ooc: I lied, you get Iskata.
She'd been moving across the lands, confused as to what in the world had caused her to let up her guard and let it all go. She hadn't even really liked the male, the stuck up bratty annoyance from Inferni, but she had and there was nothing she could do about it. She shook her head sadly but pushed the thoughts from her head.. she couldn't do anything about it now.. and hadn't she actually enjoyed herself for the time, forgetting the pain and the worries of her life with the dirty little fling. She stopped dead in her tracks, wondering how in the hell that thought had even slipped from her mind. She really must get a hold on her life soon if thoughts like that were going to start popping into her mind.
She plotted along towards the farmstead to see if there was anything else she could do to start preparing the lands for the winter. She was glad that the rains had already disappeared and now she could cut and gather the dry hay to place in the loft. Iskata hoped that she could draw a few of the packmembers into helping her, though she knew the work would be tough as well. She wouldn't push those that didn't feel like working, though she probably wouldn't feel bad in reminding them that lifestock that didn't eat was lifestock that couldn't feed them. She smirked and shook her head, knowing that the blackmail would probably work on a lot of stomaches in the pack.
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I'm okay with that! :3 Thanks for starting.
wc342
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There was something about the air in the Phoenix Valley packlands that provided a sort of tranquility in his mind. Suddenly, the clouds that had always been there, that he had become so naturally accustomed to--seemed to clear away and dissolve. His muscles ached less, his stomach's growling subsided, his dozing became actual sleep. All the while his leg still hurt, but having a "home" meant less pointless meandering and moving around as he always had, and while he did miss the perpetual exploration and new sights, Jefferson found himself very quickly growing used to and satisfied with being stationary on the packlands. More of a surprise to himself than anyone else, Jeffer was oddly... happy, somehow.
As of late, though, he'd actually found some odd company in the livestock. At first they had been afraid of him, considering he was an ever ferocious wolf with bright white jowls and caustic poisonous drool or some sort, but after a few hours even the dumbest of animals figured out his speed in moving around was so delayed that he was about as threatening as a pidgeon. Instead, he'd eventually just nestled down in the plush hay near the livestock and dozed, and soon enough some of his new animal friends had done the same. Ironic. Somewhat embarassing, really, but hell. Jefferson had hardly met any of his packmates thus far. Any company was okay with Jefferson, the harmless gimp-beast.
After the rain had passed, Jefferson had moved back out into the open as it dried off under the sun, and after a bit more lazy dozing, had eventually rolled off his ass and directed an open-mouthed yawn at the sky, only then noticing the one figure he recognized as she was strolling past--Iskata. His ears perked, but flattened when she grew a bit closer in her stride. "Your eyes are troubled as stormclouds," he called out, immediately hissing to himself in bitter pain as he pulled himself up onto his feet.
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The silver and gold lady had been so caught up in trying to forget the worries on her mind that it seemed the whole world could read her like a book she was trying so hard. The sudden words that seemed to spread across the paddock to where she stood confused her as she tried to figure out who owned the voice. She wasn't foolish enough to believe the cattle were speaking, though there were few enough who actually spent time with the beasts. She wondered just who was willing enough to guard the lifestock..
The scent of Jefferson was masked by the cattle but as she moved closer to the field she caught sight of the male as a smile seemed to waiver on her lips. She raised a brow at the male as she noticed his still pitiful condition, though atleast he did seem a bit better. Concern brewed in her eyes as she admitted, "And you just keep adding tothose storm clouds.." She moved forward and slipped under the bottom rail of the fence to join the newest pack member in the field, eying the old bull a moment incase he forgot who she was.
Wrapping her tail around her hindpaws as she settled in she asked softly. "What happen?" She'd thought that perhaps his injuries were more weakness from health and not actual harm but it was more than apparent now that the younger male needed some attention. She wasn't sure what she could do, though if pinpointed the issue it would be easier to place a paw on the solution, thatmuch she knew.. and perhaps she could distract him from her own issues by tormenting the boy through some medical miracle.
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wc299
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Jefferson erupted in a lazy yawn as she approached, scarred jowls breathing at the sky temporarily before he blinked a weary eye at her and stretched his spine. He was just adding to the stormclouds, was it? A laugh trespassed his smirk. "You make it sound terrible to see me and you hardly even know me yet." He rolled his shoulders. "I'll have you know that I can be pleasant when I'm not rolling around on the ground starving." He was tempted to ask her what the problem was--why one could seem so perplexed and frustrated at the time of day--when she jumped to the questioning first. When she popped the all-too-familiar query--the question, the ever-eternal and expected question, he made a face briefly and shook it off with a shrug of nonchalance.
"Don't look at me like I'm a dying animal," he replied first, growing serious. His green eye rolled up to look at her slowly. "I'm not dying anytime soon. Whether or not you had that in mind when you invited me here, I don't really care." His eye turned down to glance at his gimpy leg, picking it off the ground a moment before setting it down again. "I met a bruiser mother bear. Couldn't shift, couldn't defend myself while running on empty. She just had her fun until the bitch conked me out and thought I was dead." A frayed ear twitched as the breeze blew past. "The other scars... just the trials of a loner."
A pause spread briefly, until he straightened his back and glanced back up at her. "My stormclouds are just torrential. Yours look like you've just met the eye of the storm." He tilted his head to the side, a rather quiet, understanding look on his face.
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She chuckled at the words the male spoke as she shook her head and admitted. "I didn't mean it thatway.." She eyed him with a little bit of skepticism as she smirked and flicked her tail back and forth, the smallest show of impatience at the teasing she was awarded with. Shaking her head again she grinned, "I bet you can be pleasant.. but we have to get you patched up before we can find out how pleasant.." The face he made almost made her laugh out loud but she gave in and just gave a grunt and decided not to comment further... yet.
The serious growl that she was met with as she watched him fell on deaf ears. Having children did grant her one thing, the ability to ignore foolish comments and the bravado from so many. She flashed Jefferson a grin, her eyes sparkling as he commented on the fact that he wasn't dying yet. "Yes, you caught me out. I was hoping that you'd up and die in the night.. You see, we're really a bunch of cannibals here.. and with all that meat on your bones.. we'd have a fine feast." It was a sad sight, she could actually go through the whole speech without breaking out in a fit of laughter though she knew her eyes gave it all away.
She shook her head at the truth that he'd spoken after commenting on his stubborn fight with death and sighed. "We'll need Deuce to look at it hon'.. You can't continue on like that.. You may end up losing it all together if you ignore the pain and injury. It may seem just a simple problem now.. but small issues can explode into horrible dangers overnight you know." She raised her eyes back to his as she smiled weakly. "So if all your scars are from the life of a loner.. What are mine from?" Her body had been riddle with scars for various reasons, most of them were from defending herself or others, some she'd picked the fight.. and some had just happened.. life was like that.. and it wasn't pretty.
The comment he granted her last made her look away as she admitted. "Life throws trial after trial at your feet.. if you survive the flood of pains and sorrow once you hit rock bottom you'll rise again with blessing.." A weak and pathedic smile was his reward as she admitted. "I think I'm nearing that rocky floor now.."
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Slowly but surely, Jefferson redevelops actual social skills...
wc344
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'Pain' and 'injury' were long past a creature like Jefferson; it was not that he was or had been fighting death, it was that he had been continuously moving and trying to live so that death could not catch him. For months, he had walked on waned muscles and seen with a lone eye, but never had his jowls refused to eat or breathe in his lasting trial of what he didn't consider pain and injury. The male had only felt the pain of loneliness, of clouded memories; his bad leg stung and tore at his skills of endurance each time he stepped down on it, but never had he considered holding the leg up and hobbling like someone in their right mind would have tried. Jefferson refused to be a hobbler. The hybrid knew what pain was, and the leg and eye were nothing compared to what the past had thrown.
He was injured. He could admit that. It did hurt, and he could admit that as well. Much more than that was out of the question. "Yeah, well, sorry to say that your Deuce friend isn't fond of me," he shrugged, rolling his eye. "I've been walking like this for months, and this is nothing. Once I get some food in my stomach, it'll be easier. I know what dangers are." His vision lowered a moment. Jefferson had experienced plenty of 'exploding' dangers in his lifetime, but one of his expectations in the pack was that they would come a little less often, or so he hoped. He'd never been one for change.
The matriarch seemed to question herself then, calling back a rather alerted glance from Jefferson when her tone and expression grew dismal. The hybrid had grown accustomed to her peppy, mother-like attitude; seeing her so suddenly grim put a lump in his throat and a rather perplexed look on his face. Hell, he hadn't comforted anyone in years. The wolf's ears twitched unintentionally and he straightened his back. "Uhh," he stuttered, clearly unsure of what to respond. "...What happened?"
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She raised a brow at the boy as he tried to get out of getting some help with his injuries, she gazed at him disapprovingly but she was going to force the idea yet. Shaking her head she chuckled, "All you boys are the same.. Ok, so no healer for the moment.. but the next time I see you if you're still looking like the walking dead and that leg is bothing you as much as it seems to be doing now.. you're going to see Deuce." She rolled her eyes at the boy, wondering what it was that they all seemed to think they had to prove to the world how tough they were. She knew that Deuce hadn't made a great impression on the fellow but the two of them would have to sort out those differences sooner or later.
Her eyes flicked off towards the lane that lead on down through the packlands and to Deuce's home. She turned her gaze back to Jefferson as she commented. "If I asked, Deuce would take a look at what's left of you.." She smirked slightly, the last bit she'd spoken was said seriously but the teasing manner was obvious. She really just wished that Deuce would get over her past.. but she knew that that was hard to do.
She'd been silent a while when the clearing of the throat woke her up again. She turned her sad eyes back to Jefferson as she smiled weakly and shrugged. "Everything and nothing at all. I doubt you really want to hear it all.. and why should you.." She never really had thought how strange it was being a leader, or how strange it was knowing that all her friends had passed on or disappeared over time. Her pack that was now her family was all she had left when her own children barely wanted anything to do with her. She really couldn't blame them though, they had their own lives to live.
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wc317
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He had never honestly blamed Deuce for her reaction to him--Jefferson wasn't the type to hold a grudge, but he was smart enough to know who to avoid when his condition wasn't exactly combat-ready. He had never had a mate, never had kids; somehow, however, he could still empathize with the dear white female. He knew the crimes of his blood and the seemingly never-ending conflict between coyote and wolf, but because of his hybrid blood, knew that there was somehow a midpoint the two species were capable of reaching and finding peace amongst themselves. He had never had much of a problem with neither wolf nor coyote himself, but when the time came (if it ever did), the hybrid's mediation skills probably would come in handy. Thankfully, the beast was so carelessly indifferent and neutral with the world after the scars he'd received from both species alike that he held no disdain for one over the other. Apparently, it took quite the bloodshed to achieve such a position.
The matriarch grew so grim and dismal that the hard-hearted hybrid was moved somewhat by her sudden change in demeanor; he straightened his back again, eye looking upon her with genuine compassion. How strange, in his opinion, for one of such power in their pack to expose such weakness in front of the lower members--of course, what the hell did Jeffer care, but all the while the situation seemed so incredibly foreign and unusual. Of course, what did he know? He'd only just ditched the loner phase. "You want to know why?" He said quietly, tone patient and sympathetic as she tried to catch her eye. "...Because I've bled from these wounds for years after they closed up. ...I know what it's like to be scarred in more ways than one. And one way or another, you'll have to learn to trust me."
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Her eyes flitted back to him as he spoke, she tried to keep that squivering smile on her lips but failed as she admitted. "Making your pack your family puts you in an awfully bad position you know." She sighed and lifted her eyes to the sky as though she were looking for all the right answers, but she knew the truth there were no right answers. Here she was with one of the newest souls in their family and yet she was caving in and admitting her worries and pains.
Giving in she exhaled and let her shounders drop as she shook her head and nodded. He was right, she would have to come to trust him just like she was beginning to get to know each and every one of her packmembers. Raising her eyes back to meet his she spoke softly. "Where to start..." She shook her head as her sun shot eyes seemed to search his as she found the beginning to be the right spot. "Since I returned to these lands it seems that the bad has seriously outweighed the good that's occurred in my life." She gave a pitiful laugh and went on. "I thought my mate dead this past season only to find he's alive and well.. just doesn't want to come home. My oldest daughter was beaten and raped by her own mate.. the youngest caught up in war and beaten and abused behind enemy lines while being held as a hostage.." There was little she could really say that wouldn't sound like she was wanting a pity party.
She sighed and narrowed her eyes as she asked the boy. "Are you sure you want to hear the whole of this.. I think the only good I've had this year was the fonding of this pack.. and the birth of my grandchildren.." she added softly, realizing that she'd only seen the children once but then again she had been trying to keep herself busy but she also hadn't wanted to think of her grandchildren as well. They were the children of a monster, though now they had two mothers and not a single monster in sight of their new world.
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wc315
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The concept of 'making the pack a family' hadn't crossed his mind in the slightest, resulting in a rather puzzled and perplexed one-eyed stare from the male set on the disheartened matriarch. He swallowed his comments and simply nodded, serious frown set in stone on his face. Jefferson wasn't looking for a family. He wasn't looking for acceptance and he especially wasn't about to start sucking up to the higher-ups for attention. The hybrid hadn't 'connected' with another living thing in God-knows-how-long, but his scars had humbled him. His ears, though at a point torn and and wrecked, were still of definite use. The hybrid had transitioned to vagrant wanderer to immobilized guardian, as all he could do now was to speak and listen.
Strangely, the male didn't mind at all.
Her story--even its beginnings--deepened the frown on his face. His eye thinned but remained on her. He understood. Somehow or other, he understood. It seemed tragedy had been a bitch for the poor matriarch; the male shifted a little on his haunches, resisting the urge to shake his head in sympathy. It was a shame, and genuine pity for her rose. How long had it been since he'd felt actual pity? Mercy was different in so many ways, and even that ran thin in his bones. Such tragedy had only crossed his own path; the hybrid was 'fortunate' to have lacked the family to comfort in their own times of pain, but instead felt their imaginary scars in his own flesh. The ached he'd always felt... had always just been his own. He'd never shared them--and he'd hardly been shared to. She paused again and questioned his empathy, to which he straightened his back and looked upon her with complete earnesty. "Only when the whole of it has become too heavy for your shoulders," he replied quietly. "But I'm still listening."
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She felt so foolish speaking of her silly pains and worries when just last week he wasn't even certain where his next meal was coming from or if he was going to be able find a dry place to rest. She brought up her sky blue eyes to meet the lone green eye of the male as she smiled weakly at the encouragement that he offered. She wasn't for certain if the words were genuine or if it was just for her comfort but it really didn't matter, she knew letting the worries and fear fall from her mind and shoulders if only for seconds was better than bottling it all in.
She turned her eyes towards the orchard as she sighed. She was repeating herself again but she ddin't care, if he wanted to listen to her bable he'd have to deal with it. "He.. didn't wish to come home to the family that loved him and wanted him here." she turned her gaze back to the male and laughed sadly as she asked him honestly. "How are you suppose to take that? You dedicate your life to the one you love, even when gone you keep that part of your life bare.. and yet.. your love just sends you a letter... instead of coming home." She shook her head and laughed. "And yet.. I just sit here in our lands worrying about the cattle.. now how silly can that be."
There were a million other thoughts that she'd been worrying about but the one that had prickled and stuck was the choice of her mate.. and the choice she'd made out of spite after receiving that letter. She'd known better than to accept the offer of the boy from Inferni, she hadn't even really liked him.. but the woman had been scorned and a spiteful part of her had decided that her mate should pay for the pain held left her with in his written words. She'd never thought that she'd be paying for her choice that night.. but she didn't really care about /that/.
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Sorry for the wait. Real life kicked my ass for a couple days (and still is).
wc322
He didn't know how that was supposed to be taken. He'd never had someone to turn his back on before; the one-eyed menace had walked his own lonely road for as far back as he could remember, and getting used to companionship was still top on his priority list. Permanent companionship through a sexual basis was a bit more of a foreign and unheeded concept, and though he understood what she was saying, he hadn't exactly been down that road before himself. He'd never known love. Jeffers had never honestly cared for it. The male wasn't even sure he was open to the idea--he wasn't really the cuddly, lovey-dovey type, obviously--but what the future was planning he knew he'd take in stride. The male had already began to see changes in his character from residing in Phoenix Valley for some time, and wouldn't have been surprised to see more on the horizon.
The compassion she seemed to possess was evidently far beyond his own; it was blatantly obvious how in love she had once been with his sorry stranger, and for a moment Jefferson hesitated to ask of her ex-lover's appearance to make sure he hadn't been one of his "accidental murders" that might've ended for the good instead of bad. However, the wolf bit his tongue and kept quiet on that topic. "A pussy," the hybrid scowled, shrugging his shoulders. "Didn't even have the guts to tell it to your face. A real pussy, ma'am; you're better off." His ear twitched and he soon came to regret those words, turning a rather uncomfortable eye to her. "Er... My bad."
He straightened his back, trying to make up for lost words. "What I mean is, you're looking after the pack and the cattle and not this guy, right? He would have held you back." Or so Jefferson thought. He barely knew Iskata, though had already gained quite a bit of respect for her.
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If she'd been in a clear state she would have noticed the paces she was putting the poor male through, but she was lost in her own emotions and betrayals and the silly Matriarch was making the lad walk a line and sadly so. IF she had a chance to look back on this moment she would probably have laughed and pitied the newest packmember and his strange rite of initiation. Of course she wasn't ready for the bold words that Jefferson had to bring to the table and out of nowhere she found herself laughing at his guilty on the spot apology.
Shaking her head the silver and gold woman smiled sadly as she corrected Jefferson. "No, no.. you're right. I asked for your opinion.. and though I wasn't expecting one so brash and loud I got what I asked for." She grinned like an idiot as she went on. "Don't ever apologize for speaking your mind, or speaking the truth.. sometimes it better than a lie for comfort." There were other words he'd spoken and she sat there a moment gazing out across the misty field as the small smile of amusement lingered on her lips.
When finally the Matriarch's eyes turned back to Jefferson there was a wake there, the truth he'd revealed had made her realize that she'd been trying to hold together something that she wasn't even certain could have existed. Would it have existed in these new lands... "You're right.. but it's still bittersweet. I wake each day and my home will remind me of it all. His name was Phoenix.. and once he would have loved the idea of what we've created here.. but I'm not certain if he's even the same man I once loved." Her eyes held small sad smiles as she admitted the truth to Jefferson. She was glad that she had packmates that were willing to look past the fact that she was a leader sometimes, packmates that could begin to embrace the family settling and learn to relax. She believed that as a whole it was the only way she could live now, with her pack as her family, her devotion to them as a whole.
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wc231
Jefferson released a held sigh of relief when she broke into lighthearted laughter at his unintentional little slip up. The male relaxed his back and allowed an apologetic little smile to break onto his face. He nodded lightly as she spoke before chuckling to himself as well. He might have been new to the pack, but the male still appreciated that his opinion was worth something. "I'll take you up on that, then," he muttered roguishly and rolled his shoulders. "If you want the truth, you talk to me. I don't censor myself for anyone." If he did, what would be the point in speaking at all? When one couldn't walk or see well anymore, everything else he still had became precious and inexcusable.
"I can't say I know much of anything about mateship or love or any of that," Jefferson continued with a careless snort. "Never felt anything like it. Never needed to. It's not hard to do, I guess. I'm sure you could figure it out if you tried." A shrug and an averting one-eyed gaze. "I mean, if you want to stop being in love or whatever, because you're speaking sadly with all the night sky's stars in your eyes despite it." The hybrid gave her a rather unsurprised, expecting look and raised a careful brow. "You could call it 'Jefferson Valley'. That has a nice ring to it."
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She smiled at the once stranger who was fast becoming a good friend. She wasn't for certain how long it would take Deuce to warm up to him but she knew in time that it could happen... in a long long time.. with something short of a miracle. She smirked at the thought and nodded once more. "Yes, someone needs to speak their mind around here. I don't care who I am, sometimes the blunt honest truth is the best cure." She wasn't for certain how in the world his slipup had done it but she was already feeling better, like half the weight she'd been struggling under hand just vanished. She knew now what it was like being a leader with everyone looking up to you.. but she hadn't realized that leadership could be a lonely road. She was glad her packmates had enough spunk to ignore certain traditions when it came down to it. She hoped that if it came between rescuing her hide and a child someone would have enough sense to let her rest in peace knowing the babe had lived.
She watched him with amusement at he struggled to try and get through explaining his lack of experiance with mateships and the whole nine yards. Raising a brow to matc his own as his words turned a bit poetic and mushy she chuckled. "Keep talking like that and you'll learn all about love and everything else that follows." Her sun shot blue eyes turned away from Jefferson for a moment as she laughed at his comment on the name of their lands. "If we called it that, you could expect to learn about scandal and gossip too." she turned back to him, mischief just a slight glimmer in her eye as she accused, "Or is that what you're looking for?" She could already imagine the rumors flying.. she didn't even stop to mention to Jefferson that that packlands weren't even named after her past mate, but the concept of the mystological phoenix and the rebirth after rising from the ashes of yesterday. Who would want to hear such dreamy wishy washy bullshit.
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wc253
It wasn't what he was looking for. The last thing Jefferson had ever wanted was more personal issues or more trouble for himself. Love was trouble, that he knew. He'd never had a decent conversation about the topic--love, children, family--but from what he'd seen and heard as the innocent passer-by and from the scars of tormented rape-baby loners finding outlets for their pain, love was nothing he wanted to be part of. Luckily, the hybrid had never possessed such a rage anywhere similar to that of the stereotypical heartbroken maniac, especially since his own memories were still clouded out and had caused some serious frustration for some time that would have been easily destressed through mindless slaughter and bloodshed. Somehow, Jefferson contained the dignity to stand above such actions. The scars throughout his body was proof that others did not.
"No," he scoffed, flashing her a quick smirk that he hastily swallowed away. He cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. "I don't want to learn about that shit. Give me a break. Out of all the things I've ever called myself, 'father' has never been one of them." A shrug and an idle scratch at his neck. "I never saw the appeal in it all, but it's not like I met a lot of people. I'm good on my own in, uh... more ways than one." Green eye averted again. Regardless of it all, there'd never be a soul to care for a beast like he, anyway. He was okay with that.
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She watched him suddenly change as the subject bounced back to him and the future of a possible love life with the words he so easily let slip from the tongue. A sliver of a smirk was returned to the male as he tried to gain back that gruff manly figure after the awkward change she'd presented him with. She rolled her eyes at his comment. "That's ok, I think everyone says that.. til it bites them in the ass." She grinned mischieviously at the gimp before she yawned. Acting as though his offense towards love was no big thing she shook her head.
Tilting her head to the side as he tried to give his reasons why he wasn't worth anyone's time and how much he seemed to operate smoother on his own she raised a brow and asked. "You know all that already, without giving a soul a try?" Flicking bits of dirt off her paws she gazed at the ground as she admitted. "You're braver than I.. this world's paths are not meant to travel alone.." She had always hated the times she'd travelled alone, even now there was some part of her that seemed to grow weaker without another padding beside her side. She knew it was all a foolish dreamer's belief.. but the happiness, even when fleeting was worth the pain.
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Jefferson is a good guy. I'd date him. LOL
wc318
Who would love a brute like he, anyway? He was scarred from head to toe, had the weakest-looking gimp at least he'd ever seen, and a tasteless personality. The saddest part was that he was aware of all this, but the desire to change didn't exist. For Jefferson, the concept of changing to suit someone else didn't exist--he was simply who he was and had always been. Being a loner had eliminated any need to suit himself for others, and thus had basically ended up as he was without knowing otherwise. He couldn't even fathom what it was like to "be in love", and he'd never tried. The male was almost embarrassed and ashamed for even letting it pass through in his mind for the shortest time. He cast a rather sarcastic, knowing look at Iskata. "I'm a fighter, not a lover. Give me a break." He stifled the smirk that resulted.
He rolled his shoulders, however, that being a clear signal that the topic was not yet over. "As far as I know, I've never gotten into any of that. I couldn't identify if it existed in me anyway." Speaking literally, Jefferson had no knowledge on love or any of its aspects; he was the loner walking his own road still, even in a pack. His lonely road seemed to never have any true end, as he could never fully stray from it. His grew serious when she became downcast, and he straightened his back. "Don't be like that. You're the leader here; you're supposed to be the strong one. Don't start slacking off on me, lass." His coy smile stretched across the face; whether or not the brute knew it, he possessed a sort of roguish charm... a funny characteristic for someone like he. "Haven't you seen these scars yet? I'm not brave at all. I'm an idiot for putting myself through such misery for so long."
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She smirked and shook her head at the boy before her, really not that much younger than her but for somereason she always felt older. She'd probably blame it on her rank, who in their right mind would title the leadership rank after something that basically stood for being old. Perhaps Deuce and her should reorganize their thoughts one day.. if the old croons could remember to that was. The silver and gold lady laughed softly as she gave up. "Okay, okay.. but remember, even in the stories the hero gets the girl in the end.. so you better start preparing yourself.. unless you're going to be one of those warrior priests.." the wicked light that sparkled in her eyes was mocking him, but she didn't go much further than that. She'd let him figure it all out himself.. but she'd be there to laugh when he finally did.
She raised a brow as he suddenly seemed to grow serious on her. With a drastic roll of her eyes she pranced on light paws around the male and finally stopped before him. "Yes, I'm the leader, but that also means I can shove off all the horrible chores on each and every one of my packmates.. and live the life of luxary.. or atleast get to sleep in in the mornings.." She grinned back at him as she laughed at the mention of his scars and bravery. She extended a foreleg to the male and flicked her tattered ears forward as she asked. "So does that make me an idiot too? I bet if we compared scars I've got more than you.." she teased gently, but she knew that visible scars weren't always the only ones.. she held quite a few across her heart and soul as well.
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wc277
escape is never the safest path
He'd never been one for musing over storybook heroes and romances; he was more down-to-earth than that. In the hybrid's eyes, he simply lived on the ground and was finding methods to continue surviving that way. What hopes and dreams he possessed ran slim, and were more realistic than not. They were basic goals attainable in usually a matter of days or years, but rarely a physical or mental effort or something that meant going out of his way. It was a character flaw that needed improvement, but was inevitably belittled in the end. How he lived his life had nothing to do with his "goals", whatever they may be. He never spoke of them. In hindsight, Jefferson was somewhat private, and yet he wasn't at all.
He chuckled at her words. She was a leader, and a great one at that; Iskata already had him impressed, which was something he'd come to find was usually a slow procession and not an instant thing. He wasn't regretting, and that was evident in the smile he gave her. "You're a smart one, Iskata. My time here won't be wasted; that I'm sure of. Heh, even if it is doing your dirty work." He snickered and flopped back onto his spine in the hay, taking a brief moment to stretch and yawn. "For now, though, I think maybe me and my scars will do some slacking off myself, if you don't mind. You just said you never got to rest in the morning... now's your chance." Without another word, he rolled over and unleashed another long yawn, before smirking to himself and closing his eye for a contented nap.
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