Going Through the Motions

Finn Fidh · 01-03-2012, 11:34 PM

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WC: 500+

Finn slept fitfully that night, plagued by the usual dreams of opening boxes and peering in jars and being confronted not with all the horrors of the world, but the horrors locked within her own head, spilling out in a great tide of scent and sound and colour so painfully loud and blindingly bright that she cried out in her sleep and woke herself up. The wolf lay there in the darkness and shivered, trying to dispel the customary chill that nipped at her toes and wriggled it’s way in between her vertebrae and made them ache. Her den smelt of fur and hay and reality, all comforting things.

She stood, pushing through the door that hid her sleeping quarters and through the next one that led to the rest of her cave. Her cave. So strange for such a space to be under her possession. Finn had never owned a cave so large! Then again, she’d never owned a cave at all. This room surged with warmth, and Finn grabbed a few dry branches to toss onto the fire that kept it this way. She sighed, gazing at the flames with avid eyes. The way they moved, flickered, danced, was so beautiful. She’d never been able to experience it this closely before.

The she-wolf basked in the renewed heat for a moment, before turning away and entering the long passage that led to the larger parts of the caverns. It wasn’t far, and less than a minute’s walk brought her to the huge common room. Finn yawned and stretched, feeling the joints in her body crackle and pop. She hated feeling so old and creaky and stiff. She was only four years old, for crying out loud! These movements done, Finn began settling into the patterns her father had taught her so long ago.

Duck, duck, weave, dart. Feint, leap, roll. Charge forward, spring back. Finn went through all the motions of a fight, but without a partner. This wasn’t much of a setback, she’d been doing it alone all her life after all, and knew each flip of a limb and torsion of her torso so well she could have performed it blindfolded. The workout didn’t do much to get her wheezing, her unnaturally cold temperature and high stamina saw to that. And once she had worn off the rust with a few minute's work she began to move even faster.

This was the stuff she lived for, the rush and pull and jump and snap of a battle. As she moved, Finn pictured each time she had used that particular set to defeat an enemy. Leap, grab, twist She’d thrown that bragging greenhorn of a wolf over her shoulder and sent him yelping for home. Slash, claw, strike. She’d torn the throat out of a mountain lion, moments before his own claws scored her shoulder. Indeed, Finn’s history was mapped out just as surely in her mind as it was written in scars on her pelt.

Now if only she could remember the lost coastlines.

Mido · 01-04-2012, 03:35 PM

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Word Count :: 409 Points::3 OOC:: 0.0

This early in the morning Mido was always cold. It always took him hours to shake the feeling of being despairingly cold. Feeling the the temperature chill him to the bone he crossed his arms tight under his chest listening to his teeth clatter together. His fur was layered very thick, it was great at repelling water, but it still didn’t help a whole lot for keeping him warm. He had a tendency to just walk around Anathema’s system of caves when he was unable to sleep and had nothing on his agenda to accomplish. Walking by the door way to the common room the male abruptly stopped. Inside of the common room a female canine he had never seen before. What she was doing what looked like hand to hand combat with an opponent of the mental variety. She must have been a recent addition to Anathema’s members. The multicolored male didn’t find it weird there was someone in the common room, he was shocked to find anybody up and about at this hour, especially another canine training at this hour, talk about some real dedication. She was really in the moment, getting caught up in what she was doing.

He now stood inside the common room casually leaning against the wall just inside the door watching the female. Mido carefully looked over her body, from head to toe, examining her; she looked battered and beaten to death. He thought of the saying of going to hell and back, well this girl really looked as if she had been through hell and back again, maybe even a couple times at that. Physically she was the exact opposite him; he had no visual damage to his body his coat was clean, nearly in pristine condition. Her coat was a complete disaster, so many scars and tears that he couldn’t count their numbers, her tail looked mangled and destroyed. Looking closely he could see that she was missing digits; even part of one of her ears looked to be missing. None the less, her seemingly painful appearance didn’t seem to dampen her spirits. Would you like a physically tangible partner to spar with? I’d be more than happy to go one or two rounds with you. He spoke to the woman extending a friendly offer. My name is Mido by the way He figured it’d be respectful to give his name and not leave a woman unknowing.

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Finn Fidh · 01-05-2012, 02:06 AM

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WC: 500+

DUDE! HOLY CRAP YOU HAVE THE SAME BIRTHDAY AS ME, JUST TWO YEARS OLDER!

“Can’t say it wouldn’t be welcome!” Finn replied cheerfully, pausing in her routine to flash the new canine a grin and take stock. She had known his name even before he said it, though she had not yet clapped eyes on Mido till now. It had been mentioned here and there, mostly in relation to taining and scouting and other such things that came with a soldier’s duties. A warrior of Anathema, then. Finn’s pale eyes flickered faster as she all but scanned the wolf, the image committing itself to memory surer than a carving in stone.

“A pleasure then, Mido. I am Finn Fidh.” The she-wolf briefly bowed, her nose almost touching the floor, before backing up a few paces so that they might have equal room to move. As she did, she considered the particular advantages and difficulties of fighting a wolf in Optime form. She had never done it before. But it was never too late to practice. He had height on her, and reach, but it was doubtful he could run faster on just two legs, and she had him beat in agility. Even as these thoughts scrolled by in the myriad of ticker tapes that filled Finn’s brain, she dropped into a low-slung posture, prowling in a circuitously towards Mido.

Even though her body language proclaimed that she was now on the hunt, Finn’s eyes and face remained bright and cheerful. Even if this had been a real fight, a match for blood and bruises, it was doubtful her expression would change much. Even in the fiercest of battle Finn wore a smile. “So, where you from then, Mido, me lad?” The she-wolf called out conversationally. It was such a contrast, her voice light and cheery, her stance drawn with lines of suppressed violence, of muscles coiled and tensed to spring. That was Finn in a nutshell, really. Paradoxical.

The moment slowed, held for one breath, and then it shattered. In a blink Finn was pelting towards the luperci, accompanied by the rapid pitter-patter of claws skittering on stone. She came close, seemed about to leap, her legs gathering beneath her. But it was a diversion, and with a deceptively smooth looking twist she was careening off and around Mido’s left, seeking an opening. The she-wolf could move eyewateringly fast, an effect of the years spent walking, running and fighting almost constantly for three years of her life. She was tough as a rock, a testament aided by the many scars that decorated her head, legs, back and shoulders.

She had fought, she had been hurt, yes. But in Finn’s opinion, a warrior was not truly a warrior until he had been blooded. Her keen eyes had not marked any significant scars on Mido’s pelt, but Finn was not about to try and make one. Though she seemed out for blood, the slight jauntiness in her gait combined with the happy glint in her eye bespoke of simple enjoyment in the motions of the fight and the presence of another.

Mido · 01-06-2012, 01:48 AM

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Word Count :: 419 Points::3 OOC:: I'll have to admit having the same bday is pretty eerie. I think I assumed right, let me know if I’m incorrect or out of line, I’ll change it.

The battered woman who was on all fours sounded to enjoy the idea of a sparring partner. Enthusiasm filled her voice when she spoke, a welcoming smile upon her face. She gave the Dasa her name prior to bowing before him. Stuttering he raised a hand at her hoping to stop her. Bowing was a form of respect among the canines especially concerning the higher-ups like Alaki or Naniko. Seeing another bow to him was… weird, to him it felt wrong in a way. Finn Fidh,Fidh? Fidh! He said her name a few times over, playing with the pronunciation of her last name, unsure of its spelling. The husky lab mix watched the torn up woman take a few steps back and ready herself. Realizing that depending on how fast she might have been, it could be really hard to put his hands on her. He watched her intently as she enclosed him in a circle and stalked him. She behaved like a shark searching for food. Mido had been bewildered by the eerie smile on her face, as if what they had been doing was really bringing her great joy and amusement.

She continued to move around, she started up some conversation by asking where the male was from. Originally I’m from America or the United States however you want to call it. Not from any one state in particular, my family moved around a lot. He answered her question laughing mildly. Her question had made him wonder about where she was from. What about you Finn, where did you live before joining Anathema? Before responding to his question she charged him, moving with speed, he could hear her claws scuff the floor. She made it appear as if she was going to lunge at him, but rather she veered away instead. Finn was toying with him, spinning around quickly he tried not to hand feed her a chance to take him down, holding his hands up ready to grab her if he could. She was much faster than he was, and she just may get him if he wasn’t careful. Mido really wanted to ask her about the scars she had on her, some got scars from fights and others from accidents, he wondered about hers. Finn, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get all those scars? He waited for her to make a move and get close enough for him to grab her with any luck he might be able to.

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Finn Fidh · 01-06-2012, 02:38 AM

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WC: 500+

Yep, you interpreted it just fine.

“America… That’s south, aye? Can’t say I’ve ever been near there.” Finn said, wracking her brain for anything she knew about that particular landmass. It was large, but apparently not as large as Canada, and that was about all she knew. It didn’t really surprise the she-wolf, her father had been xenophobiac enough about the packs in the neighbouring valleys, never mind canines that lived hundreds of miles away. And she couldn’t remember the last time she had a friendly conversation about one’s location of origin, so she wasn’t exactly buddy-buddy with any wolves who came from the area.

Keeping just a few feet ahead of Mido, Finn leaped while she was behind his right shoulder, trying to land a blow that might stagger him. She found it was harder to fight without claws, to consciously make an effort to hold back the full strength of her blows. It was almost worrying how easy it was to truly fight in comparison to this practice match. Not that she was actually having any trouble. Far from it! Finn would rather turn teeth on herself than actually harm the young wolf who had so graciously offered to spar with her.

“I was from the west, British Columbia.” Finn said, “Though I’ve been travelling for years, so I haven’t really had a home since I left. Not for lack of trying, though!” She let out a hoarse bark of laughter, and though there was mirth there, it was only the humour brought about by distance and time. Being run out of packs and territories at every turn had been a disheartening thing at the time, she’d spent those years living day by day, never taking the time to paused and look about, too concerned about food and shelter and loneliness. Now, as she danced beneath the arching ceilings of the cave of Anathema, those worries she had felt seemed so trivial now.

“I got these scars from fighting, o’course!” Finn said with a wide grin. “Or being stupid. Or perhaps both. There is a very thin line between brave and foolhardy, and I may have crossed it occasionally in my youth.” Occasionally was probably an understatement. Okay, definitely an understatement. When she was young and her dander was up, Finn jumped from fight to fight like a squirrel swinging from branch to branch, more at home in a brawl than breathing. It was amazing that a little savage like she had been in the prime of her life had turned into such a polite and mannerly creature now. Not that she’d lost any of that spark. How did that saying go? ‘You could take a wolf out of the fight, but never the fight out of a wolf.’

“I could tell you about some, if you’re interested.” The she-wolf said, always ready with a story on her tongue. “My ear was the first thing to go. Courtesy of my eldest brother.” She rolled her eyes, “I’d called him out on his ugly mug one too many times and I suppose he just snapped.” Actually, Aegnus had simply torn the whole damn thing off in a fit of jealousy over their father’s praise. And old Cuhlain had simply laughed, and told young Finn that she’d let her guard down. “Shall I go on?”

Mido · 01-07-2012, 02:17 AM

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Word Count :: 372 Points::3 OOC::

Yeah America is pretty much southwest directly from here. If you ever wanted to travel you should pay it a visit. They continued their friendly sparring match, which mainly consisted of him trying to avoid her advances, she was fast, faster than he was anyway. Trying to get a hold of Finn was like an older canine trying to catch a toddler who was hyped up on sugar! It was nearly impossible; he may need to try and outsmart her, and draw her nearer to him. It didn’t help that he was in Optime form, he was faster in lupus or secui. She told him where she hailed from. British Columbia? I haven’t heard of that place before. It turned out that the battle happy woman did a lot of moving around, sounded very familiar to the way his life style had been before coming to Anathema. He did leave the continent of the United States his family had just bounced from place to place.

The woman gladly answered his earlier question about her scars, explaining they were from past fights in her youth. He now understood how all the moves she made seemed second nature to her; obviously she had performed them too many times to count. She offered to go into detail about the scars that littered her body and the stories they told. She told the male the story about her ear being removed and how her brother was the one responsible; apparently her father felt she had it coming. Finn asked if she should go on with the tales, Mido wondered if she should or not too. Her family sounded whacked and slightly twisted. Mido’s mother was a really kind canine, his sister was troublesome pest. His father just was never there and he had a brother he never met.Yeah, why not, well if it doesn’t bother you that is. They had time for it. Finn was just in range, close enough for him to reach out and grab her, he quickly thought about it, thinking the best way to get her without hurting her. If he gave her a big old bear hug, he could wrap his legs around her and he could subdue the fighter.

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