A Meal for Two

X'yrin Exultare · 11-07-2011, 07:25 PM

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Their pace was steady, taking only small breaks here and there to relieve the muscles of strain. There was no hurry to their stride, but for the female there was some urgent need to escape the valley before they made camp for the night. Perhaps it was this warning in the pack of her mind that compelled her to continue, her pace not quickening but her strides lengthening to inconspicuously cover more ground. At their rate, they would have long been beyond the Valley before night fell, but the threshold couldn't come soon enough. However nature had its way of attempting to slow progress.

It began as a soft rumbling in the pit of her stomach, no more than the soft churns of ignored hunger. She was fine leaving it be. But then the demands grew louder, her large form commanding an appetite most unwise to be unattended to for much longer. She spared glances at her companion time and again to see if he had noticed her belly's pangs. She maintained the mask of indifference, choosing to instead maintain their progress than stop for a much needed... much demanded meal.

"It shouldn't be much longer," she offered in conversation hoping to dispel the awkward air invoked by her rebellious gut. True there was no set course and no deadline to meet, but the warning was growing ever louder, just as her belly raised it voice for attention. "Are you familiar with these lands?" she continued, raising her voice above another boisterous roar.

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Jaden Ohanzee · 11-07-2011, 10:56 PM

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Went worth valley was quite a sight. The two Ichikan wolves found their way through it at a decent pace. A comfortable silence had settled between them allowing Jaden to gawk at the surrounding natural scene. Many, many centuries before either him or X’yrin had taken their first breaths a large glacier had cut its way strait through the land. In present time there was little evidence to suggest that a massive chunk of ice had created this gouge in the earth. Once majestic cliffs had lost their splendor to the elements and created steep hills. Here and there evidence of humanity lay in ragged tatters; a pile of rotting wood or the foundations of a home much like the one Jaden had clamed in New Glasgow. All in all, the sights sufficed to entertain the Shishen as he paraded forward with his companion.

The feral noise came softly at first, difficult to hear over the various rustlings and chirpings of nature around them. When Jaden finally noticed it, he decided not to say anything. If X’yrin’s last meal was being unruly to her there was no need to question the woman about it. Such things pass with time. When the menacing growl didn’t quickly subside and instead became aggravated and more persistent, Jaden spared his friend a glance. He himself was quite comfortable having hunted and eaten his fill only yesterday. By the sounds of the female’s belly, she had likely neglected it for a fare amount of time. He wondered if perhaps her unhappiness had been more sever then it had seemed. Would she deprive herself of sustenance because of sadness? The act wasn’t unheard of. The crimson and ebony brute had once known a friend who did just that. But X’yrin wasn’t frail looking. He recalled the speed at which she darted away from his surprise greeting this morning and put all doubts of her health aside.

Until we leave the valley? No, we should be free of it soon. said he to her attempt at dispelling the slightly uncomfortable air. Her belly wouldn’t be ignored just because she spoke though. It gurgled angrily at her attempt only to be slightly masked by a question. I never had any reason to travel through these parts until now. Everything is just as new to me as it is to you. Jaden glanced over at his partner who had been effectively disguising her discomfort. He still didn’t catch any sign of hunger on her feature and couldn’t help but grin at her stubborn persistence to not show it. You know, He sighed and slowed their pace to a halt, We have a long way to go. I haven’t eaten in a few days. He lied rather honestly. Maybe we could hunt before continuing much further? Better now where there is pray then later while trying to cross the mountains… Jaden offered this in all truth. Though he hadn’t spent much time in this area, mountains were mountains. It would be a hard push to get across the Halcyon range in a single day and once at those elevations there would be little pray. Against his better judgment the Shishen—an archer by name—had left his bow back in favor of extra satchel space. Already the choice was biting at him. There were plenty of birds in the mountains but were virtually impossible to catch on the slopes. There was plenty of game in Wentworth valley. The hunter could smell it. It wouldn’t take them long to find something suitable to slate X’yrin’s hunger.

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.

X'yrin Exultare · 11-08-2011, 02:12 PM

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ooc: T_T such a crap post. The next one will be better

Try as she may, the growls of a rebellious stomach could not be ignored for long. Eventually the rumble of hunger overpowered their words and the pair was left in an uncomfortable silence. She felt her face grow hot with embarrassment but was still reluctant to oblige the beast's craving. The attempt at banter utterly thwarted. Thankfully her companion spoke on the gurgling burden's behalf.

She mirrored his slowing pace and came to pause beside him. Her hackles rose with unease, feeling suddenly vulnerable within the Valley, watched by scrutinizing eyes. "A hunt..." she replied absently while turning to meet the Shishen's gaze. "Better we hunt now than find ourselves without while the prey is plentiful." In her compliance, the noises of her stomach seemed to quiet a little but still rumbled in protest to her prolonged extension without food. She should have known better than to wait like this especially on a venture through the wild. But her want to cross the Valley was much stronger than her desire to feed.

Nevertheless, she gave in. With a disgruntled sigh, she dropped her muzzle to the ground sifting through the rich earthen scent for the trail of fodder.

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Jaden Ohanzee · 11-10-2011, 01:52 AM

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Sure. >

(JK!!) Wordzzz – 300+

The ground held so many scents. The bitter, earthy smell of dirt, the sweet tang of grass, and numerous varieties of animal musk all swirled together in a glorious symphony just below Jaden’s muzzle. All this information came easily to a wolf’s nose. The hard part was not picking it up but sorting out the mess.

Animals all had their different smells. Luckily for his travel companion, the brute was a master hunter. He wondered how fine of a huntress she was. Wasn’t it simple to exchange one form of combat for another? Then again, the sort of combat X’yrin prided herself in wasn’t to kill, but simply to fight. Every time he brought up his bow or his blades, she seemed uninterested. It confused Jaden when he thought about it as he did often. While recuperating from the various burses the Ichikan could always find left about his body by the woman, the answer never seemed to come. He had been trained to kill. Wining was invigorating but killing your opponent often only leaves your heart beating. You can not claim a dead enemy victorious therefore, you are the victor.

The man quickly tried to put these thoughts out of his mind before long just as he did with all of the like. He was not a killer anymore. Ichika was of peace and now he was of Ichika. He hadn’t taken life since Zev. That was eleven months ago… strange how it seemed so easy to recall. It was not the first time Jaden had almost lost his life. The long scar that ran down his ribcage almost stung remembering that sword. If only Zev had been fighting to win and NOT kill. Oh, how much easier that would have been.

Why was it so hard not to think of this! The Shishen sat and scratched at his scar with his hind leg. So where exactly are we headed, X’yrin?Her name suddenly felt big and unnecessary in his mouth but talking to her would distract him enough so as to let him get back to hunting. He had momentarily forgotten about the other’s ravenous hunger and quickly resumed scanning about the ground for the scent of prey. You spoke of wanting to show me the way of the Nomad. Where, exactly, would a Nomad’s destination be?

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.

X'yrin Exultare · 11-10-2011, 11:35 AM

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ooc:

The mind of the beast wanted to focus on one thing, and one thing alone, but such a want was too far out of reach to be realistic. She couldn't have a mind focused solely on catching prey, but one split into counterproductive thoughts. Her eyes scanned the ground hoping the earthy terrain would distract her from thoughts of grey, but it was all she saw. Unknowingly the Nomad whined in distress, her nose sniffing at the ground in vain, Her sharpened sense now dulled to the scent of fodder. It was as if it were rebelling, keeping her from seeking out anything to hunt til she reconciled with what ailed her. But she refused still, damning herself and her senses for being compromised like this. She about struck the ground in frustration but instead swept aside fallen leaves from her path under the pretense of moving the flora to gain a better scent on the trail.

Thankfully the words of her companion were enough to distract her. She raised her muzzle to meet his gaze, a bit of soil clinging to her nose from scrounging over the earth. Her ears perked forward attentively. Her task momentarily forgotten. "There is no path," she began to explain. "A Nomad has no destination, truly. Their path is never ending, or so our Shepards would say. The reason I left the Nomads was because they had fallen into routine, taking the same courses over and over again and claiming it was new, but it was only for the young born into our family. For those that walked the Endless Path for generations, there was nothing strange or new about it.

"However," her eyes had grown distant in recollection, walking in the steps of her forebears as she recalled the same marks of land time and time again. Their facades only changing with the season, but still all too familiar to the knowing eye. "We have an advantage," she continued, her eyes regaining life with a spark of hope and yet to be seen wonders. "We have the hearts of the Nomad and truly a new frontier to explore. There is no set course, no real destination. We follow the curve of the land led only by our hearts-" another horrid growl sounded, painfully reminding the female what she was supposed to be searching for- "And occasionally our stomachs." Feeling a little more relieved, she smiled.

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Jaden Ohanzee · 11-10-2011, 04:12 PM

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Jaden found a fresh scented deer track soon after posing his question. He didn’t interrupt her response to announce it despite knowing how welcome the information would be to his hunger-ridden companion. The audible whines she ushered hinted to as much. Since first meeting the russet she-wolf he had he recalled hearing her prideful voice whine sparsely. The plea was a little unnerving.

Then we have a destination, for now. Breathed the man. He lost her gaze then and feigned interest in the track he had already seen. When X’yrin admitted to leaving her previous life because of things becoming routine, she obliviously reassured Jaden’s fears that he might loose her to the wild. If she would leave her own family for this winding road, what was to hold her in a pack with little ties? The man held no understanding of nomadic family ties or how distant they were. His only council was an assurance that there was still time for talk and understanding. How little this really was had him grimacing and tight-jawed. The look was hidden as he turned his back to her and followed the scent of prey toward a clearing not far away. There are deer this way, He indicated as much with a flick of his muzzle. Glancing back, he caught her smile and felt a little bit better for it. At least she wasn’t uncomfortable enough to share such a beautiful expression. He managed a slightly insincere smile of his own before turning and leading toward their game.

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.

X'yrin Exultare · 11-11-2011, 10:21 AM

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ooc:

The Shishen took lead of their hunt, following the trail of a lone doe hobbling in vain to follow the harem on a deformed hind leg. It was a wonder the female survived at all before the two predators made her their prey. Their assault was quick and tactful, the more agile death dealer taking the doe's throat once the trap was sprung and bringing an end to their long hunt. In the mind of the Nomad, tracking the female had carried on for one continuous hour, though several had passed on in silence. One would have believed the rewards of their efforts would have invoked more joy in the hungry attackers. But even with her maw dripping with blood, the taste of the killing blow on her tongue, it simply was not the same as it was went she hunted with the grey male.

There had been so much fire and energy. Her body was pushed to exert efficiently to down their worthy prey. Her primal instinct felt more fulfilled understanding she was hunting not for herself, but for another's well-being. And she had wanted to appease him. It was completely different now. Though the food was necessary to herself and Jaden, she couldn't call herself pleased. Once the doe was still with death, X'yrin shed her Secui form and let her body stretch and tower in Optime. She suggested that they take the carcass and make camp as they skinned and preserved their meal, her hunger slightly abated by the rich blood.

And camp was were they sat as the afternoon sun began its glide towards its earthen bed. The violet shawl of evening gently veiled across the open sky. In a more civilized manner, X'yrin made quick work of the beast's innards, breaking its chest to take out its steaming heart then grasped its liver and kidneys, all its vital organs and let them rest on a bed of leaves between them. "Shall we eat then?" she offered, gesturing with a drenched arm to their banquet of vital organs. None but the bowels had been spared. Eagerly, X'yrin took the heart for herself.

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Jaden Ohanzee · 11-13-2011, 11:51 PM

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Their hunt stretched for hours after first contact with a scent. The two wolves fell to silence as the lust for blood became more powerful then their need for conversation. The doe they found was utterly weak and put up nearly no fight. Jaden was glad they needed not exert themselves on such a venture. A day wasted on tracking was already a bit extreme. If they had found a large buck and had a hard fight, more time may have been needed for recuperation after the hunt. This way they were left with fine energy reserves for the coming days. Things always worked better when done efficiently.

Once the lame doe lost it’s life to X’yrin’s jaws, the she-wolf suggested they make camp for the evening. Seeing that it had gotten late in the day now, Jaden agreed easily and found a tree nearby to leave his satchel under. The man shifted into his Optime form soon after loosing the weight of it from his back. Though he had supported the pack on lupus shoulders, his muscular Optime shoulders still ached with fatigue. He stretched them across his chest as he found his way to where X’yrin had gutted their kill.

The man sank into a comfortable cross-legged position across from her and let the organs rest between them. When she urged that they eat and took the heart for herself, he didn’t protest. He instead nodded and took the liver for himself. The iron rich meat was his favorite but he didn’t begin to feast right away. He still wasn’t hungry. X’yrin, he began by pushing through the settled silence between them. Earlier, when I asked about your heritage, you said you left the Nomads because they fell into routine. That must have been a hard decision, leaving your family behind for the open road… Jaden’s question wasn’t aggravated or suggestive that she might be at fault for doing so. He kept his voice curiously innocent and began to slowly eat the rich liver in his claws.

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.

X'yrin Exultare · 11-14-2011, 12:06 AM

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ooc:

The fragile heart was cradled delicately within the female's claws, the soft muscled wall caressed by the tip of a single claw as she looked to her companion in thought. The last time she had shared a meal, it was in a comfortable silence. No words need be spoken... the body was sufficient enough to answer all questions and sate the curiosity of the other. It was almost strange now, to be on the very of mealtime banter, light and comfortable at it was. For a moment, the woman was taken by surprise.

He recalled her words from earlier about how she left the Nomads because of their stagnant cycle. In so few words this was the truth; but it was much more than that. Her eyes cast to the warm muscle resting on the pads of her palm still caressing it thoughtfully. "It was a difficult choice, but I felt it was necessary. The only fear that kept me bound to them was that my Shepard would not has a successor and he would be alone during his last years should I not return. But it was with his encouragement that I gathered the courage to leave. He told me... that I would be as he once was; a Leaf tossed by the great wind of Change. It made me happier than I had felt in a while."

Her softly spoken words grew silent as she brought the heart to her awaiting maw and took her first bite, not so much tasting as she was feeding her pressing need for food. The bloodlust attained through the hunt was fleeting, it encapsulated her senses but did not linger beyond the taste of the killing blood. She fell into comfortable repose, ears open to the lively voices of the woods, announcing their nightly wishes to others before the coming night put them all to rest. "What about you?" She pressed in turn, taking another mouthful of her meal. "Ichika was not always your home? Was it difficult for you to leave your first family?"

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Jaden Ohanzee · 11-16-2011, 03:53 PM

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So much worry felt by the warrior about a matter such as this was silly. He and X’yrin were friends and pack mates. Friends found happiness even in the loss of each other. If an open trail held a place in the woman’s heart stronger then Ichika no-Hoen, then Jaden should have realized such a thing was better for her. Coercing her into staying in a lifestyle she viewed as stagnant would violate the terms of a mutually beneficial friendship. But wouldn’t disregarding another’s feelings completely be just as malicious? He was right to worry wasn’t he? To help her compromise and accommodate both their wishes wouldn’t be wrong. Why did that suddenly sound so selfish? Jaden reassured himself that he was simply putting too much thought into this. It had been difficult for her to leave her former home. Maybe she did regret loosing relationships such as her mother or father and that would be something… but she hadn’t mentioned them. She mentioned her Shepard, a term the Shishen had heard her utter before, but she spoke nothing of brothers or sisters, aunts or uncles. Did such things hold no place for her? He knew she wasn’t that coldhearted.

Jaden took another bite of the spongy deer liver and pondered this as his companion finished. More questions trembled in his throat in hopes of being voiced but X’yrin continued the conversation in another direction by pushing easily into Jaden’s dark life story. This should have been expected. Without showing the urgency he felt for information on her past, what would keep the woman from inquiring about his? He simply didn’t like talking about it. Only a year ago, there had been a completely different wolf under his ebony fur. He and X’yrin would not have found friendship. The assassin would have looked down on her for something because there is always something to look down in someone if you looked hard enough. Then they would have fought and to say the male would have kept it honorable or fair is a blatant lie. The woman was a fine hand to hand fighter, but no skill in unarmed self-defense would stand against a trained assassin’s dagger or arrow. That was the kind of man he had been: angry, deceitful, and coldhearted.

Jaden sat back on one arm as if the small amount of food he had consumed were bloating his belly. My family… He gave a slightly uncomfortable smile and looked for something to say that wouldn’t be a complete lie, they are all dead. Mostly lost to disease. There was nothing left of them to stay for. His gaze wondered and he shrugged off this answer just like every other thought of them. There was nowhere near as much expression put to the words as should be for something so apparently sad. And it wasn’t even the whole truth. However, it was close enough that there would be no feelings of guilt for the lie to his friend. The man’s gaze slowly trailed back from the trees around them and fell on the bloodied she-wolf. What of your parents? You never speak of them. The conversation was quickly averted back to her past and Jaden sat up. He set the remaining portion of his liver back on the pile of organs. Trying to eat was useless because he was even less hungry now then before.

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.

X'yrin Exultare · 11-16-2011, 10:36 PM

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ooc:

The mood was already a somber one, but seemed to depress further once the topic of family surfaced. X'yrin fell into silence, quietly finishing her meal as she listened to the dulled tones of her companion. The loss of a family was something she could not relate to, and thus could not empathize with the Shishen. She simply looked to him, not with cold, lifeless eyes, but with a perplexed gaze. No family to return to... but what of the rest of the pack?

This attachment to blood relations was not something the female was conditioned to understand. Bonds were all she knew. That was what dictated family. She may not have known the conditions Jaden lived in while in his pack, but were there not bonds that would have kept him? Yet had they... she wouldn't have been having this conversation. The remaining sliver of muscle slid across her tongue cuing the end to her meal. Despite the noises of her stomach, she hadn't been that hungry. They were just the boisterous whines of a belly that had no attention paid to it though it clearly still stored nourishment. Now that it had been tended to, it was quiet at last.

When asked of her family, the woman looked up to her companion without having realized she was starting intently at the ground moments before. "I cannot speak about what I do not have," she replied softly, the corners of her lips raising comfortably in a gentle smile. "Rather... I do not see parents as others do. We are born to a male and female but are cared for my the members of our selective families. They all become our mothers and fathers, and sister and brothers. There is no pair of designated caregivers." She rounded her shoulders indifferently. "Most often, our sires and dames are part of other families and we rarely interact with them, unless it is for pack business." Carefully, the woman brought a paw to her chest. "I consider myself fortunate that my sire is also our family lead... the Exultare Shepard and is this season's High Shepard. It is an honor to be a part of his greatness, to be guided by his teachings."

She held great admiration for the man even when his presence was gone from her sight. There was still a blazing image of him in her mind, a mirror image of her own form but draped in the garb of power and respect. Since her eyes laid upon him and she knew him to be her Shepard, she aspired to be like him. Not because he was her sire... her father, but because he shown as a beacon for the warrior family. A compendium of knowledge and wisdom, of experience... or caring. She wanted to be to others as he was to her. A quality no mere father could instill. He had transgressed beyond that. "I wish I could describe what he means to me. It is something I believe no parent could compare to."

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Jaden Ohanzee · 12-02-2011, 03:16 PM

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Words - 500+

Things came more into prospective with the woman’s words. Her pack had been different from his in more ways then he had first assumed. As she explained it, there was no connection between mother and daughter, farther and son. The life described fully void of intimate relationships between wolves seemed unbearable even to Jaden. At least Uva Atka protected and respected family ties. There had been much love between him, his sister, his father, and even his traitorously nefarious brother. Having a family, even a dark and murderous one, seemed much more bearable then living in spiritual solitude. Jaden felt sympathy for the early life of another for the first time as he listened to X’yrin. But surprisingly she didn’t speak of it as if she had missed something vital. She was proud of the male who should be her father but felt like there was more respect for him, that he meant more to her then any parent could. Why would she not miss what she’d missed out on? The answer seemed simple yet hard to grasp. She didn’t miss or envy a family because she had never had one. Her pack had raised her and that instilled vale in it, but never had she seen or experienced the close love of a family. Whether she had felt any kind of close affection, closer then a simple friendship like theirs, was suddenly brought into question.

There was a brief silence that settled when X’yrin finished. Jaden had erected from his laid back position and now sat with his legs crossed and hands folded. There was a slight tip to his head in her direction that indicated he had been listening but his eyes wandered over the grass and his thumbs caressed each other as if they fought for different thoughts that flowed through the man. No parent? The kind of relationship she spoke of was hard to understand. Maybe her Shepard was an idol? But parents could be and often were idols. I’ve never respected anyone more than I once respected my father. He too was the alpha of my pack—similar to a Shepard I think? I don’t know the bond you speak of but if you have never felt the love of a parent’s devotion to their pup, it’s difficult to compare their value, isn’t it? Though the Shishen’s upbringing had been much different from most others, he could remember his mother vaguely. The affection that still lingered from his first and only memories of her before she died was still incredibly powerful.

Jaden had only felt love of a different nature but still similar potency once before but he knew X’yrin didn’t speak of her Shepard as a mate. He was her father but less then that and, at the same time, more. His curiosity sustained after a brief silence and he asked, X’yrin, have you ever felt love for someone stronger then friendship? You said the nomads didn’t put specific value on family, but before you left them—or even during your travels—did you ever find someone who completed you? Someone you couldn’t live without?

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.

X'yrin Exultare · 12-03-2011, 12:13 AM

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ooc: 543 words. Poor X'y cast into denial... If this isn't love I dont know what is...

As they ventured deeper into the topic, the Nomad felt an alien discomfort settle upon her. Why this topic held such interest for the Shishen, she could not understand. She hadn’t had to explain the implications of such a relationship before, nor did she have to think about how it would be perceived by others. All she knew was that this was the relationship she was raised in; one void of the unnecessary fawning over a litter by a pair of parents. She had seen the like within visited packs and she often thought of it as strange. For once she questioned if it was her own upbringing that was strange… outside the norm. Her brows knitted with concern for her thoughts but did not allow the unease to mar her muzzle. Calm remained her mask of choice even as Jaden probed deeper for explanation, attempting to wrap his head around how she lived while with the Nomads.

X’yrin sighed impatiently unaware of the irritation cracking her mask. “I have seen caretakers- parents- coddle their offspring, keeping them within their protection while attempting to teach them what only they know. It is a limiting experience. The offspring are kept from what could be more rewarding skills or are forced to take on attributes that do not suit them, simply because it is the will of the parents to make this so. I needn’t know love to place a value. What becomes of the offspring from these two worlds is proof enough.”

But he was not finished with his inquiries and it made the woman grow more anxious. Her tail twitch uncomfortable beneath her then swept the ground in dramatic sways as if to silently compel her companion to stop his questions. She didn’t want to have to explain this… she felt there was not need. He began to speak like the outsiders that sought refuge among their numbers, questioning their odd conduct as if it was not natural. They prospered, hadn’t they? Discarding these notions of blood families, of parents and love, they had achieved a way of life that suited them all. “Love is a notion lost to us,” she affirmed without hesitation. “What you speak of is a bond I have with my Shepard. Without his guidance and support, I would be an incomplete being yet to reach my potential. Truthfully, it is hard to be without him now, but I chose to leave because of his support for my decision and the faith he had in me. Without such a bond, I would not have had the strength to leave them and pursue my own goals. He is the one that I could not live without… but that is because he has done so much for me and I want more than anything to return to him with word that my endeavors were not fruitless…”

Gradually the irritation ebbed from her voice, replaced by a familiar calm as she succumbed to her reigning emotions. Her form lost its rigidity, her tail ceasing its erratic sweeps as the profound memory of her Shepard brought her peace. “I want him to know that his faith was not ill placed,” she whispered. “I want to convey my respect for him… above all else.”

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Jaden Ohanzee · 01-04-2012, 02:54 PM

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No rush. Sorry for the wait. Words – 300+

In the time Jaden had spent getting to know his friend, he’d never seen her quite so bothered as when the topic of love and family came up. The usually calm woman began to grow visually agitated as her tail lashed and her voice stiffened. The reasons she gave for the way her pack worked made sense. If something worked well, why look for error in it right? But what did pull at Jaden was when the woman contradicted herself. She said love was a notion lost to her and her pack, but went on to describe how love, even though it wasn’t quite the love her Shishen had been questioning, was what she felt for her Shepard, her father. It was interesting that she didn’t seem to catch this. Jaden respected the woman’s intelligence greatly so it wasn’t ignorance that kept her from connecting the dots. But then again, maybe it was ignorance of a different sort. Maybe X’yrin had simply never associated the word love with feelings she had. Perhaps she didn’t understand or want to understand the true implications of the word.

But the woman’s reasons for denying love now was not important. Jaden could see that she had been irritated by his questioning and decided upsetting his wonderful travel partner now was not worth quenching his interest. He stood and reseated himself next to his friend when she grew quiet. I have no doubt you will bring honor to wherever you go and that you will gain the respect you deserve from anyone you meet. He answered softly and tried to find her gaze. I have faith in that and I’m sure your Shepard would not have placed his faith lightly. I’m sorry if I offended you with my questions. It wasn’t my intention to poke at your way of life as if it were something strange or wrong. The man leaned forward and rested his forearms on his crossed legs. I was only looking to understand you a bit more, you’re the first Nomad I have ever met. An innocent grin rode his apology and he searched for forgiveness within the kind golden eyes of his companion.

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks." Jaden thinks.

X'yrin Exultare · 01-13-2012, 10:49 AM

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The crease of irritation upon her brows was a temporary effect of the questionnaire and she began to understand his apparent curiosity, the crease receded and the tense nature of her posture gradually relaxed to be a leisure once more. Of course he would inquire about her, just as she had been curious about these lands she’d now called her home. She was the first, but perhaps not the only, Nomad that he had seen with a culture that was far different than his own. Their talk of parents alone was proof of that.

But it was still with some discomfort that she sat beneath his barrage of questions, unsure of what to make of them. Was he still curious of her? Did he find her way of living before Ichika odd? Was she disliked because of it? A strange question directed at herself, for there was no reason for her to believe her culture would put her in ill favor. It was a part of who she was, a cherished quality that would not easily be relinquished. And yet, she was still uncomfortable…worrisome for his evaluation of her. In the end, she thought it best to distract herself from these troublesome thoughts. “I am sorry,” she sighed softly. “I am not used to so many questions. At times I forget that I am as strange to you as you are to me, despite our similar affinities. I did not mean to appear offended. After all, if we are to be friends, we must know more about each other.” Lifting her gaze to his, she smiled. “Is that right?”

ooc: 000 words.

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Jaden Ohanzee · 01-15-2012, 05:56 PM

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300+

Jaden was glad to see he hadn’t caused any permanent damage to their relationship. Erecting his posture, he too tried to relax a bit more. If his friend had taken offence at his questioning, he was happy she denied it. Her reasoning that they must know more about each other to become good friends was fair. She was interesting enough to ask questions about all day. He knew broadly about her life; who she was, what she liked, that they had a lot in common, but there was so much more to know. Simple things like her favorite color, or the kind of weather she enjoyed most never came up during their training sessions. Such trivial subjects might even seem a little out of place here.

This information being shared was a two way street too. The male realized that not long after catching X’yrin’s comforting gaze. She had given him a lot to work with. He understood the way she was raised and who she admired. He felt the distance she held from extremely close relationships. Yet, what had he shared with her? She had asked of his parents and he answered just like he would have had anyone else asked him of his past. It seemed unfair. Jaden felt a little ashamed that he still held that distance, however comfortable it was, when she trusted him so much more readily. Whether she had noticed how short he was with such information escaped him. She didn’t seem to dig or pry about it, but what real friend would?

He couldn’t know for sure if she felt deprived from his trust because of this. Her question hinted at something he couldn’t place. He returned her wolfish smile while pondering this. Yes, it is. I was only looking to know more about you. He reiterated with a slight nod. If there are any questions you would like to pose about me, don’t hesitate to ask. Though he still had doubts about what he really wanted to share with her, he said this with complete honesty. It’s only fair

Jaden does. "Jaden speaks."Jaden thinks.

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