Only one or two people, please. Shandom's going to go destroy some of the more human parts of the ND territory - feel free to join in!
Word Count → 665
Love!
Damn the word.
And yet... he was not sure what it was, or where he was for that matter. What a strange world he was in, wrapped in silk and clouds and butterfly tears...
Shandom twitched in his sleep, scarred countenance plagued by internal struggles and discomfort; the wolf's nightmare was obvious. His black lips contorted into a deep grimace and a loud bark loosed itself from his lips before the alabaster male sprung awake, suddenly the picture of energy and alertness as his good eye surveyed around him. He'd fallen asleep in a meadow dotted with early spring flowers: the change of seasons was strangely premature this year, and the Gamma was still unaccustomed to the unseasonable warmth. The Gamma supposed he'd fallen asleep in the mid-day sun, taking an uncharacteristic break from what he considered an extension of his duties: monitoring the pack, and the borders as well.
Yawning widely, the white male extended himself into a deep, stretching bow, allowing his body to crack quite nicely in the strange heat. A lazy smile curled across his lips as the handsome countenance showed no more of the distress that had previously marked it - instead, Shandom looked rather content and at ease with the entire situation. The nap had been refreshing, and he felt significantly warmer than he would have expected this time of year. Some marked it with things called months - he'd heard of this in the Court - and did not understand. He preferred the blurring of the seasons as nature intended, and as the Gamma trotted through New Dawn territory, he could not help but be appreciative for the natural beauty of his home. It was so unmarked by the human presence that Shandom so obviously deplored - though, he had to admit, his friend Naniko's lifestyle could not be one to be deplored.
He liked his white friend and her upfront nature. She was lovely in her own strong way, the proudly scarred Angela of Anathema. A small smile curled across the man's dark lips as he thought of her, and how he wished he could see that friend again - perhaps, if he were being honest, to appreciate her in a new and more intimate way. He could not speak of the woman to his packmates, and though it wasn't exactly a secret it wasn't something he chose to advertise either. Whatever they were - friends, perhaps more - was in the beginning stages, but Shandom was not ashamed to admit he could not rid the white woman from his mind.
Unfortunately, his thoughts were rudely interrupted by a strange violating of nature, one that made his hackles rise and a defensive posture be adopted. From the loveliness of his home rose a crumbling false stone structure, a harsh blemish upon the land he so loved. His nose was repelled by the scent this building emitted - it was abrasive against his sensitive nares, and Shandom whined lowly in his throat. The Gamma ventured in slowly, nudging the strange door further open with his cool nose, and he knew immediately that it would be his newest project to dismantle this building. Loathe as he was to adopt the bipedal form in his home, he also knew it would be best to exist in such a way for the next several hours if he were to make any headway on this project.
Shifting did not take too long, though the crackling of bones and lengthening of sinew was certainly audible in the surrounding areas. He hoped that any of his packmates who would come across him would give him the dignity of privacy for the time it took: he found shifting to be an intimate and solitary experience, one where vulnerability was paramount. He had no desire to be seen in such a weak state. When it passed, the tall man rose to his feet and began to look around before settling on where he could begin.
she's quiet when she's down strangers from other towns
nowhere to be found on this side of the scene
I am so in on this! Soran's Naniko's adopted mother by the way, she used to be mated to Soran's eldest son XD WC: 627
The ebony pelted Beta had been performing her usual duties throughout the day, as usual she had risen early, meeting the dawn now rather than beating it, often she arose before the sun had peeked over the horizon, but now the lazy orb was rising earlier and earlier the sable lady had been catching it rather than waiting for it now. She had been wandering around the borders as she often did, her tail wagging, long legs taking her across the lands swiftly, she had been in her Optime form more and more often recently; she was comfortable in all of her forms, but recently she had found tasks that required her long dexterous fingers. She moved small rocks into the line of the borders as she had been doing recently, marking the lands carefully, letting outsiders know that the lands were claimed and that trespassing would not be tolerated, that anyone found inside the lands without express permission would be dealt with harshly. The ebony female was contented with what she had achieved in the morning and so began to walk back into the centre of the lands, a spring in her step as she did so, smiling to herself. All in all the ebony female had found herself more and more contented recently, the lands were feeling more and more like home, she had been reclusive when she had first arrived, perhaps the adjustment had been too much for her, she had simply found herself wanting to be alone but had never quite pinpointed the reason. But now the ebony female had found her niche in the lands, she felt useful, wanted, needed; she was contented in her role here and had found that the pack was now like her family, the way that she wanted it to be, she wanted everyone to love one another like a family; that way they would always look after one another and that would make the pack a strong one. She bounced as she walked, long arms swinging at her sides as she did so, her mane loose and free, falling about her shoulders and tumbling down her back, the feathers that adorned it seeming to play with the light breeze as she did so.
It was not long before she caught the familiar scent of Shandom, her pack mate, they had not had the best of starts together, but she felt now that they had developed an understanding, something that would hopefully develop into a proper, full friendship. She smiled and headed in the direction that the alabaster male seemed to be. Soon enough she came across a building, the door ajar; the ebony female wrinkled her nose as she looked at it, she was used to sleeping in houses, she had done so when she had been younger, but now, in a pack where human things had been cast aside, it seemed like a blot... an atrocity on the wonderful landscape. She padded towards the door, wondering how easily the building might be to take apart, the wood could be used for a fire perhaps, maybe when the pack had their next celebration. She padded to the door and pushed it open just in time to see Shandom stand, he was in his Optime form, something that she had never seen before. She smiled as she looked at him, he seemed very handsome in his bipedal form. “Hello Shandom, I wasn't expecting to see you in such a place.” Soran said with a smile, giving the pale male a nod of greeting as she did so, her tail wagging slightly as she spoke. She was pleased to see the white male, she hoped that they would be able to build on their foundations, to attempt a friendship.
Yay! Thanks for joining, Maddi. I'll be responding rather fast now - I wanted to see if anyone else wanted in before I responded. (: Wanna archive our other thread, or should we wrap that one up as well?
Word Count → 612
Everything about this room was strange. Even the air smelled false, tained with a decaying odor that he could only assume was the remnant of humans. Of course, they'd been gone for a long time - there was no way their scent actually lingered. But in this place, as he'd felt in Halifax, Shandom was uncomfortable and out of sorts. His body was tense, coiled for any sort of attack that might present itself. He could not decide where to begin, and the Gamma was admittedly rather frightened of the strange place. But he had to focus, he had to do this - Shandom felt that he had no adequately contributed to the pack in any sort of meaningful manner, though that was likely due to his perfectionist nature. Sighing, he took a step forward towards a strange metal contraption that appeared to be attached to the wall.
He was distracted, however, by the sounds of Soran, his Betess, arriving. Whirling around, the Gamma immediately flattened his ears and ducked his head a bit, showing respect to the higher ranked female. Soran, he greeted, ears and tail still tucked so as not to offend the black female. It is a pleasure to see you again. Formalities aside, the Gamma straightened a bit and gave her his trademark smile, bringing light to the ruined face and highlighting the handsome features. It was strange to admit, but Shandom knew he was good looking, especially in his form. His body was corded with lean muscle, and he was larger than most of the wolves in the pack, though clearly much thinner. It was not due to emaciation, or lack of strength: it was simply his body type. But yet, here he was, one of the only males in the pack without a love interest in the female sex.
It was the unfortunate reality Shandom had built for himself when he fell in love with Linquilea, and then had the audacity to simply be older. He was, of course, drawn to the heat perfume so many of the females had begun to emit, but the Gamma simply avoided them: he did not want to lose control, as he had been wont to do in his youth. Shandom feared the pack considered him strange and an outlier, but he was nothing if not friendly - as long as the rank was not Omega. Wolves of such a position had their purpose, and as a skilled and ranked member of New Dawn he was above them, and expected to display his dominance in such a manner. It continued to bother him that so many of his packmates did not understand this simple fact of life, but he did not wish an altercation like the one that had occurred with the Betess and Ciara, now an Epsilon.
His thoughts returned to his project, and the large white male gestured around the strange room. I figured this body would be most useful to remove the stain of the human, Shandom began, gesturing around the strange building. Such a place is a stain upon what Nature blessed our world with. I thought I'd begin by dismantling what I could. Would you like to join me, Betess? He flashed a wide smile again before returning to his project on the wall, and then suddenly remembered his friend Naniko. I met Naniko D'Angelo, of Anethama, by the way, the male mentioned in a rather off-hand manner, his eyes (though only one was useful) intent upon the wall. She said you're like a mother to her, and asked me to send her best to Deuce and you. I'm sorry I didn't do that sooner.
