full circle
#1
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Set early this morning, if that works for you.


Satisfied he understood the situation, Anatole took to his familiar four-legs and headed after the woman responsible for the whole ordeal. Grace had been a peculiar girl with a collection of animals that had since expanded since her arrival. Pale paws trotted quickly along the landscape, following the familiar trails that led to the village. Living outside of it allowed for him to work as a first-warning, and he enjoyed the space. It allowed for him to function outside of the Tribe unless he chose otherwise, though Anatole was hardly hard to find. Being the only remaining scout, he marked the borders often to ensure that no one doubted AniWaya’s claim.

His path took him through the village, moving quickly towards the barn. While it would have been more acceptable for him to travel on two legs, he found his lupus form familiar and more natural for such a thing. Once he spoke with Grace he would have even more ground to cover—he would travel to Casa once finished, giving her time to prepare Hadley to leave. With any luck, this whole visit would end painlessly and without dragging out their welcome; while Tribe law did now allow for disrespect of guests, Anatole did not see a reason to keep another mouth around when he had a pack to care for him.

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#2
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Word Count: 765. Works for me. <3


Grace's life contained little in the way of drama or complications. She had never been much for confrontation, but then, she'd never been much for boxing herself in with rules, either. She was a tie-dyed satchel like the ones she made, all pretty colours and beading, full of surprises. Her life scarcely changed since coming to AniWaya, and yet, every day was a new adventure, a surprise, just like herself. This place was still new to her, full of new experiences, things to learn and discover. Grace could not truly own anything in this world, not even herself - life was a loan overdue, borrowed time, and everything in it, a temporary blessing. Turquoise eyes were wide with wonder, caring heart overriding a naive and carefree mind. She created beauty wherever she could, knowing that she could not have it or keep it for herself, but she could make smooth a passage into this world, for all to know, and for all to enjoy.


Even moments were fleeting. They happened, and then they were gone, leaving only the shadow of memory, the experience of being among those who could still touch the ghost of experiences. Those memories, they belonged to her in a way that nothing tangible could. Her feelings, they too belonged to her. They were the invisible connection between herself and that which she could not own, that which she could only have and touch and enjoy for a time. Briar had been one such thing, and while Grace missed her, she knew that her friend could never have belonged to her, just as nothing in this world could. She had only been given the blessing of proiximity, of experience, of creating feelings and memories that could touch Briar when she herself couldn't. And regardless of distance or change or difference in experience, those moments still existed, intangible, but no less real for being so. She could keep her friend and still let her go, and in reverse. The eighth wooden bead on her bracelet was tangible, yes - a reminder of Briar. But even when that was gone, even +w\hen all things were gone, she would still have the memory of it, and of her, and those were the only things that were real.


Grace rose at Taj's caw. She had plenty to do. Where Hadley was, or where he ever was, was yet a mystery to her. He seemed to come and go as he pleased, and she encouraged it - he needed to experience the world, and freedom. Dressing in a pale blue blouse and a pair of faded jeans, she thought about her tasks for the day. They weren't many - she would go and look after the horses soon, else see if Hadley had done so. He wasn't bad with them, really. She fed Taj, who cawed appreciatively before beginning to pick his way through the seed. As she sat to meditate, her mind drifted to and fro, filtering and processing all of the things that might distract her this morning. Meditation allowed her a clear, open mind with which to experience the world, and soothed any worries or troubles that might plague her. Currently, her worry was her tribe - Hadley had not yet sought to join them, and she wasn't sure if he would or not. She was careful not to pressure him, for he was fragile and needy, and she had accepted responsibility to him until he healed. However, she very much missed being alone at night, and she did so hope that he would make a choice soon. She would be pleased if he were to get his own place - it would be good for him to be truly independent again, and besides that, she'd never say so, but she wanted to smoke up alone for a night.


She left home soon after that, Taj perched atop her head, his usual seat. As she approached, she spotted the scout who had once greeted her, and called Ulilohi to accept her into the pack. He was called Anatole, she thought. She was absent-minded about many things, but she was socially inclined enough that she recalled names with relative ease. She waved to him as they grew nearer, smiling pleasantly. "Good morning, Anatole! What has you out this morning?" Her tone was cheerful and curious. She hadn't seen the male since he had greeted her at the borders, and she knew that he didn't come into the village terribly frequently. What was of interest to him here now? Perhaps there was something of interest here?


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#3
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It turned out he did not need to wait long, for the gray woman appeared swiftly. She was clearly sticking to her duties, a signed that pleased the scout, for he doubted many of their other so-called brothers were doing the same. The pack seemed still and much like the earth, slowed by winter and awaiting the coming of spring. The dark wolf hoped to see this change with the season, but he knew that AniWaya was a place still wounded by the aftermath of their war. Time would heal it, of course, but he worried about how much it would take.

Grace and her impressive collection of animals helped reassure him of such things, and he greeted her with a friendly smile. While his purpose in seeing her was not simply for company, he did like that she was eager and willing to learn the ways of a culture not her own. “I was looking for you,” he explained, green eyes shifting momentarily to the bird atop the Luperci’s crown. What an odd thing to do. Of course, being a true bird and not a spirit guide it was likely he lacked the intelligence to know dignity as the others did. “What can you tell me about Hadley?” The scout asked, his green eyes returning to her face.

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#4
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I was alone, I took a ride

I didn't know what I would find there


WC: 527. Sorry for the delay. Spent a while puking my guts out.


Another road where maybe I

Could find another kind of mind there


Trouble is really in the eye of the beholder. In a similar situation, another might have become defensive or suspicious. Surely, Grace's own brother, Gabriel, would have immediately jumped to his own defense, vying for approval, insisting the righteousness of his behaviour. Silly Gabe, so obsessed with right and wrong, and the approval of others. Really, they were a picture of irony, his large form shrouded in insecurity, while his slight, unassuming sister lived in relative confidence. She'd never seen a reason to worry, really - negativity could only breed greater negativity, and she didn't wish to attract such things. She usually found that a positive attitude tended to draw positivity toward her. And hey, who didn't want positivity in their lives? Well, actually, come to think of it, Grace had known some people who seemed to simply thrive on drama. Why, she couldn't begin to imagine... she was much more a fan of peaceful interactions and cannabis, herself. But nonetheless, she didn't much care for negativity, or even regard it as a possibility.


So when Anatole said that he had been looking for her, she thought little of it, aside from thoughtful curiosity. She couldn't hide the bit of surprise from her face at his words, however - Anatole hardly seemed the type to nag or carp, really, so she imagined that he was looking for her with good reason. She watched as he spared a curious glance at Taj, who was watching the male attentively with shining, black eyes. Emerald eyes returned to her turquoise, and she smiled genially. Hadley. Of course, he was a stranger, and he had been on pack lands for some time. Naturally, the scout would want to know about him. She couldn't fault him for doing his duty; after all, she did hers without fail, and she understood the need for every member of a tribe to contribute what they were assigned to do. Her parents had taught her that well; even her father, a thoughtful man, had done his work - albeit, at his own pace, and in whichever order suited him. A trait that Grace had inherited, and one that had driven her mother quite mad.


"Oh, Hadley. I came across him a week or so ago." She wasn't precisely certain of that time frame; Grace wasn't much for keeping track of such minutiae. She thought of the world as a flowing river - it did not stop because the sun died down behind the horizon, nor did it begin only when it was reborn from the ashy darkness of night. But others found this information useful, as they could not see into her mind, and she didn't wish to be a bother. She went on, "According to him, he was a slave. He seemed quite broken, and expressed a desire to escape. I didn't want anyone to go on hurting him, so I brought him home to get cleaned up and figure out his next move." There was a pause, and then a frown creased her thin face. "Actually, I've not seen him in a while. I figured that he'd gotten his affairs in order. Hasn't he?"


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