remembering how to smile

Rook · 06-04-2011, 09:34 PM

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{WC: 333}

Approximately 31 hours was all it took to have a coyote like Rook feel at home. The territory was spacious and, no doubt, littered with surprises. One of these so-called amazements was a cluster of caves a good distance from where he had first met the dark-coated youth called Barrett. Blinking curiously in the afternoon sun, he eyed one of the large openings, staring it down with a suspicious eye; every so often he tested the air by standing still and raising his muzzle quietly just in case another predator emerged from their cozy stone dwelling to ward him off. His head tilted curiously when nothing happened and, without a second thought, he scampered up to the landmark on two dainty feet.

The triangular ears on top of his head swiveled apprehensively as he continued to stare at the seemingly darkened depths. His eyes narrowed; there was a hint of light bouncing off of one of the walls. Huh. Clutching his bag and giving his tail a few half-confident wags, he tiptoed inside. It didn’t take him long, however, to realize that the cave he had exited was a few paces away from where he had entered the tunnel. “Hmmph,” he sounded, clearly unimpressed. His imaginative mind had been hoping the naturally formed burrow would have led him into a secret grove or a secluded clearing.

Stepping back to the cavern he had entered, he gave it a neutral glance before walking past it and eyeing the next rock orifice. This one was a bit smaller and he approached it with utmost vigilance in case this dwelling had an occupant living in it. He dared to stick his head inside as he placed his hands in his cargo shorts’ pockets. “Hellooooo?” he called into it, a hint of a smile starting to creep up the sides of his muzzle. His voice softly echoed back. “Hellooooo?”

A childish grin lifted his features and he playfully yipped back again, a bit louder this time, “Hello-ello-ellooOOOo?”

Ehno Marino · 06-05-2011, 06:36 PM

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Thank you again for starting. <3 wc: 398

Years spent living in the Dreamer’s lands meant that the Italian adventurer had had plenty of time and opportunities to seek out the secrets and surprises within the territory. Most familiar to him were the lands around the lake and the manor, where many of the pack’s residents were most often found. Some things had changed through the seasons, like the frightening collapse of the old barn and the construction of the cottage that had replaced it. Most of the landmarks throughout their territory, however, had remained the same through the years. Yet that hardly meant that he ever got bored of a little exploration now and then.

Today was one of the days where the Marino awoke with that little explorative itch. He busied himself with simply letting his two feet take him where they would, drifting north through fields he hadn’t visited in quite some time. The plan was to enjoy a simple day of relaxation, something he welcomed after the last few days filled with bartering and woodworking. He had no immediate tasks ahead of him, now that he had fixed up that stable door with the help of Barrett, and he planned to take advantage of the lull in duties while he could. The chocolate-hued wolf knew of the winding caves that laid claim to the northern portion of the lands would be nearby, and not having scoped them out in quite some time, he put some direction to his aimless wandering to bring him there.

As he neared the familiar cluster of caverns, he soon realized that he was not the lone visitor there today. An unfamiliar and wiry creature stepped out from within one of the numerous caverns before turning his attention to one of the other tunnel entrances. His mottled, multi-hued pelt and large ears were tell-tale signs of coyote blood, but the Marino could guess no more beyond that. Another newcomer to the ranks of Dreamers? It wasn’t impossible; new faces came and went often through their borders. Quiet steps brought him closer to the stranger. The playful calls into the echoing cavern summoned a half-grin to the lips of the Marino, who brought himself to a halt a number of paces behind the coyote. With a playful glint in his eyes, Ehno brought his hands up next to his muzzle and let out a call of his own. “Helloooo!”

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Rook · 06-06-2011, 02:53 AM

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{WC: 313} <333

The coyote had only expected his voice to reverberate back, so when a second “Hello!” met his ears, he wildly spun around. His hands flew from his pockets as if he was getting ready to surrender. “OH! Whoa!” he exclaimed, shaking his right hand in some sort of awkward wave after realizing it was probably just one of his new pack mates. “Heh… H-hi there.” An embarrassed smile crept up along his narrow muzzle and his ears flattened accordingly. A short, nervous laugh eventually fluttered from his chest and he lowered his hands slowly.

Placing one hand in his shorts pocket, he gestured towards the caves with the other, “I-I’m not disturbing anything ‘r anybody am I?” He then ran his palm over the wiry tuft atop his head, making strands of fur stick up briefly before gravity laid it back down. His mind had been so engulfed with the wonder of his voice resonating back to him that he had practically forgotten that he could easily be interrupting something or someone now that he was living in a pack again. His mother would have scolded him for that... Respect for others and their space had been one of the first things he had learnt when he was a pup.

It took him a few minutes to get his heartbeat into a much calmer rhythm, but when the tightness in his chest diminished, he took a few deep breaths and cleared his throat quietly. “I’m… I’m Rook,” he proffered. “Just arrived a couple o’ days ago… from New Brunswick or, at least, from a-around there.” He figured giving his name and where he had hailed from would help their fledgling conversation take flight on a good note, maybe even give the impression that he had nothing to hide and wasn’t up to any fishy business. “Whom do I-I have the honor of addressing?”

Ehno Marino · 06-07-2011, 09:56 PM

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The stranger’s sudden, surprised reaction brought forth warm laughter from his chest, which mingled in the air with the flighty, nervous laughter of the coyote. “Ah, I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist,” he said, offering him a playful wink. There were times where Ehno revealed that he was a prankster at heart, always eager to set surprises into motion or to dive into a little good-natured teasing every so often. His siblings knew this well, especially during their puppyhood where they would find themselves the victims of his jokes in between bouts of playtime. Usually the Marino saved his jokester ways for those who knew him well, but once in a while an opportunity such as this would present itself and he would spring eagerly into action.

It was, of course, all in good fun, and with the good-natured smile still upon his lips, he hoped to convey that to the stranger standing before him. Chocolaty ears twitched slightly at the sound of his words, taking them in with interest. The Marino shook his head. “Oh, no, you’re fine.” Ehno waved one of his hands, as if to scatter away the coyote’s worry. “As far as I know, there’s usually nothing going on around these parts. You can shout into the caves to your heart’s content.” Amber eyes swept briefly towards the nearest of the tunnel entrances. The Marino liked to come here at times, and seldom did he find any of his packmates lingering about. It was a pleasant surprise to the sociable Dreamer to find that that was not the case today.

The Patrician’s attention returned to his coyote acquaintance once he seemed to regain his bearings and began to introduce himself. There was something almost charming to the slight way he stumbled over his words, causing the Dreamer’s smile widen just a fraction. “Piacere! Pleased to meet you, Rook. I’m Ehno,” the Italian introduced in turn. “Though I can’t say there’s really anything honorable about me. Just another simple member of the pack," he joked. "And welcome to our ranks, by the way. I hope you’re taking a liking to the place so far?” Ehno knew the feeling that accompanied settling into a new home. As an adventurous soul, it had been more exciting than intimidating, but he knew not everyone would feel the same way. He hoped that the newest addition to the family of Dreamers wasn’t feeling too out of place.

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Rook · 06-09-2011, 04:46 AM

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Rook’s frayed nerves fully relaxed as he heard that he wasn’t pestering anyone. For a moment he was utterly terrified that this wolf had been in the middle of something or, perhaps even, leading a meditation activity (something his father usually did when his mother had her occasional anxiety attacks). Whew. He smiled as he heard that it was quite all right to shout and play around the caves as much as he liked. It was quickly decided that the area would be one of his favorite haunts away from his makeshift bed near Barrett’s plane in McNamara’s Landing; not only did it offer shelter but it seemed to be a very quiet place.

Ehno introduced himself in turn and the coyote immediately noted his name, returning the gesture, “A pleasure to meet you too.” His initial greeting had been some foreign word, but it didn’t seem to snag on Rook’s ears. As far as he was concerned, the tawny male was simply expressing his salutations in his native language; this proved to be correct as Ehno continued, rounding out his introduction with a warm welcome and a question to ensure that he was settling into his new home. “Thanks,” Rook stated, still grinning. “And, yeah, very m-much so. I’m still on the lookout for a place to call my own, but I think I’m almost done adjusting out here. It’s nice to not have to worry about where exactly I’ve wandered or if it’s safe to bunker down in a specific area in the evening.”

“Are there any specific landmarks or places I ought to know about, by the way?” he then asked, realizing now that he should know where he should and shouldn’t be. “I-I’ve been by the crash site with the p-plane and a little north… northeast of it, but n-not much father than that.”

Ehno Marino · 06-09-2011, 05:22 PM

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He was pleased that the coyote was indeed adjusting well to life within their pack, nodding as the other explained that it was a welcome change from the worries of a wanderer. “Glad to hear it.” Ehno could sympathize with Rook’s previous worries. The wandering Marino even now made it a habit to traipse through the lands, most often on his way east to the concrete jungle of Halifax or on a visit to one of the region’s farther away packs. At first his travels were cautious, as at first the dangers and locations of claimed territories were an unknown factor. Years spent going back and forth through specific areas had taken away much of that worry as the traveler learned through experience which areas were the most safe, secure, and fast routes to move through. Without that knowledge, wandering about could be quite a tense experience, especially while alone. He was glad that the Dreamers could offer Rook a reprieve from such feelings of trepidation.

The coyote went on to ask about the landmarks of the territory, explaining that he was already familiar with the crumpled plane and the area around it, to the northeast. It was a good question, one that could help the newcomer get his bearings much faster should he take a liking to exploring through the Dreamer lands. Ehno tilted his head to the side a slight fraction, using his knowledge of the territories to create a makeshift map of the area in his head. “Hmm. We’ve got quite a bit around. If you go west of here,” he began, motioning vaguely west with one hand, “you’ll find a large lake. And just northwest of that is this big building that we call Haven Manor. Most of our pack lives there. You’re certainly welcome to claim some space there as well, or anywhere around the pack, really, if you’d prefer somewhere more quiet.” For a social creature such as Ehno, the Manor was the perfect place to settle down, but there had been numerous members throughout Crimson Dreams’ history that had holed up elsewhere in the territory for privacy. It was all up to Rook’s personal tastes.

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Rook · 06-25-2011, 05:49 AM

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{WC:238} Sorry for the wait; got caught up in life away from the internetsss.

Rook diligently took in the wolf’s words, making mental notes in his mind. Lake to the west, a manor to the northwest (where Ehno and most of their pack mates made their residence), and… well… he assumed he was welcome to settle down wherever he felt comfortable. Whether or not the manor was an ideal place to settle down the coyote had yet to decide. Since meeting Barrett, he had somewhat opted to find a quiet place to call home – a hollow tree or a makeshift burrow in the sand and mud by the lake or even a borrowed tire from the plane at McNamara’s Landing – but maybe having another place near other Dreamers wouldn’t be such a bad idea either.

He nodded quietly, “Ah.” His eyes went from Ehno’s face to Ehno’s shoulder then, eventually, down to the ground at his own feet. He wasn’t sure what else to talk about with someone he was still learning about and befriending. His hands absentmindedly gripped the strap of his messenger bag before he looked up again. Awkward… Awkward. Awkward. His mind kept spinning the word in his head and he hurriedly lifted his face into some sort of a smile when he realized he was starting to grimace.

“So...” he started, slowly piecing a question together to keep their conversation going. “Heh… Would you happen to know where I could find some supplies? Writing u-ten-sils, a journal? Jars?”

Ehno Marino · 06-25-2011, 05:19 PM

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No worries! Life always comes first. :]

The young coyote listened diligently to his brief description of some of the Dreamer territory, nodding and murmuring, but otherwise remaining silent. He wondered whether the newcomer would join them in taking up residence in the manor, but didn't press the subject further. He supposed he would discover the answer to that in due time, once Rook had taken the time to give it consideration. The Marino leaned slightly against a large stone that jutted out alongside one of the cave entrances. Rook was beginning to look quite nervous, but before Ehno could pick up the sudden lull in conversation himself, he fired off another question.

"We might have some extra supplies back at the Manor," he mused. The huge old building was filled with various items, but the Marino couldn't say for sure what they had or what wasn't in use by another Dreamer. "Otherwise, I usually go out to this big human city in the east for supplies. I could show you the way sometime, or maybe pick something up for you the next time I head out there?" Rook had apparently done plenty of traveling in recent months, but that didn't necessarily mean he was up for some more of it now. Ehno would be more than happy to gather supplies for his pack mate if he needed to.

"So, writing utensils, huh? You like to write, then?" he asked, head tilting slightly to the side. The Italian man could read and had a fair, if out of practice, hand for writing, but it wasn't a particularly favorite hobby of his. He wondered what might draw the young coyote to it, if he did indeed have a love for the craft.

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Rook · 07-04-2011, 01:35 AM

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He watched as Ehno propped himself up against a large boulder, still trying to smile without seeming so problematic about easing up. Ehno was pack after all… Before his hands could start wringing his bag strap, he clasped them together and wagged his tail gently. The wolf told him that there were probably supplies at the Manor and, if not, there was a human city somewhere east where he could pick up things that were not commonly found around the pack territory. “Oh,” he murmured before his voice picked up to a chime-like quality “Okay, sure! That’d be nice.” By the sound of his reply, he hoped to convey that whether he would travel or eagerly await Ehno’s return, either way he was absolutely grateful for the offer.

Ehno tilted his head and Rook did the same. “Write?” he questioned. “O-Oh… no, well… kinda… More so with drawing and observing r-really. My, err, Uncle taught me how to keep a good log or journal of stuff. I… I like to collect and study plant life to… to catalog them for reference. Sometimes bugs, too, but not very often.” He averted his eyes for a moment before glancing back to the wolf, as if he were almost embarrassed to admit the fact. It wasn’t like he was teased or bullied for being literate when he was younger, but he supposed he had looked away out of habit, anticipating to be embarrassed to even a slight degree. Writing, sketching and reading had always been his favorite activities. He just hadn’t met someone who shared the same passion for them yet.

“I love to make lists though,” he sheepishly added. “But maybe one day I’ll write a book of some sort… Not soon… but just one day.” A more abashed smile crept onto his features. “How ‘bout you… do you write?”

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