the walrus and the carpenter
#1
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AW, the Dampwoods.



sharksIt had stormed hard the night before, and the morning had found the forest covered with puddles and mud, the greenery glistening with dew. When he'd lived in a house on the beach, he had liked the rain a lot. Those mornings, the sand would be more solid and compact, making it easier to walk on, not to mention dozens of degrees cooler than it was on other summer days. After storms, the ocean was more beautiful with her raging white-tipped waves and deep blue-green color. He had liked to watch the lightning from the window of his room, marveling at every flash and every subsequent thunderclap, and he had loved falling asleep to the sounds of droplets smacking against the glass. It had comforted him to know that he could be inside, away from those harsh elements, a place where he could admire the sheer beauty of it all.



sharksBut that bedroom no longer existed. Along with the rest of his childhood home, it had burned to the ground. He had spent the previous night huddled under a large oak, freezing under his cloak, and nursing a weak fire. Arkham supposed he could have waited out the storm in his father's cabin, but he had not wanted his scent to linger, and he would have felt uneasy with the idea anyway without having spoken to the man first. Besides, anything that didn't kill him would only make him stronger, right? Though the clouds shifted around the sky slowly, unable to decide whether the sun should be allowed to shine, the coyote had hung his soaked clothing on the oak's branches anyway. It had been the first time since arriving that he'd allowed himself to shed the disguise, but he didn't really have much of a choice at this point. He could only hope that one of the few people that might recognize him didn't make their way there before everything dried.



sharksThe fire was a bit more healthy now that the rain had stopped, however temporarily, and the grey coyote sat next to it, mulling over things as usual and sharpening his knife with a rock. The belt containing all of his various other small weapons and tools lay across the log where he sat. He wondered if rabbits would be out so soon after a storm.


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#2
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His name makes me happy.



Kansas was fortunate. He could watch storms from his bedroom in the manor. The Sadira liked lying in his lupine form on the rough floor, looking up at the dingy window and watching the patterns made by rain as it tapped the glass. The fast raindrops made sounds like bullets as they hit the window, and it was almost like he was avoiding gunfire by stretching out so close to the ground while they pounded overhead. Once outside, the rain that fell just lightly kissed his shoulders, passively drenching his coat in the process. Kansas was a romantic of sorts, so walking in the rain was something he'd recently discovered as enjoyable.



The rain picked up, slanting right into his eyes. He'd shifted already, so his chest was soaked and his hair hung in his eyes - he looked ragged. He was beginning to get uncomfortable, so he was grateful when the trees thickened and the needle-covered earth dried ever so slightly beneath him. The conifers thankfully provided some protection; he hadn't wanted to go home yet. He spent too much time there (mainly in his room), and was beginning to feel claustrophobic.



The youth was surprised when the sound of a crackling fire caught his attention. Curious, he moved in the direction of the noise, and stumbled into the small campsite before he'd realized it. A gray coyote sat sharpening his knife, and the image didn't bode well with the pale boy. Oh, uh, sorry... His voice was apologetic and modest, but he was still rather anxious and hoped it didn't show.


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#3
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I was the first person on this board to pay homage to Batman. SO THEREEEEE.



sharksHe considered hanging around the area to see if his father would return from wherever it was that he'd gone. It was true that he had not spent much time with the man before and that the cautioning words given to him as a child still lingered in his mind, but Arkham felt like he could handle himself now, and besides, time had passed -- perhaps the man had gotten better, even just a little bit. In any case, as he was not ready to return to Inferni and as he doubted many other packs would take kindly to him, it would be nice to have somewhere to go back to at the end of the day. Laruku did not seem to be part of a pack anymore; the forest was secluded. It was almost perfect.



sharksThe young coyote lifted his head at the footsteps and blinked at the canine that appeared. The other looked about the same age as he, though perhaps a little taller and heavier because he was a wolf. Ah... hi, Arkham said, equally apologetic, though he wasn't really sure why, Did you get caught out in the rain? He set the stone down and re-sheathed the knife in the belt. It'll probably start again soon, but you're welcome to dry yourself a little here in the meantime. It was a weakness of his, perhaps, that he was always so desperate for company. Despite the large family, he had spent too much time alone and remained starved for conversation. It had never mattered who showed up or how different they were from him; part of him figured that that openness would get him killed someday.


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#4
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Big Grin Bfff! Click.



He watched the young coyote put away his knife, having admired the skill with which he had been sharpening the blade. Kansas wasn't so good with tools - he could draw, paint, and write, but his artistic tendencies didn't go much further. He wondered if he would be more useful or even self-sufficient with skills in weapons and knives and whatnot, but he seemed to keep busy in any case.



The other's voice for some reason contained an apology - odd. Kansas was the one who'd trespassed, albeit unintentionally. Kansas also noticed that the tones were friendly, inviting. Perhaps the coyote was caught off guard, interrupted, but he didn't seem to mind. Kansas had not kept company with any coyote so far, but his wariness was slowly fading. I'm sure it will, but if you don't mind...? I'll leave soon. He awkwardly seated himself back on his heels, eyeing first the canine, then the camp around them. Do you live here? Only after he had asked it did he analyze the question for any flaws, but it seemed safe to him. Oh, and he'd forgotten his manners. I'm Kansas.


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#5
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Ahha. :3



sharksI don't mind, he assured the other. The stranger also appeared to be a loner; perhaps it was not so surprising, considering the area they were in, but despite the fact that Arkham's entire litter was out wandering on their own at the moment, he found it strange that someone their age should be without a home. Everyone had their own circumstances though. No, I don't live here, the coyote clarified, Just camping for a while. He didn't really look forward to another night in the inevitable rain, but that was life, wasn't it? He wondered if this wolf -- Kansas -- had anywhere to stay.



sharksArkham, he introduced with slight hesitation. It was still his understanding that wolves and coyotes generally stayed apart, so the chances of that name drifting back to anyone he knew was unlikely right? He offered no surname, just as the other hadn't. Families had gotten to big all over the place and no one wanted to share their heritage anymore it seemed. Are you from around here?

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#6
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[ooc] i can't be stopped, i've got to take that fool's life


[ic] i'm outta bullets so fuck it, i use my knife


It did look to be more of a temporary camp, but Kansas was always bad at making conversation anyway. It was hard when there were no prior connections - usually those he met were somehow linked either to him or to those he knew, so there was plenty to talk about. But this was different. It made him a little uncomfortable, but the challenge was probably a good thing. Besides, the coyote was polite and agreeable. Kansas didn't feel he had too much to worry about.



The young wolf remembered the brief time between the fire and Twilight Vale, when he'd drifted from place to place making untidy campsites each night. It hadn't been the type of life he got any enjoyment out of. He wondered if this Arkham was a loner by choice, or if he had no other options. Perhaps coyotes didn't mind it so much. I - yes - I'm from what used to be Twilight Vale. We've disbanded for a little while. He paused. I was walking in the rain, out of boredom - I've never been here. It's nice.





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#7
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sharksArkham did not consider himself the best of conversationalists, but he did enjoy talking, even if it was about nothing. Even when he was with family, topics did not come as readily or as easily as they might have for others. Indeed, he was probably more nervous speaking with family than with strangers. Family members were more likely to remember when and if you said anything stupid. Strangers you might not ever see again. There was an odd sort of comfort that came from that noncommittal relationship, even if it was just conversation. The pack name the other male provided was not familiar, and he guessed that it was one of the packs that had formed after the fire. He wondered why they had disbanded so quickly -- surely there had to be plenty of homeless wolves wandering around wishing for a place to stay.



It is nice, the coyote agreed, Kind of secluded though. I don't think there are any packs in this particular area. For a moment, he considered mentioning that his father lived nearby, but it seemed like a pointless revelation, especially since he hadn't actually seen Laruku. Why did your pack disband? Blunt, perhaps, but Kansas was perfectly welcomed to decline an answer.


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#8
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[ooc] i can't be stopped, i've got to take that fool's life


[ic] i'm outta bullets so fuck it, i use my knife


Kansas looked around him, eyeing the tight-knit trees and the shrubs huddled darkly below them - it was as if to confirm that the place was well-hidden from even wanderers like himself. The forest was not a place likely to be chosen by a potential pack, being so tucked away, dark even when the sun shone. But to those who appreciated such places, like Arkham and Kansas, it really was beautiful. The pale boy might have chosen to set up a camp here himself had he been in the same situation.



The Sadira even felt a little sorry for the other male. He was alone, apparently. His name didn't ring a bell, which didn't mean much since Kansas knew very few anyway. But he tried to conceal his pity, knowing most didn't appreciate it. He tapped his fingers on his knees absently, but he hadn't forgotten the question. I - don't know, exactly. I think Shadowed Sun is going to join us to form a new pack. And... Naniko, our leader, wanted something of a... fresh start. Was all this information necessary? Probably not. Kansas never knew exactly where to draw the line.





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#9
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sharksAh, he nodded slightly, though he wasn't sure he understood the need for a "fresh start" considering the fire had done a plenty fine job of forcing one on them already. Then again, it seemed like Inferni was immune to such things and remained the same as always, entrenched in blood ties and headed by ever-capable his half-brother. But of course, Inferni had had a head start. And you aren't joining them? he further inquired, casually curious. Arkham supposed the same could have been asked of him by anyone who would assume that all coyotes at some point had belonged to Inferni; if the question came though, the young male wasn't really sure how he would phrase the truth or if he would just lie and be done with it.



sharksA lot of people have told me we're supposed to spend these years "looking for ourselves," but I'm still not really sure what that means. Journeying the mountainside alone had forced him to learn somethings, but they had been more practical skills than anything meaningful or introspective. He had learned to hunt on his own and to fight, to find shelter and to build them, but he still could not understand his family, his various brothers, his father or his sister. He could not understand why the bond that connected them all rarely felt more than just words, and he could not understand why it only seemed to bother him.


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#10
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[ooc] i can't be stopped, i've got to take that fool's life
Long wait, I'm sorry. We can wrap this up in a little while, or whatever you want. <3

[ic] i'm outta bullets so fuck it, i use my knife


Kansas didn't think he could have better explained Twilight Vale's disbandment without going into the details of others' business. And he had no right to do that. Still, he felt as though it was rude to leave Arkham with the look of slight confusion on his face. With the coyote's question, Kansas wondered if something he'd said previously gave the impression that he wasn't joining his pack members. He shook his head slightly, grinning. No, I'm joining them. We're just at a... a standstill, while we get our plans together. Territory and those things.



The pale boy had wondered what the soft-spoken male was doing alone. What his story was. At Arkham's next words, Kansas nodded with understanding. I've wondered the same thing. What is there to look for? I think... I think life finds you. He spent time trying to understand his life, but its events shaped him, not the other way around. He didn't know if what he was saying or thinking made sense, but he was eager to keep the conversation going.





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#11
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Sorry this took so long. Ending it or continuing it is all fine with me.



sharksHe laughed good-naturedly, genuinely amused and intrigued by the other's perception. I've never thought about it that way, he said, though he immediately thought he knew why that was. Too many things in life seemed out of his control -- that he didn't even have some semblance of control over his own life was disconcerting. He wanted to know that he was supposed to look for something. He wanted to know that there was something to find, that some day, he would just understand all that there was to understand, and that things really could be that simple. He wanted to believe in those things, but maybe "finding himself" was the very process of discarding those innocent ideas. Maybe finding truth was becoming a cynic. Maybe it was just accepting that there wasn't much he could control or change.



sharksSometimes life throws unpleasant things at you though -- do you think those things could be avoided somehow? If only they tried hard enough right? It was what every child was told. If you tried and worked hard enough, you could do anything. You could change the world. Save everyone. Have a happy ending. No one had ever told him that happy endings weren't real. Maybe that was why Arkham still liked to believe that anything was possible. He just had to try harder. Find it, whatever it was.


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#12
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[ooc] i can't be stopped, i've got to take that fool's life
One more post from each of us? I really like this thread. <3

[ic] i'm outta bullets so fuck it, i use my knife

Kansas gave a strange smile in return to Arkham's laughter. Ordinarily he would have felt ridiculed or belittled, but somehow he wasn't threatened now. Things had happened to the two of them like they happened to everybody. Kansas had not suffered much compared to some, but there'd been enough suddenness in his life to know that life tended to throw things at you.



He was confused, too, in much the same way the other youth was. Where was the line drawn? Where did it stop being what you could change and start again at what was unchangeable? I... honestly don't know. Some of them. Maybe we're supposed to do our best to keep them from happening. Others... I don't know. It seems like the worst things are those that you can't change. He paused. And you just accept it. He was throwing ideas around. That was safe here, though. Somehow.






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#13
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Yay. :3



sharksI guess you're right, he said with a nod, turning back to his meager fire. Vaguely, he wondered what might have happened if he had confronted Gabriel that night. If he stepped out of the shadows as his brother doused the forest in gasoline, if he had yelled out when the flames had started, what would have happened then? Would Gabriel have continued? Would he have snapped out of whatever he had been in? Or would Arkham really have died that night, a silenced voice in the flaming woods as the rest of their valley awoke in horror? The coyote told himself that he had been too shocked and betrayed at the time to act, but it was impossible to not think about what could have changed if he had. Perhaps their old home would still be there.



sharksI guess we just learn from the things we didn't change, the loner said.


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#14
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[ooc] i can't be stopped, i've got to take that fool's life
I'll archive this. Big Grin

[ic] i'm outta bullets so fuck it, i use my knife

There was a pensive silence after Arkham first responded. Kansas leaned back slightly, his gaze still downcast. This wasn't because he felt badly in any way; he was simply thoughtful. The small fire sending its dancing light into their dreary surroundings seemed as inviting to his many unspoken thoughts as was its maker. Kansas found that he'd enjoyed this conversation very much. ...Yeah. He nodded, giving Arkham a slight, melancholy type of smile as he got to his feet. I think...I'm going to head back. Awkwardly, Kansas nodded once again, this one a goodbye. Maybe we'll talk again sometime.






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