Breathe Me

[Haku Soul]

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The fire had not managed getting past the rocky mountain Haku currently appeared on. He looked to the northwest, the dead lands of Bleeding Souls. It was beautiful. Even from this distance he could see some scattered remaining pieces of unfortunate creatures that had been consumed as they had fled toward the safe zone. He would not have minded to be a witness when this actually had happened, but he had arrived too late. Such a shame. The chocolate and cream coated male was tired. The walk had been long, and he held no target this time. This was just simple and random wandering. He liked to keep his thoughts floating like the clouds on the sky, in a slow and steady movement. Iskata could become a problem, and how the child had escaped the cell was still a mystery. It had been so unfortunate, and Haku could not force information of what had happened when the child had been in charge.

He had been asleep awaiting the demon, but then the annoying relative had arrived and forced him out of his light sleep. Somehow there, the child had gotten out. It was crying now, locked inside the pitch black cell. No one could her the child scream except himself. Did he feel guilt sometimes? No, this was his body now. The rain was light. Just like his mother, Colibri, Haku loved the rain. The soothing sound, the gentle water drops hitting his body lightly. It was simply beautiful. Maybe he was a beast, but he knew how to appreciate certain things in life, and rain was one such thing. Ocean, the sky, the world was filled with beauty. Blood and despair. Beauty behind every corner. Oh, it was beautiful to live.

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[Lubomir Varg]

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ooc I'm sorry for not completing this. I will try to do it offline and then post it here. Done ^_^ I guess I'll bleed in silence Lubomir felt listless. He'd hardly left Shadowed Sun territory, weary of being in fights so often. The last time he'd journeyed anywhere had been a few days now, when he'd talked to Mew. Ever since, he'd simply sat in his den, curled up against now imaginary pain, thinking of the scars he would be left with and not finding enough energy to care too much. At times, when the sun would break through the clouds, he would find a patch of light and sit outside or close to his den, avoiding the company of others and simply letting his mind wander. He would think of Ember, but mostly that hurt, so he preferred to return to his conversation with Mew and remember how mature she had seemed, and yet how wounded. It nearly pained him to remember her for long, so soon enough he would close his eyes and imagine lengthy conversations with Frigg and One-Eye. Frigg would dominate Lubomir and jab his wounds, only to point out that by now he was fit to explore again. And One-Eye would make ribald jokes, as he was wont to do, mostly involving unmentionable body parts and sexual intercourse. It put a smile on Lubomir's face And today, of all days, he had emerged from his den and decided to trot around the Mountain, out of Shadowed Sun land, but close enough to run back in, should the need to do so occur. His head tucked in, he wandered round and round, the same thoughts of the Old Country finding their way back into his head. Lubomir had never experienced such a low mood, such anti-socialness, such a desire to avoid all wolves, shifter or not. He'd always thought himself rational, a creature who could withstand anything after the massacre. Obviously it was not so. He was about to turn back when his gaze caught another wolf and he nearly doubled over. Part of him felt grumpy, mean and sarcastic, with enough cynicism to last him a while. But his rational side argued that he had spent no time around wolves in far too long and this one did not smell of Inferni. He cautiously approached the male and made a small noise in the back of his throat, announcing his presence. 'Good day.' It wasn't much and hopefully the other would prove more talkative than Lubomir.

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[Haku Soul]

Meh, so sorry for the wait

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Thoughts floated violently around in his chained mind, and he needed to start search out solutions for the future problems that definitely would rise. He did not know of the slaughter at the Dahlia de Mai borders as of yet, so he was to find a surprise waiting for him later when he decided to go back to the pack borders. He would approach the bodies and realize there was another man out there, willing to go as far as necessary, just like Haku himself. The thought would be intoxicating, a revelation so to speak, to be bold. For now, he did not know, but he knew they would come with some sort of counter attack, and he needed to gather allies within the other pack lands as Dahlia was quite small compared to Inferni. Cercelee and Colibri would have troubles handling it, but he would not. He would guide them and help them. Most of all, he would engage them further.

The good day was without meaning as the day was not particularly good. Chocolate ears flickered slightly and Haku shifted his weight slightly, but kept seated. He turned his face towards the wolf. The unknown male seemed cautious. Not too outdated injuries could be spotted behind the layer of fur. Greetings, Stranger. I hope I am not trespassing? Of course he was not, but it was a great way to start a conversation and move it to the track in the direction he wanted it to go. Easy.

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[Lubomir Varg]

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ooc This is so late it's silly. I apologise for the wait. >_> I guess I'll bleed in silence Lubomir had never been a war monger. It rather disgusted him, because it reeked of mindless violence for no rational gain. In fact, he would only condone behaviour that had been thought through, discussed, agreed upon. In a sense, he was a hypocrite, because he would stand by rationality and all that only to fall into the blind rage of an animal when his life was at stake. Lubomir would never talk about his instinct for self-preservation. He would modestly suggest diplomacy and stand back. It was almost hilarious to see him struggle with this dark side, with the feral need for blood and the hunger that violence sated. If he could, he would track down the black wolf and apologise, he would even apologise to... No. He wouldn't apologise to the Inferni scum who had nearly killed him. The memory of that still made his stomach clench. He could sense no aggression, no need for harm. In fact, the male seemed laid back, calm, and perhaps Lubomir had disturbed him. No, that wouldn't be right. The chocolate and cream one would not feign politeness for the sake of it. Lubomir had learned that quickly; here, wolves were not like in the Old Country. Old conflicts ran deep. 'You're not at all trespassing. In fact, I may be the one infringing on your time. I am Lubomir, of Shadowed Sun, the pack whose borders you are close to.' He sat down cautiously. 'May I deem to ask your name?' He tried not to sound too interested. It had been a while since he'd done this sort of polite conversation. And he certainly wasn't looking to offend anyone.

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[Haku Soul]

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Shush, i was worse with my previous post

As the male spoke, Haku decided he might could like this fellah. The chocolate and cream male gave a short nod as Lubomir of Shadowed Sun introduced himself. He liked the light tone in the wolf’s voice, and the polite aura was not forced. A bit of warmth leaked into brilliant blue orbs. Haku Soul, a pleasure. -to meet Lubomir, and it was truth so far. As he was in fact without a pack (for time being), he simply dropped a title, and it would hopefully be obvious to the pack wolf that he was a lone wolf, though the scent of Dahlia was increasing because of his high attendance across the borders when the pack leaders were looking in another direction.

I am sitting here thinking of what to do about certain issues that always pop up with a hostile coyote clan nearby. I’m worried. He threw himself at the subject straight away. There was no reason to tip toe around what he actually wanted to discuss. Most of all he was fishing for alliances, but he did not know if Inferni was fooling around much with the other packs. Time would show. He had thrown the words out in a tone that fitted a man that was revealing his thoughts vocally, and the last word was combined with a heavy sigh from a being that was halfway troubled. His eyes had traveled from Lubomir and was taking in the ashen scenery again.

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[Lubomir Varg]

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ooc I guess I'll bleed in silence The male seemed open enough. Lubomir felt more at ease, less constrained by the need to pretend to be okay. He wasn't, and he knew that. His wounds were still visible and he was weak, weaker than he could ever remember himself being. It wasn't even about the pain anymore, it was more about not being part of anything, allowing himself to drift to the edges of his pack only to drag himself back up there. 'Haku, the pleasure is all mine.' That much was true. Why lie about it? It was nice to meet a wolf who didn't seem to have any certain alliances, insofar as Lubomir could discern from the lack of pack name. There was a vague familiar scent about him, but the grey wolf couldn't place it. It could have been anyone's, really, and the thought quickly dropped out of Lubomir's mind. The mention of the coyote clan made him tense. Mew had said that the reason she'd lost her litter was because of a coyote. Could this be the clan Haku was talking about? 'Mew.' The word was whispered softly but he had no doubt that the other would catch it. He certainly seemed worried. Lubomir had to pause again and ponder, what exactly had been going on here before his discovery of the lands? Was there some silent malicious intent between these coyotes and the wolves? No, he would have to know. 'What clan would that be, Haku? The same that attacked Mew of Dahlia de Mai?' It could prove to be a wild shot. Lubomir might be talking to a spy for the coyotes. But he did not doubt that Asphyxia had shared her victory with the rest of the clan. Surely their spy would know, if Haku truly were a spy.

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[Haku Soul]

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[525]

Haku saw the male’s state, but the origin of them was still unknown to him. Of course he hoped he was correct in the silent guess that it had to do with coyotes. It was a shot in the dark, but he was a sharp shooter when the circumstances demanded it. The other male was genuine and the polite aura was still in tact as the male’s words matched his. When the other spoke his sisters name, he visibly reacted. Ears perked violently and he stirred, suddenly watching the other brute with a renewed and intensity. He overplayed his movements with ease, and as the brilliant actor he was, he did it perfectly. It was also real because he in fact was surprised. Of course he knew Mew surely had contacts around as she had been around quite a while longer than him. He let the male finish what he had to say, He was pleased how well the male had responded and provided him with something they both had in common.

He saw the tension within the male, and he was now certain the right man had crossed his path. Haku was pleased, Haku was very pleased. The chocolate male was not a spy, he preferred gathering information other ways if possible. He created a frown and let worry dribble a bit into his eyes. Mew? He repeated her name, as if he was not sure if he had heard right. He then lowered his voice slightly, as if he was to reveal a secret.. She lost her litter because of that filth Filth was spoken harshly, a hiss slipped out between tightly shut lips and he looked away from the male, eyes searching the nearby ground for some insect he could destroy with his toxic laze beams of raging eyes. The coyotes had roamed about wildly for too long, and it was unacceptable, and with so many packs consisting of wolves in these lands, action had to be taken. They had the power, but none seemed to dare to rise to fight the virus.

It was Inferni, as always. He shook his head slowly. It was sad that they could not all live in peace. The coyotes did not wish for it, so then neither did Haku. He let his gaze return to the male once again, and let his eyes visibly scan the male’s healing injuries. May I ask what has happened to you, friend? After such a collision with another canine, Lubomir may had troubles with trust when it came to strangers. Another guess. Haku was a friend in this case. Also. Lubo had made a very good first impression, and if he gained Haku’s good will and friendship, there was no limits for what Haku could do for him. The three year old let his tail move around to the other side of his haunches, leaving it very visible for the other male to see that it was shorter than average, quite a bit shorter actually. That too had been a coyote, on Clouded Tears soil, in the middle of the night. They truly needed to be stopped.

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[Lubomir Varg]

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ooc I guess I'll bleed in silence A reaction. It set Lubomir on edge for a moment and he cursed his foolishness. It would get him gravely hurt one day, worse than anything Gabriel had ever done. He was about to turn around and flee when a strange calm seemed to come over Haku. Now this was certainly intriguing. There was something here which Lubomir couldn't quite place. What, or who, exactly was this Haku? What power did he yield? And what was his interest in Mew? For a brief moment he thought that he had stumbled upon the female's mate and he remembered the embrace he had given her when they had met. But surely she would have mentioned him in some way. His fears subsided somewhat when the male repeated the name again. 'Mew. A creature so torn by her loss it tore me to pieces. A fragile beauty who makes me long to protect her. Not as mate or packmate, but as a friend. I cannot offer her my comfort and she would reject me... but it pained me to see her so broken.' There was raw emotion in his words. He could not fathom leaving the female in some sort of limbo. His ears picked up the word filth and he looked away. There was so much anger here. Lubomir felt more like an outsider than ever. While he could understand Gabriel's reaction he did not understand the level of anger and violence in the attack. As if Lubomir had killed someone. And there, that name again. Inferni. What had they done to him indeed? They'd broken him. They'd hit him and broken him down and now he was an empty shell. He was a lost thing, plagued by nightmares. Lubomir had indeed been hesitant, but the sight of Haku's tail clenched his resolve. He straightened and his voice took on an icy undertone. 'Partly I was mistaken. I crossed into their lands without knowing. I was scouting, for I am not of these lands. I can only guess their leader attacked me. He tried to tear me to shreds. I only escaped by... losing my mind.' How else could he describe it? 'A great rage overtook me and I fought back, but he tore at my flesh and I was lucky not to die there.' Lubomir looked over Haku's shoulder, towards the far reaches of Halcyon Mountain, where he now knew Inferni lay. 'For what they did to Mew, there are few things I would not do back.' The words were spoken softly but loud enough to hear. It was the first time he was actively taking a side. But he was offering something instead of drawing back to watch the fight. 'I am in no position to speak for Shadowed Sun. But I can speak for Lubomir Varg.' Mentally, he made a note to talk to Skoll about this. Surely the yellow warrior would have something to say.

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[Haku Soul]

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I. Am. So. Sorry. for the long wait. [500something]

It pained them all to see the broken victims that had been formed out of violence and blood. Or, it pained most beings. Haku himself was untouched by whatever chaos he came to witness. Deep inside he was nothing but a hollow shell, unable to feel much of anything, except for primal instincts and the directions of the beast that told him what to do. He could detect hints of emotions from within and could play on them as the expert he was, but he did not know of passion in any way, only from what he saw in others. It was not much of a help, but it had been long since he became a ghost, so he did not think he lacked anything.

A touch of gratitude flashed in the chocolate male’s eyes as Lubo spoke of his sister. Rather poetic fellah, this one. He gave a solitary nod. It was such a shame, the coyotes would not see what was coming now. Haku received his answer, and so it had been Inferni that had brought those injuries as their gift to the innocent wanderer. It was exact what had happened to Mew. What he did not understand is why the coyotes were so hostile in the first place. There had always been fire within their bodies, but where did it come from? Why did they act like they did?

I understand. Haku turned his face to watch in the same direction as the pack wolf’s gaze aimed at. The Inferni lands. The words that then sounded made him move his gaze back to the wolf. What made the grayscale male say such a thing? Mew had been unfortunate, but she was not a relative or a very close friend, now was she? This male would do this because of goodness, because he easily seemed to care for other creatures. Haku shifted his weight slightly in his seated position. It is very kind of you, Lubomir Varg. To use violence against others is something I am not particularly fond of, but this has been happening as long as the coyote clan has been here. Negotiation is pointless. They must be stopped..

He wished he could understand the raging chaos within their hearts. I will stop them. I cannot allow this any longer. Oh, there would be blood. While words were pretty and all that, action was the key to handling the aggressive canines with the inferno name. He was still a lone wolf, and alone against a whole clan, he did not hold much chances. They would not take too long hunting him down, hunting Dahlia down. He had thrown the dice and the game had begun. The issue nowadays was that many did not like getting involved before something directly happened to either them or someone they loved.

They were too passive, such a waste. Maybe that was the reason why the wolves usually failed even though the coyotes were a minority if one looked at numbers. Egocentric and indifferent.

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[Lubomir Varg]

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No worries Lubomir's been difficult >_> I guess I'll bleed in silence Diplomacy. Lubomir knew what diplomacy traditionally entailed. Open talks, moments of tension and threats but ultimately both parties had more to gain from peace than open warfare. Wolves and coyotes alike would die and although Lubomir held no particular love towards Inferni now, he did know that the war would draw everyone in, somehow. And then he stopped. Would it? Sure, he had basically just promised Haku all the help he could give, a promise like the one he'd made Mew, but he was not the leader of Shadowed Sun, he could not speak for them. He couldn't even speak for Skoll. The warrior would make his own choices. Again his own impotence hit him. Lubomir had not grown up here, these were strange lands and they saw him as a strange wolf who did not know the full story. He was and would be on the outside. Ties here were strong. Mew had mentioned revenge to Asphyxia by her brother. And perhaps it was a testimony to the state of mind of the grey wolf that he did not think to ask Haku. He was troubled, Lubomir was. And he knew what Haku spoke of. War. All out war. Destruction, death, blood pooling in the lands of Inferni, howling and fighting late into the night. 'Who supports you, Haku? Who is on your side? And who are Inferni's friends? Do the packs here have your allegiance?' He did not dare ask if any were against the war. It would be both lacking in diplomacy and a blow to Haku to think he could not win. Or so Lubomir thought. In his mind, in Haku's shoes, so to speak, he would need all the support he could get. 'I am not much of a fighter, to be honest, but I can help. I can fight and thrash around.' The implied meaning was that he could be easily used as a decoy. Lubomir did not want to die, not at all. But wars were dirty, nasty things and sometimes, dirty, nasty things had to be done.

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[Haku Soul]

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War, destruction, death, blood, despair, fear, everything. It was everything. It was, beautiful. It truly was. Other beings did not particularly move like the puppets he wanted them to be, so it was all about stepping lightly and reach the child with the goodnight kiss without waking it before the nightmare had consumed it completely and it was too late to force eyes wide open. The grayscale male's questions were too easy to answer, unfortunately. I do not know. Blood did not have to start boil as of yet, there was enough time, they had to be polite and properly enjoy the meal. The adult drew in air through cold nostrils and let it out the same way, a bit more pressure put on the air traveling out of him. Not a sigh, but it the meaning was the same.

I need to take care of her before I plan my next move. I do not wish for war, but there are very few options to choose except for blood. It was a harsh thing to say, and his ears flickered uneasily. They were so alike, the two types of canines. He had never understood what really was the cause of tension between them. A puddle of blood was always to be seen between them, yet the sinful offspring bloomed into the world and kept the blood from coagulating, from the side they felt most comfortable on. Why? They were all the same. He watched the other male, unsure what to say for once. Haku had received a soldier already.

I don’t want these things to happen again. That’s all. Pink tones in fur supposed to be snow white. He did not want to see it.

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[Lubomir Varg]

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ooc I guess I'll bleed in silence The way he spoke about her, Lubomir guessed immediately that he was her mate, the father of the unborn pups. He felt saddened. Somehow, he had wished he would be the saviour, the one to bring back her smile. But now he understood the futility of his own desires. She was promised to this wolf and nothing Lubomir did or said would change it. Besides, it seemed that there was passion, if not love between them. He thought of Ember. She had been placed in a safe corner of his heart, as if that would offer the protection she would lack otherwise. Because she would eventually be dragged into this mess too. It was the way of the world. That was how things happened. Slowly, he drew his attention back and listened carefully to Haku. He was right. Their options were few and most of them simply ended in more bloodshed. But to sit back like this and worry... Sturm und Drang. Storm and Stress. He remembered reading about it in a book. This is what it felt like, then. To be caught in stress and storms. Inner and outer. Somehow, Lubomir felt like laughing. At himself. At his own foolishness. 'Do you know, I nearly fell in love with her?' The words escaped his mouth before he knew certainly what he was saying. 'She was so frail. So alone. How mistaken I was. Who knew that you were out here to save her? And me, all I could offer her was my word that I would come if she asked me too. I do not wish to seem crass. But she was so beautiful in her broken frame. In the moment when I looked into her eyes, she was the most beautiful creature on this infested land.' He knew he sounded bitter, but he couldn't help but feel jealous of this male, who tonight would be holding Mew close to his form. Lubomir sighed and looked at the ground again. His insides were twisting and turning and everything seemed so stupid and futile. Yes, war. Yes, death. Yes, destruction, pain, loss. Yes to all the demons running loose in this world. But to him, in this small selfish moment, all that mattered was that he would not be the one to hold Mew through all the pain. That eventually he would return to his cold den to brood. Lubomir knew he was no hero. But not it seemed like he'd been a hypocrite, to act so professionally when he could only think such thoughts about her. When he'd ignored his heart's beating for Ember in favour of his pity for the white angel.

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[Haku Soul]

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His words somewhat amused Haku. Well, their mother had been a fragile beauty, still was, and Mew looked a lot like Colibri, except for apple green eyes. Lovely eyes. Haku had not been there to save her, that was the problem that had started it all. When he had arrived at the family's pack borders, she had looked terrible. Her light fur had still held a hue of pink when he had carefully nuzzled her. Her children were dead as well. He supposed it was then he had decided to do what he had done. The idea in the first place had not been his own though, but belong to someone else. Haku was merely a puppet, and he knew it too well. Yet, that was how things were, and he had his own puppets he could play with, so it was all good.

Problem is, I was not there to save her. He let a touch of sadness enter his eyes, and he lowered his face slightly, misery sat on his shoulders and pulled him down into the rock beneath him. Nearly fell in love with her? Why merely nearly and not completely? Mew needed a bit of love these days, Haku thought. The chocolate wolf was merely her younger sibling, far from a mate. I'm her brother, and it was my job to protect her. Maybe the other wolf would fine use for this information. If he could get a loyal ally through his sister, then jolly good.

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[Lubomir Varg]

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ooc I guess I'll bleed in silence The chocolate and cream male seemed to become immersed in thought again and Lubomir waited, brooding on his misfortunes. He could still remember her face, her eyes, her smile, the way her fur tinged pink when he blushed and once more he felt as if he were betraying Ember by thinking of Mew. The way she spoke of being a musician and storyteller, the flicker of intelligence in her eyes, the almost childish, innocent thirst for knowledge. Knowing she had lost those pups, the image of her body, broken and betrayed, her soft whimpers, her loss. The thought of her burying her children. Lubomir had never seen any of it, or even pups that small, but he imagined what it must have been like for her. The horror, the shame, the fear? Did those things cross her mind? Did she fear the return of Asphyxia? Maybe. It was Haku's next piece of information which made Lubomir gasp and stare. Brother? This male was Mew's brother? Not a mate? His heart soared. So, then, that meant that she was more alone than he had originally thought, but it also meant that he could be her hero, her saviour, her knight. He could woo her with his careful words, he could hold her and take all the pain away. 'I thought you were her mate, the father of the dead pups. Then, perhaps, we could both protect her.' Lubomir wasn't entirely sure what he was saying. The joy at finding out that Haku was just her brother was enough to give him a giddy sensation, as if he were completely and utterly drunk.

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