Flaming Butterfly, Peaceful Dragon

Ralla · 08-23-2011, 12:52 PM

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Ralla's just meeting all sorts of strangers :X (Nootau: Visible)

Food had officially become scarce in AniWaya. The dry season of summer had done nothing for their crops, despite their abundance of river water, but it was really attributed to the absence of their hunters and the increase in members. It just was simply not in balance. At the very least Ralla's three youngest were in a more stable pack for the moment, so she need only worry about herself and Ayasha. But still, everyone else--especially those with pups like J'adore--must be feeling the pain of hunger even a little; the white woman only hoped that it didn't resort to the culling of their herd. Ralla had been so pleased to see their livestock grow and flourish--it would be a shame to see them all go to waste because the Guardians couldn't pull hunting duty.

So saying, Ralla found herself a little ways away from the border--not too far to seem suspicious--with a large woven basket that she was filling with whatever foods she could find; nuts, berries, roots, etc. It was slim pickings so close to a dry land, and as the woman sat in a field picking blueberries from a sparse bush--Nootau gliding in the sky above like a vigilant sentry--her vision resonated through her mind. This is the spread of illness, she mused. Soon, if there is not enough food, we will fight amongst ourselves and become sick from desperation. What had happened to the peaceful paradise once known as AniWaya? A poisoned raven...

Moon walks. "Moon talks." Moon thinks.

Razekiel Lykoi · 08-23-2011, 07:17 PM

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Ichika had flourished far better than foreseen in his wildest dreams. The former Valleymen and Dahlians had grown to knit together like weaves in a basket, and with pride the coyote watched them from afar, always supervising, always smiling. The man only vaguely knew of the other packs other than Inferni and Anathema, one for his ties to it and the other for his pack's uncomfortable proximity to it. Razekiel was quietly surprised other pack leaders had not come to inquire about the northern settlement above the mountain, but he supposed they were busy. As expected, he would go to meet them one-by-one, and with time the Ichikans would, hopefully, become known as pinnacles of peace and love... perhaps someone the other packs could models themselves after.

Perhaps these were only the whimsicalities of a loving old man.

One of the first he had determined best to visit was the distinctly distant AniWaya, the tribe he knew to be peaceful and the most resembling of Ichikan ways out of the other packs present. Jefferson had always spoken highly of the place and its leader Dawali, and one of the ex-Patriarch's last desires for Phoenix Valley's successor was for it to remain friendly and allianced with the western tribe. Razekiel naturally desired the same, and with a small gift shaped by Tawny as the pack Kusala, the man took to the mountains and plainlands atop Lark's back. The journey was a long one, but with warm weather guiding his way and the companionship of the spunky blue roan, Razekiel did not mind in the least.

"The winds of change run strong in this place," the coyote said, straw eyes hovering over pink lenses as he glanced side to side. Something felt wrong in the air as he neared what was said to be AniWaya — not at all the feel he had expected in its proximity. Lark grunted some sort of agreement, then bobbed his head wildly when another figure finally came into view: a white female, picking at blueberries not far from the borders.

"Hello, hello!" he exclaimed, undaunted by said 'winds of change' as he swung off the horse's back in one quick motion. "Greetings, greetings my friend! I am Razekiel, man, and I come bearing gifts for the AniWayans here like friendly handshakes from Ichika no Ho-en, you dig? Where might I find one of the groovy guys in charge here? Old Jefferson spoke very highly of one called Dawali."

table by lin

Ralla · 08-24-2011, 12:32 AM

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As promised, one 'wtf' reply ^^ INTERESTING FACT: The Cherokee word for 'hello' is 'osiyo' or 'asiyu', said exactly as they are spelled. In James Cameron's Avatar, the greeting term for the Na'vi is 'I see you'. Compare them >:3

Well, if Ralla's thoughts had previously been on dismal things, the man that showed up certainly...brightened things quite a bit. He was obviously a coyote--the ears and build said it all, if not the scent--but he was dressed...quite differently than what she was used to. Ralla had come from a tribe where color was valued and seen as beautiful--long flowing cloths, feathers, beads, painted bones and claws and teeth--but she'd never seen anyone quite as bright as the man. He came off a horse towards her, speaking in a way she also wasn't used to. Perhaps that was just her being traditionalist, but his appearance--while it did surprise her and make her forest green eyes open ever so wide--did not deter her from his person. In fact, the aura he exuded was quite calming and beneficial for her frayed nerves.

Osiyo, she said amiably, bending from the knees to stand before the man. Another scent came with him, accompanying the light smell of flowers and fresh, dewy grass...and something else. It was the scent of 'alpha', which immediately made Ralla correct her posture just so--tail lowered, chin bent every so slightly down. She was no longer a Councilman and could not hold herself so; getting used to it was proving easy, if not humbling. My name is Ralla. Er...I dig? Such a form of speech she had never encountered threw the white mother off kilter a little bit, but the man's last question sobered her confusion. Oh, you've ah...come too late. Dawali is...no longer in charge. She would not say 'no longer Chief' because that just simply wasn't true. If Dawali wasn't the Chief and Maska was, then she was a purple monkey riding a flying pig. And while I'm happy to hear Jefferson speak of him so--how is he, by the way?--I'm afraid I would advise against speaking to our current leader--especially because you are not a wolf. Oh; forgive me, I did not mean that as an insult, she said quickly, realizing just how her blunt tongue had made it sound. Please understand; Maska is very blood-driven, and I would hate to see anyone else harmed by his purist intentions. It's already happened within the pack, and I've been trying to keep those who stray too close away. It's not a happy place here right now. And that was surely an understatement... As proof, the bandages wrapping around her left arm had yet to be removed, even though the bleeding had stopped long before.

Moon walks. Moon talks. Moon thinks.

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Razekiel Lykoi · 08-24-2011, 12:54 AM

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It is so weird to play such a talkative character after playing Jefferson for so many years... XD

Despite her discouraging words on the state of AniWayan leadership, the white female spoke amiably and with great enthusiasm and friendliness, and at this the coyote was truly grateful. The prince was not blind to the strange looks he so commonly received at his uncanny and unusual behavior — not that said looks deterred or discouraged it in any way, for he did not fear estrangement by those who held discrimination close to their chests — but to be looked upon with energy and excitement, he was enabled to quickly mirror it and keep conversation rewarding in every way.

Surely the old cyclops would be disappointed to hear Dawali no longer ran the joint, and the three-legged ex-Patriarch might be further provoked to find one who favored breeding and races had come to replace the Kalona Jefferson had taken such a liking to. It was under the cyclops's recommendation that Razekiel had made the trip to AniWaya seeking to revive the alliance maintained with Phoenix Valley, and the prince hated to think how Jefferson would react upon hearing it could not be upheld as he'd hoped. "Jefferson is... well, I'm not sure, man," he shrugged. "After he merged Phoenix Valley with ol' Dahlia, he stepped off and left it to little lady freedom Nayru and myself. These peepers would love to see him, man, if only he'd come visit."

"Nah, girl, it's cool," he smiled feebly, unoffended by any words that might have sounded accusatory. "Inferni's my bloodland, man. If anyone's dealt with that garbage, man, it's me. Sounds like ol' AniWaya's aiming to groove the same path, my friend. A shame, surely. Jefferson was so jizzed about this place, my flower, he really was. Didn't see those old scars light up about much, man, but they did about this place. He really wanted Ichika to keep up with 'em."

A shrug, and momentarily his expression shifted contemplative as he puffed from his joint. "So, I'm all about love and peace and unity, man, but ain't you folk gonna... you know, do something about that? Leadership's real wonky, man. You need it, man, but if it's not grooving the right way with everyone, something's gotta give, right?"

Ralla · 08-24-2011, 06:15 PM

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I think it's BECAUSE you played such a silent charrie that its easier for you to play a talkative one XD

Oh, I see, Ralla said a bit sadly knowing that Jefferson had also stepped down--admittedly under better circumstances. She had had great respect for the man and his pack, and sympathized with Razekiel's desire to see him as well. But she trusted that he would not have let such an auspicious merge go being led by those unworthy to do so, so she would trust Jefferson's decision to leave the packs in Nayru's and Razekiel's care. She knew Nayru as a pleasant acquaintance as the leader of Dahlia when it was still formed and knew her to be worthy already, and such a merge--had Dawali still been Chief--would have been celebrated and acted upon, she was sure. Ichika no Ho-en? What language is that? What does it mean? Curiosity had always been one of Ralla's weaknesses, but this man seemed very pleasant, and knowing a potential friend--especially now--was crucial and rare.

The way that Razekiel spoke to her was quite confusing at some points--a lot of dropping off for the occasional comment, such as the 'my flower' one, which made the white woman pink at the cheeks--but she got the gist of it and was similarly disappointed. Had we known and this not happened, I'm sure Dawali would've wanted it, too. Believe you me, not one of the old tribes member is happy about this at all. Especially her. She had left her home to escape such restrictions and chains of loneliness. When she had found AniWaya, it was as if the world was right again. And then Maska had come and hurt them, in more ways than one and more deeply than anything she had ever felt--even more than when Kemo had left her. Razekiel's smoking did not bother the woman a bit; Kemo had done it, and smoking tobacco was a regular custom in AniWaya around ceremonies or meditation. She did not do it herself, but understood how sacred it was to the ancient customs. We're trying, she said, a bit discouraged with how small her voice was when she said it. It's just hard for us. So many have already been prosecuted and hurt, and we were not a warring people to begin with. Maska has a lot of Guardians trained in battle, and they've shown no mercy towards us. With her right hand she gripped the middle of her left arm, the smooth gauze of the wrapping strange beneath her fingers, where she had once expected to feel fur and not bandages. Hers was a wound of injustice and cruelty. She took a quick look behind them to make sure there were no Guardians watching or near to hear her or see them--being with another wolf would be suspicious to the Guardians, and would no doubt lead to more punishment. As before, she was not cautious for herself, but for her children. Or, more specifically now, for Ayasha. I've been trying to get everyone to cooperate rationally. It's hard for some of them to stay calm--and I can understand it. But if we don't play this right, a lot of us can get hurt, and I...I don't want that. We're trying. The white mother said it with such sincerity that it sounded pitiful to her ears. They were trying, but where was it getting them? Was their trying good enough?

They wanted justice, and she could feel that fire stoke her passion for it within. She, too, wanted to see the poisoned raven fall.

Moon walks. Moon talks. Moon thinks.

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Razekiel Lykoi · 08-27-2011, 01:06 AM

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"The language, I think, Japanese," he shrugged, scratching at his head. "Not entirely sure, man. There were Buddhists in a couple packs I chilled with, and they bathed me in their words and terminology, yeah? 'Single flower of phoenix flame,' you dig? Like the Dahlian flower and Valley phoenix fire."

Razekiel could only nod at Ralla's explanations of their woes and efforts. Their situation was a truly troubling one, a trial difficult to overcome. Great tragedy and desperation lurked in the undertones of her lovely voice — surely her singing voice would be remarkable and beautiful when unhindered with such quests and trauma on her shoulders! — and the coyote understood well that they had been forced into a situation Ichika would be fortunate to avoid. They, like the AniWayans, were not warring people. Though the prince found it highly unlikely that some dark soul like Maska would ever seek to overthrow a place like Ichika no Ho-en, in his nods were confirmations to himself that such preparations needed to be performed. He would surely alert the pack's number of warrior ranks to such possibilities, and notify them of the plausible threat the southern tribe currently held with them. If they had reason to strike a peaceful, neighboring pack, what reason did they not have to attack one to the north with seemingly no defenses?

Overcome with emotion, the hippie removed his lenses and set to wiping tears from his eyes. "You speak with such dedication and strength, man, I can't take it," he babbled. "Your whole world is upside-down. I had no idea. We are far to the north, man, but you call on us if we can help. Ask for Razekiel personally, yeah?"

He reached into his satchel, pulling from it a small and beaded necklace. Stepping forward, Razekiel sniffled as he gently wove it over her ears and around her neck, then stepped back and nodded with great pride. "A gift, from Ichika no Ho-en, man," he said feebly. "It was meant for your leader, but this guy thinks maybe it fits this flower best instead."

Ralla · 08-27-2011, 10:41 AM

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Dammit Lin, Raz made me swoon XD Does he sweet-talk all the ladies? XD Btw, I know it seems weird, but Ralla's one of those people who doesn't have those personal space boundaries, so she'd give a stranger a hug if she liked them enough o_o

Ralla listened intently to Razekiel's description of the pack's name, innately fascinated with such things as culture and etymology. The name quite suited Phoenix Valley's and Dahlia de Mai's fusion, and an elegant ring to it. She was also quite interested in the concept of these 'Buddhists'--as she did not really know what they were, but was quite interested--but that was for another time.

Ralla understood that she must be frightening the man for his pack by saying such things, but it was better to not withhold the truth and warn someone away than letting them believe a lie. At first he seemed emotionally stable about it, but when he lifted those rosy shades and wiped a tear away, she herself was quite startled and moved to see an outsider's sympathy on such a level. Razekiel? she asked as she tipped her head to the side, concern in her features. She needn't have shown concern, though, as his next words brought on a shade of pink to her cheeks. Jefferson had said similar things about her dedication, but she only thought of herself doing her duty and remaining loyal to her family. The tribe of AniWaya had never shown her any anger before Maska, and had never even had the notion to lock her away for tradition like her native pack had. She had loved her family there, but here in AniWaya, she was free...or had been.

I'll...I'll be sure to do that, the white woman said, still moved by his empathy. For now, I want to see how far we can get on our own, but we'll know we have an ally in Ichika. The woman was tempted to reach up and cup the man's cheek like she did for her pups when they were sad or troubled, but thought it inappropriate towards a leader--not to mention they had just met. It appeared as if she needn't make a move anyway, since Razekiel decided to do so himself. The surprise was quite a lot, she must say. She let him slip the necklace over her head with humility, and fingered the beads with great appreciation. Among her other tooth and claw necklaces, this one felt weightier--and perhaps this was because it was given by another person. At the fact that it was meant for Dawali, Ralla's ears pricked up. I'm flattered, really, she said, the term of 'flower' coming back and recoloring her cheeks...again... But if this was meant for Dawali, I would gladly give it to him. Perhaps the red wolf would see then that those loyal to him had not faltered in their fires. A secret part of her, though didn't want to take the necklace off. Perhaps it was the part of her that was viced with odd and shiny objects--a magpie-like obsession, if one would--or perhaps it was because the necklace would remind her of Raz's words and kindness. Regardless...wado, she said with a bright smile up to the man, the rare smile that she had once worn every day that had disappeared the day the poisoned raven came. I regret that your trip should be like this--and from so far--but I would like to think that things will not always be this way here. When they get better, I'll be sure to come to Ichika no Ho-en, if you'll permit me? She had once asked the same thing of Jefferson, and had not been disappointed by the lands of Phoenix Valley when she went. Perhaps that visit would bring her peace as well.

Moon walks. Moon talks. Moon thinks.

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Razekiel Lykoi · 09-04-2011, 03:41 PM

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By no means did Razekiel intend to tread on AniWayan struggles or impede on their personal goals in solving their problems themselves. The fortitude and strength in Ralla brought him inspiration and confidence that the peaceful tribe had others of a similar breed and intent — they would be fine, he knew it, whether they called upon Ichikans for help or not. And even if they did, Razekiel was not entirely sure where his people would be able to lend aid: Ichika was specifically not crafted for warfare, but just the opposite. Would they come with picket signs and speeches of peace? Would they come with advice, or with promises of sanctuary for those unwillingly caught up in the fighting?

He shrugged to himself, even though the question had not been posed aloud. He would discuss it with Nayru, and something would be figured out. Razekiel Lykoi was not one for worrying, after all.

"If that is what you think is right," he smiled as she offered to move the necklace onto Dawali. He stepped forward and lay his hand on the jewel at the necklace's center, smiling gently at her. "Perhaps it will inspire some strength in him to retake his place, but for now, allow it to inspire it into you. You are the spirit of AniWaya, are you not? If you are strong, man, then so shall the rest be. The leader is not the tribe."

"Yes, of course," he grinned, stepping back to reunite with the blue roan and his brown-tipped snout that readily pushed at the coyote's shoulder. "We are all brothers and sisters, man; this place especially. You are always welcome in our northern sanctuary and will be welcomed with great open arms, even if you are not here, man."

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