? You seem like a kind wolf. Am I in a pack territory? I hope I'm not, that would be trespassing..." Lunatoke rambled, gathering things together. It had seemed so long since she had spoken, and she really did like the feel of this new wolf. She hoped he would stay for just a bit longer, to get some things off her chest.
OOC:
Yep! Everything in your most recent post looks great -- whenever you're ready to wrap this up, let us know! Thanks for working with us again -- your receptiveness to critique and willingness to improve is quite appreciated. :3 Sorry this is a bit long -- Enlil had plenty to react to, which is fine, of course! ;D
IC:
Though he was fairly nervous, Enlil was eager to have some company -- she hadn't shown any aggression toward him, after all. The reddish-brown male relaxed his posture himself as she did the same, tucking his tail neatly around his haunches and pricking his ears upward in interest as she spoke, introducing herself as Lunatoke -- it was quite a name, unlike his family's names. Despite its foreign quality to Enlil, the male quite liked the sound of it, and smiled broadly as she allowed him permission to address her as such. "Of course. Enlil, please," he said, his voice warm with kindness. He wouldn't require her to address him by surname, of course!
She spoke of where she was from, and Enlil listened intently -- he had never been south. His travels had taken him east and slightly north; the southerly direction and warmth had not appealed to the male, who seemed built for the colder weather. His thick winter fur was only just beginning to blow, patches of it becoming unbearably itchy as they detached themselves and grew in his somewhat shorter summer coat. The idea of living in four tribes at once fascinated the timberwolf -- he could hardly imagine growing up in such a place, surrounded by friends and strangers alike! Growing up with just his pack had been great, but he'd often wondered what it would be like if he had more friends.
"Wow," he said when she'd finished, genuinely astonished and sorry for Lunatoke. "I'm sorry you went through all of that, Lunatoke," he added quietly, his ears drooping with sorrow and his eyes focusing on the ground for a moment in respect for her. "I left my family behind willingly, but you've lost your home. I hope we both can find somewhere new for us here," he said, shifting his weight slightly on his haunches with vague discomfort. He wasn't very good at comforting others, and he hoped he would not offend her with his optimism. He offered Lunatoke a kind smile, and hoped she would speak more to him if she needed to. Even if he could not help her situation much, he could still provide a listening ear if it helped her. "I don't mind listening, if you'd like to speak more of it."
No hunger growled in Enlil's stomach; though it was true he was a thinly-built wolf, he did not suffer from a lack of appetite and always ate well. "I've hunted for myself already tonight, so I'm not very hungry -- please keep your rations, thank you," he said, politely declining with another kind smile. It spread quickly across his muzzle and lingered there as she asked questions of him now. "I'm from a bit east of here. Same mountain chain. My parents always called it New Brunswick, I think," he said, having little to say of his past history. If it had been very interesting, he might not have left in the first place. "We're not on a pack's territory, as far as I can tell. I probably would've gotten chased out of here days ago. There's a few around here, though." The second sentence was punctuated with a soft chuckle, and he squared his shoulders, intrigue passing over his features. "Were you planning to join a pack?" he inquired, still ever-polite. He knew nothing of these groups and their history.
OOC:
PHEW! I was afraid that wouldn't be good enough. Don't worry, I'll tell you when I'm done/gotten used to Lunatoke's personality/angst. (ha ha) Sorry about the long post; I was trying to really get into it. I'm just like that, I suppose. Also. Did you like the thing I did with the "guiding" there? Because you're a mentor? Heh heh heh, I probably just ruined that. (sadface)
IC:
Lunatoke was relieved to see Enlil relax as well. He showed some strange curiosity in her name, which she thought strange; she had never heard a name like Enlil before, it should have been her who would be curious. His smile was comforting and she was happy to see another facial expression. She stretched her limbs for the third time, nagging herself about shifting so much the day before. She had always had a certain capacity for it, but when she reached it--whew! He told her to call him Enlil, which further cheered her up. Although she was bound to respect by her old tribe laws, she had never liked truly arrogant wolves or creatures.
Lunatoke noticed that he was more built for winter and colder weather than the warmer climate she was used to. She shuffled her paws, as if feeling the cold for the first time. He listened intently while she spoke of warmer climates and happier times, and she couldn't help asking a question. "Um, Enlil, was it? What is colder weather like? I'm afraid I'm used to warmer temperatures, unlike your coat suggests. Oh, those patches do look itchy. Dreadfully itchy. I wonder if I could find some of those Esparir berries around here..." she worried, looking around again, seeing nothing but her own small settlement.
At first, Lunatoke was afraid she had upset the young male. She thought she had infused him with the sad stories of her past, before she realized she knew better. He was being respectful to her, and for what she'd been through. She wagged her tail in appreciation of his understanding, and tried to look a little happier herself. He seemed afraid that he was being too optimistic; she could smell the fear-scent that came off him. Lunatoke nudged him gently, smiling. There was no need to be afraid to be happy.
Lunatoke was glad he wasn't too hungry, but she kept her eye on the food just in case. She knew how these males were, with their pride and such. He certainly was polite, and he didn't lose face throughout all of the questions she flung at him. Hmmm... New Brunswick. Reminded her of some kind of cylinder thing she had seen in the woods one day. She had taken it to Totake, who had called it... Oh, yes! Brunswick Stew. Lunatoke couldn't help chuckling, even though she knew that the names were probably no more than a coincidence. Lunatoke was glad that she wasn't on a pack territory, and that Enlil seemed to know the grounds well. His question made her think. Did she want to join a pack?
Lunatoke thought for a minute, and decided on an answer. "No," she answered honestly and politely. "I think I'd like to get used to the feel of the land first, and the prey, and learn more about each territory first." She thought for another moment. "I might eventually, but I probably won't. If I'm going to make friends, I don't want them to category me as to what Tri-- erm, Pack I belong to. Are you going to, Enlil?" She asked, almost as an afterthought. Maybe he'd know something about the Packs that she didn't, and he could help her find her way around. She looked at the Timberwolf carefully. He was worn from running, and he looked like a regular loner. Well, good things to come in strange packages, Lunatoke thought.
OOC:
Aww, no! The admins are usually lenient as long as your writing is coherent (which yours certainly is) and I think perhaps you just got a bit swept up in the shuffle. :3 All of the joining procedures were changed over recently, so there was a bit of a scramble in getting that set up as well as this Mentorship stuff. ^^ Thank you again for your patience. Hehe.  Sorry for the delay here, as well. ^^
IC:
Enlil generally wasn't one for much movement and shifting around as he sat, but he too felt a stiffness in his haunches. Perhaps even goaded by Lunatoke's restlessness, he too readjusted himself into a more comfortable position, going so far as to shake his head a few times. The thick fur around his neck shifted and fluffed with his movement, sending a few stray hairs floating into the air. He stopped quickly and looked at her as she inquired on cold weather, and the russet-shaded male looked thoughtful for a moment. She nudged at him in the interim and he smiled, surprised and warmed by the affectionate gesture. His tail thumped a few happy notes against the ground, and he smiled again. Enlil was glad to have her company; it was good to meet someone so warm and friendly. He didn't appreciate aggression much at all, after all -- what creature did?
"Cold isn't so bad, I don't think. It makes it harder to hunt, and you don't want to be outside in a blizzard, but winter isn't anything to worry about if you're prepared for it. You can bury food under the ground and save it for later -- it doesn't go bad with the cold, you know?" he suggested. "Shedding your coat is never fun, though, you're right," he said, batting his paw at a stray tuft of hair that had detached itself rather unceremoniously from his pelt when he'd shaken.
"I'm not sure what an Esparir berry is, though," he admitted, looking rather intrigued. He wondered if it might make him itch a little less. It wasn't quite unbearable, but relief would be nice -- perhaps Lunatoke might even teach him how to find them so he would know for next year, if he couldn't find her again. He glanced at her with his striking gold-yellow eyes, thinking he would like it quite a bit if she stuck around.
She answered his question honestly, and he nodded his tawny head as she spoke a few times, understanding her position quite well. His question was turned back around him, as he'd expected. Enlil considered for a moment, his face once again growing thoughtful as he considered his answer. "Well, I think I quite like your approach. I'll roam as a lone wolf for a while and see where I go. The summer will be easy to survive." He smiled at her easily again, the warm thing that spread slow like honey across his face.
"Come winter, though, I will think about a pack. Having a pack in winter is good," he said, looking at her with a strange glint in his eye. It was almost a stern look, though not quite there -- Enlil did not wish to pressure Lunatoke or anyone else regarding their life choices. He hoped she would think about these things and take them into consideration -- he was eager to see what he could find in this land. "I met a traveller or two on my way here -- they told me there were many packs here, and all of them worth investigating." Enlil failed to recognize that one of the travellers had been fully half-coyote, and was likely welcomed more openly by Inferni canines he ran into. Enlil and Lunatoke, both wolves, would not be so readily accepted in Inferni, though Enlil did not know this.
OOC: Sorry for MY late reply; there was a field trip being prepared, and schoolwork, and... never mind. Let's roleplay!
IC:
Lunatoke did not fail to notice Enlil relaxing himself as well. She was glad that he was as relaxed around her as she was him, and she felt something inside her unclench. Lunatoke wagged her tail back at him, giving that grin that only a canine truly could. She thought again of the Esparir berries as she watched some stray hairs float to the ground. She herself had shedded her coat earlier, so she wouldn't be itchy again until it grew colder.
Enlil spoke thoughtfully and honestly about the cold, and Lunatoke kept in mind the advice about food. She herself had trouble storing food, and she took to heart what he said. She couldn't help snickering at the way he was so animated, and carefree. "I think you would have liked Totake," Lunatoke said without thinking. "He was a lot like you."
Lunatoke pricked her ears, forgetting that she probably knew more about Esparir berries than he did. She thought about their unique shape, their color... "Esparir berries, if mashed and spread on afflicted area, will reduce itching," she said, remembering what her old mentor had taught her. "They're a mix of red and gold, like autumn leaves. They're easy to find during spring and summer, though a bit harder during autumn. Esparir berries are shaped like pears; you do know what pears are, don't you?" she asked, switching back to the real world. She did not mean offense, simply an honest question.
She thought forward for the first time since the flames, and realized that he was right; she would survive fine during summer, given that there were some prey about. She thought to ask him later, but continued listening.
He seemed much older when he spoke of winter, and in automatic response, she listened carefully. She knew that having a tribe --pack-- would be good during winter, having someone else to stay warm with, not to mention being able to help and be helped with food. He spoke of several packs, and she was thouroughly impressed. Back in her land, there were only four tribes, and she wondered what it was like to have so many wolves about.
"What have you heard of these packs?" Lunatoke asked eagerly. She didn't mean to confuse or pressure Enlil, but she loved to learn things. "What kind of prey do they eat? What do they do? Have you ever been in a pack, or have you lived as a loner?"
[html] OOC: My turn for a late one. ;_; You can totally start your real roleplaying threads, too -- I would suggest doing that ASAP! :3 You can have as many threads as you want, you needn't wait for our replies here anymore, yknow? :3
IC:
Enlil looked at her with curiosity as she mentioned a name he did not recognize. “Totake?” he inquired, cautiously -- the boy did not wish to offend her by dredging up memories that would cause Lunatoke pain. She hadn't spoken of him in a negative light, so he supposed it was good he reminded her of an old friend -- if, indeed, that was who Totake was. He listened to her speak of the Esparir berries, and nodded his head a few times, wondering if he would be able to recognize them. Enlil wasn't much of a healer, and with his luck, he'd end up putting something poisonous on his skin. He shook his head at her question; he wasn't quite sure what a pear was. The male's face quickly turned to a sheepish smile at this, hoping he did not appear stupid. He had lived a sheltered life, for sure, but at least he was seeking out new places and new things!
“Thanks, though -- I'll keep my eyes out for them, but I might well leave medicine to the healers. I'll bumble it up somehow,” he said, punctuating the statement with a short laugh. Enlil wasn't altogether useless -- he could hunt quite well, and he found himself in possession of a lovely, lilting howl -- the makings of a singer, if he were able to find a pack or a friend to help him cultivate his talent. The male considered her question, a look of deep thought and remembrance crossing his face. The names seemed distant -- Enlil should have taken more care listening to the travellers. Surely, their information would be rather valuable in this instant. Flicking an ear at a distant sound, some faraway crack of a twig in the woods somewhere, the male drew a breath, figuring he would speak all he knew about the packs.
“Well, the pack I lived in before -- it was my family's pack. I don't know that we were weird, but we mostly lived like regular wolves, I guess?” he started, his bright yellow-gold eyes dancing with laughter, though no sounds of it came from him this time. “The travellers -- they spoke of different places. Dahlia-something, and Cercatori d'Arte were the two names I heard of most often. We didn't talk much about their lifestyles, though,” he said, sorry he could not provide her with more information. “I guess that's why it's good we'll hang around and learn about them all before joining one,” he said, grinning again. White canines gleamed against russet-shaded fur, and his eyes twinkled with amusement. He was glad she'd provided him with such an idea -- he might have joined the first group he ran into, if not, and he might have ended up in a place he did not even like!
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Lunatoke nodded. "Totake was my very best friend. He was always cheerful, no matter what was going on." She noticed his sheepish look as she spoke of pears. There was no really good way to describe pears without drawing one, so she did. She used one of her paws to carefully draw a pear; the way they were round at the edges and thin in the middle. Lunatoke used a claw to draw the dots on the pear. "There," she woofed gently. "That is a pear. If you're absolutely sure you'd bumble it up, though..." she added, smiling, "then you can always ask me to make it."
Relaxing, Lunatoke listened as Enlil spoke of his family's tribe. She shook her head. "No, there's nothing weird about that. In fact, I suppose you'd consider me strange for living in such a big family," she shrugged. Most of the wolves in the tribes were, in fact, related. But, that was old news. Lunatoke heard the snap as well, but paid no attention. The noise wasn't big enough to be a threat. More likely, it was a rabbit or something.
Lunatoke listened as Enlil spoke of what he'd heard. She nodded at his last statement. She wouldn't want to get trapped in a warlike pack; she was a peaceful wolf, even if she did have a vicious bite. "THat's a good idea. Perhaps I should learn some more about the packs before joining one. Thank you for the information, and you're welcome around my place whenever. Are there any questions you have for me?"
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