Name: Sacha
Birthdate (including year): September 15, 2001
Whether s/he is a regular wolf or a Luperci (not applicable to non-canines): Luperci
Species: Timber wolf x Mexican wolf
Gender: Male
A secondary form of contact (AIM, MSN, Y!M). I can't get AIM ect. to work on my computer. ^^;
How did you learn/hear about 'Souls?: Prior member from way back, left for RL reasons. 'Souls has been on my mind lately so...here I am.
Initial post:
Note ~ Kama is an NPC, I hope this is OK. I'm aware of the restrictions. 
[html] It was evening, cool and overcast, when Sacha approached the border carrying his small daughter in his arms. "Remember to behave yourself, young one," he told the chubby brown Optime pup sternly, who stopped mouthing the fang hung around her neck on hemp cord long enough to gaze innocently up at the older wolf. "I won't make any trouble, Papa. Promise." She wrinkled her nose then. "What smells like peepee?"
"The border," he replied, grinning hungrily, long strides slowing. Tall, broad-shouldered Sacha was impressive in his bipedal form, a pale chestnut stranger mottled with lighter brown tones. Bold symmetrical designs had been painted in white across his face, surrounding mismatched eyes -- the right eye, bright mahogany and the left...dilated to such an extent that only a suggestion of red peeked from around the gaping pupil. His sight must have been poor but he moved with certainty. Faded black cloth, tied around his forehead, pushing lengths of mane. He had a sharp look to him. Yet, not really wholesome. Not really the sort of person you'd expect to be toting around a toddler.
He halted and gently lowered Kama to the ground, along with a dark green traveller's pack and a hard case shaped vaguely like it held an acoustic guitar, and took a deep breath, and howled.
The question was clear, the note concise: will you come? will you accept us? They needed a home. More specifically, Kama needed a home. Sacha could fend for himself and preferred doing it alone, but his little daughter would benefit from living in a pack. She'd be safer. "Papa, my tummy 'urts." The pup, three months of age, sat heavily.
White dashes 'neath cobalt eyes. The paint was flaking. Sacha squatted next to her, bracing a scarred knee against the ground. "I'll get something for you soon," the male reassured her. "Eat a little grass for now. See if it helps." [/html]
[html]  Hello and welcome! Cool characters 
The days were stretching out further and further as the summer came, pushing back and compacting the edges of darkness. Each morning brought with it a sunrise that shifted through all the colors Beppe had seen in his life; the vivid purple a lot of flowers held, the bright orange of a monarch butterfly's wings. During the day the sky was a blue deeper and clearer than any he had ever seen, at least when it wasn't raining. The Insieme wolves had seen a lot of rain lately.
Today seemed to be one of the few days where the rain wasn't coming down in buckets. True, the sky was dotted with a few light gray clouds, but they were, so far, rather innocuous. Beppe was busying himself down by the side of the ocean, where the low tide had left a strip of calm water barred in by sand on either side. In it there seemed to be billions and billions of little hermit crabs, creatures that the lanky ebony boy had not seen before. Taking slops of the wet sand in his hands and trying not to disturb his little friends, he built walls around them, as if making them a home. The still water allowed the sand walls to stay upright, and the crabs scuttled around inside. Sometimes, a smaller one would attack a slightly larger one, for reasons unknown to Beppe, and he would have to carefully pull them apart and put them in separate rooms. That was the extent of his troubles for most of the morning.
Since Insieme had formed, many strangers had been showing up on their borders. Beppe liked this; in his mind, the more friends he had, the better. Of course, he would have to pay some mind to actually know all the wolves that were considered family. Back in Clouded Tears he only knew a few of his packmates and sometimes felt isolated because of it. When the boy heard the call of someone at the borders, he glanced down at his little friends as if to say, I'll be back, don't fight, before standing up to go see who was there.
There were two strangers, an adult and then a smaller wolf that must be a pup. Nearing, he smiled and waved. "Hello, how are you?"
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Hi! Danke. ^^
[html] Grass drooped from the pup's mouth and she frowned deeply. She hated eating it, she had been eating it off and on during their journey because her stomach often hurt. She hoped they wouldn't have to sit here forever.
Sacha's palm rubbed her back in a therapeutic manner. His brow was creased in concentration as he scanned his version of a horizon with incredible intent. The hybrid was tired, Kama was acting ill and they were both hungry. The last few hours had been a push to get to the packland before nightfall; they were out of provisions and he hadn't the energy to chase anything.
Carrion? Yeah, once. Something's week-old foot. He wasn't about to put that in his body or risk his kid's weakened health.
Thankfully, a figure arose from the lengthening shadows sooner than he had expected. It was dark and it waved. It smelled like the place, so it was probably a member answering his howl. Sacha slowly stood as it neared, tail and ears low. His hand waved hesitantly in return. "We've been better," said the newcomer wearily, averting his gaze in submission. The other male was still a blur at this distance, anyway. Kama had got up as well and was hiding behind his leg. "My name's Sacha, this is my daughter Kama. We would like to join your pack."
No time wasted. [/html]
[html] As Beppe grew closer, he noticed how pointedly the other did not meet his gaze. For a moment he thought it was a bit odd, but then realized it was because he, for once, had more authority than the other. He tried to smile as much as he could, anyway, because he felt weird being more than an acquaintance. "Nice to meet you," he said, nodding at the two of them. Kama didn't seem to be very happy at all, and the ebony boy's heart twinged a little. "I'm Beppe. You are welcome to stay with us, but I am not actually able to tell you that you can stay forever... You must talk to..." he hesitated, eyes lifting to the sky as he tried to remember the word in English, "the leaders, for to stay forever. But first, we will get you settled down and you can learn the lands. She is hungry, true? You are also hungry."
The Italian wolf should, perhaps, enlighten himself a bit more on the system of hierarchy that Insieme based itself around. His parents were the leaders, he at least knew that, but they were more like heads of a family than real leaders. In a way, all the other Membri were like his brothers and sisters. Anyway, he didn't want to leave these two standing her while they waited for either Maria or Giuseppe to get there, looking so hungry and worn. Sometimes, perhaps, Beppe was too trustworthy, and he had much faith that these two were good. "Come in, we will find you a fish." He smiled fondly at the little one, and motioned with his hands for the two newcomers to follow as he started walking towards the row of houses.
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[html] "Thank you Beppe." Sacha's voice was grateful. This encounter was turning out to be less stressful than he had anticipated...the greeter, Beppe, seemed a genuinely nice fellow and they were being treated with kindness, which was another thing he hadn't expected. It was a pleasant surprise. The chestnut male leant and gathered their meagre possessions, Kama waddling into view trying to pry a blade of grass from her puppy teeth. "Fish fish fish ! We're gonna eat some fish!" she sung happily. Once the stuff was situated, he scooped her up and balanced her on his free shoulder.
"Papa," Kama questioned in a loud stage whisper after a minute of walking. "Papa, why does he talk so weird?"
"Shh, sweetie. He just grew up speaking a different language."
"What language?"
"I think...Italian, no?" Sacha asked their guide, having to stop for a second to shift the strap of the guitar case. His mother, an East Russian immigrant, had taught him her Slavic tongue, but his accent was typical for the region they currently inhabited, if with a bit of a noticeable drawl obtained from many expeditions into the south-western portion of the continent. [/html]
[html] Still smiling, the Italian boy made his way down the beach. He was pleased that he was able to help someone today, especially someone with a small child. Her joyous song made him laugh, and the gratitude shown by Sacha made him feel warm inside. It was likely true that there would be no leftover fish or anything back at home, but these seas were plentiful and it wouldn't take him very long to catch them one or two.
Beppe was not too far away to hear Kama's question, and he had a hard time controlling the silly grin that was starting to curl around his maw. He knew that his English still wasn't all that good -- that would come with time -- and also that he would likely have the accent all his life. This thhought made him feel a little better, actually; sometimes he was frightened that he might lose some of the things that made him Italian. Most of his life, already, had been spent away from Italy. On the boat over here he had only talked to his mother, though, and that enforced the language in his mind.
"Yeah, Italian," he replied, nodding. "I will warn you now, that much of the members of Insieme are Italian," he laughed, "This is why the name is Italian... It means 'together.'" Beppe was quite fond of this name, and he smiled as he spoke the word, glancing across to his new packmates.
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[html] The ocean had smelled strong before, but now it was positively penetrating. Fish, salt, rotting kelp -- he inhaled the crisp seaside air, obviously relishing every particle. To live by the water...he'd have it no other way. Of course, Sacha couldn't swim to save his life (a truer statement never uttered), but fins weren't required in order to enjoy the vast and windy sea. He was sure Kama would love growing up here, if they stayed.
Beppe's words, Kama's soft humming in his ear, the roar of the surf; they had a calming effect, and the journey toward the houses was becoming increasingly surreal. The reality was hitting home.
They were actually in a territory, after weeks of hard travel. It was dangerous on the road with someone so young. How many times had he asked himself if it was truly necessary?
But as they followed Beppe, he couldn't help feeling that it had all been worth it. "'Together'," he echoed, a small grin on his lips. Sach lasped into customary silence, wishing the coast was more than a massive frothing blur in the subdued late evening blue. "Mister Bep," randomly piped Kama, the breeze tussling her short hair. "Can you teach me to be Ital-ee-an, sometime, pretty please?" [/html]
[html] Too much happens in this post.. oh well  ;
EDIT: I'm going away for a week so if you wanted to tie this up with one last post that'd be best. :]
It was quite wonderful to see the two newcomers, so worn out by travelling, so seemingly content. This beach surely was a prize, and their appreciation of it was elevating Beppe's. A lovely thing to pull him out of his recent gloom. If he were in a more giddy mood, what Kama called him off of her father's shoulder would have made him burst out laughing. Instead, a wide grin split his maw. Her question forced some introspection, though: what was it that made him Italian? The language, yes, but what else? Not sure what to say, he replied, "I am certain that you will learn how to be Italian from this pack, if you really want to. We are a big family, and this is what we like. Hopefully you will too."
Grinning, he continued down the beach. Time seemed to be travelling at a pleasant pace, and they were only nearing the houses now. There was a fire pit resting on the beach a few paces away from the water's edge, to keep it away from the high tide, and that was where Beppe led them to. He wasn't very quick at starting fires, and didn't want to make them wait, so he would take a quick trip into the Agapito house to find the box of matches. "You can rest here. I will be back quickly," he said smiling, and ran towards the house.
When he returned, he struck a match and lit the fire. How clever the humans had been; rubbing sticks together seemed to take forever to start a flame. Once the fire seemed to be going strong, he stood up again. "I'll go catch a fish," the boy said before leaving once more.
Beppe found his fishing rod where he had stashed it down by the docks, and quickly enough he had caught three plump fish out of the deep pools. He hurried back to his new friends, grabbing a suitable roasting stick on the way, and sat down beside the fire. "Here we go," he said, sliding the fish onto the stick.
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