I get by with a little help from my friends
#1
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It was a gorgeous day in Crimson Dreams, so the onyx femme had decided to take a run through the western portion of the territory. It was the area that she was least familiar with, and so she wanted to get as well acquainted with it as she was with the eastern half. Joyfully she galloped through the fallen leaves, basking in the coolness of the air and the warmth of the sun on her back. It was days like today that she lived for. Where no worries troubled her mind and she could just run around and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Savina's muzzle was open in a wide smile, tongue hanging out of her mouth as limbs carried her through the trees and hills.



Then for no particular reason, she flopped down onto the leaf-covered ground. The yellow and orange leaves complimented her colors nicely. Rolling onto her back she stared up at the bright blue sky, dotted with cotton ball clouds. She had used to do this as a pup, laying on her back and watching the clouds float by, attempting to see if they took any recognizable shapes. It was certainly fun to do on her own, but it was even more so when you had someone to share it with. She wondered if any of her packmates would stumble across her and want to join in the relaxation.

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#2
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He dared to return to his roots, staring up at the thick trunk of a nearby tree, spreading out and upwards into a canopy of golden yellow and rusted orange. Slowly, he began his climb up into the tangles of branches, finding this much easier to do now in his Optime form. When he had been younger, finding the youth had been a shock and a good laugh considering Pilot had no luperci blood whatsoever. It was how he had grown up though, so he had known nothing different. With hands outstretched to grasp the rough branches, things were going a lot smoother.



He threw his legs over a thick branch, leaning forward and almost laying on his stomach as he let his arms dangle on opposite sides. The smell of autumn was here, and he closed his eyes and let himself be absorbed into the gorgeous weather. When the B. General finally opened his eyes, his silver gaze found Savina. She looked to be enjoying herself almost as much as he was, and he couldn’t help but smile. "Comfortable?" He called out, hoping to elude her for a moment. Not many were quick to look up into the heights of a tree for their friends.

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#3
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wc 315


The girl laid happily the soft bed of the autumn leaves under the canopy of the great sky. Her mouth opened wide in a contented yawn, sharp ivory teeth glinting in the sunlight. Emerald eyes continued to focus on the sapphire sky and the pearly clouds that lazily floated by. She spotted one that reminded her of a rabbit. It made her think of the particularly delicious one that she had caught the other day. Pink tongue licked her ebony lips remembering the savory meal. Then she spied one that looked remarkably like a squirrel. Her orbs sparkled like gems and a great smile was plastered on her face. She was having rather a lot of fun with this game.



Savina had been fairly oblivious to all around her until a voice shattered her silent reverie. Startled, her body spun around in the leaves, sending the colorful foliage flying. She ended up laying on her stomach, head swiveling around to find who the voice had come from, but she didn't see anyone! Then the scent of Pilot reached her nose. So it had been him, but where in the world was he? Rising to her feet she began to follow his scent, a couple burgundy leaves clinging to her pelt. It was only when her nose lead her to the bottom of a large tree that she even thought to look up. Then the lounging form of her friend stood out white as snow against the fall canopy. Her tail wagged happily and she jumped against the trunk of the tree, placing her front paws up on it. "What are you doing all the way up there?" She called playfully. The female was glad that it was Pilot who had crossed her path. She desperately wanted to get to know the male better, and in a more relaxed situation than when they had first met.

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#4
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He chuckled to himself as he watched the girl beneath him turn with surprise, looking for the owner of the voice. He remained silent, watching as she rose to her feet and made her way eventually over to his hiding spot. He grinned down at her, hair fringing his silver gaze. "Returning to my roots," he replied, swinging his body around so that he hung from the branch with both arms. When he released his grip, he landed on the ground with all the grace of a cat. "How’re you?" He asked, not able to have a casual conversation with her before this. Everything had been strictly business thus far, and it was nice to see Savina in a different light. "Adjusting to leadership well?" He added with a playful wink. Naniko sure had been a smart woman to select the Italian girl for her right hand.

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#5
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Savina was surprised, and impressed, to see how easily and gracefully Pilot descended from the tree branch. As the male repositioned on the ground her body spun around off the trunk, landing with all four paws back on the ground as well. Her tail waved happily in the air, a broad smile on her muzzle. "And what roots might those be? Obviously not the traditional kind." There was a lightness to her accented voice that made it clear she was joking with him.



"Oh, I've been well enough. Glad to have some time to unwind now that everything's been settled. And yourself?" The jet female was glad of the opportunity to get to know her fellow General better. They only times they had met before was when Naniko had been hurt and then at pack discussions and meetings. Getting to know one another on a more personal level would be greatly beneficial. Also they would surely become closer friends. "Yes, I suppose so. Its quite a change, I must say. I never thought I would be in such a position, but I'm greatly honored. Just hope that I can live up to everyone's expectations." The last thing she wanted was to disappoint either Naniko or any of her other packmates. She wanted to show that the Commander hadn't made a mistake in choosing her.

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#6
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"Good, good," he replied, nodding as if to confirm that he wasn’t bluffing. And it had been rather good so far. Nothing had happened to make things bad and Urma’s presence was nice to have. He was glad that she had decided to follow him to Crimson Dreams. And even before that, he was glad she had come to the meeting the four of them had had about creating the pack. "Still getting used to things." He leaned against the tree, crossing his arms gently across his chest as he did so.



"Don’t worry about the leadership thing. I’m sure you’ll do great. I was a little overwhelmed and nervous when I was first promoted back in Storm. But really, you find out that the whole leadership thing comes rather naturally. I mean, taking care of Naniko and all back awhile ago," he didn’t want to use the word rape or mention any other names, "you already showed you had compassion for your friends. And I don’t know if you realized it or not, but by caring for Naniko, you were caring for the whole pack. Really, things start to become second nature. You’ll be used to it in no time." He offered her a playful wink, feeling what he said was completely true. He really felt as if Savina would make a great leader.

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#7
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The white male's words did a lot to comfort her nerves as far as the leadership issue was concerned. He was right about the situation with Naniko. In her heart, she knew she would do whatever she could to protect the wolves in her pack. She would go even so far as to punish those who hurt them. Her remorse about what she had done to Conri was fading as if it had never been there at all. The midnight femme had never really felt bad about hurting him, just about what she could become when her anger took over. Her chest puffed out with his last remarks and good-natured wink. Her tail waving like a banner over her back. "I guess you're right. Thanks Pilot! I'm really glad you're here with us." Her eyes had their signature joyful sparkle to them. She really couldn't think of another wolf she would be more happy to have around than the Brigadier General.



A name he had spoken stuck in her mind though. Storm. She knew she had heard that pack name before, but from where? Her mind raced as she tried to find the information it stored in reference to the name. Then it occurred to her. That had been the pack that Kansas' had said he'd lived in before the fire. "You lived in Storm? That's where Kansas lived before the fire! Did you know him back then?" Savina thought it would be rather funny if Pilot had known her love from back then. Not to mention it was a conversation topic that she loved. Maybe she would learn more about both the male's pasts.

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#8
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"Yup, Storm was the first pack I was ever a part of." Of course this excluded his birth pack, but that was a part of his history even he didn’t remember. "I definitely knew Kansas before now. His father, Phoenix, became one of my best friends. He really was like a mentor to me. And," he waved a hand in front of his torso, "he even turned me. He was a really amazing person. As for Iskata, well… she and I have some history as well. When she left to find Firefly, I kind of helped Phoenix by keeping an eye on the pups. Kansas, Icarus, and Ember were probably the coolest puppies I have ever been around. It’s really strange to see him grown up now." He smiled, thinking about those times. He could easily say that they had been the best in his life. "I’m glad he decided to stick around."

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#9
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It was interesting to hear about Kansas' father from Pilot. She didn't know many details about his family, so she listened attentively as her friend talked about the old pack. This Phoenix sounded like a great wolf, but it seemed like something might have happened to him, for the ghostly hued male was talking of his old friend in the past tense. "He was an amazing person? Is he...dead?" Savina found herself choking on that last word. Even though she had never met this wolf, she felt a somewhat associated connection to him. He was the father of her love, and the friend of her fellow sub-leader. She knew that Icarus had died in the fire, but Kansas had never said anything about his father passing.



At Pilot's last words the femme couldn't help but feel that now familiar happiness flood her body. "Yeah, I'm really glad he did too." The smile was still upon her face, though there was something different about it. A deeper meaning. If she had been in her optime form, she probably would have started to play with the shell necklace that hung around her neck. She was almost never without it, because that way she always had something that reminded her of the cream male.

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#10
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"No, no. He’s not dead. I… thought he was for the longest time. But I got a letter from him," he drew out the shape of a rectangle with his fingers, "saying he was still alive. Yet, he can’t come home. I guess he was kidnapped. Either way, I have this dark feeling that I won’t ever see him again." He crossed his arms over his chest once more. "Maybe that’s a bad thing to say," he muttered to himself, even though he really believed what he had said was true.



"Soooo." Pilot started, not able to suppress the playful smile at his lips. "You and Kansas, huh?" He had a feeling there was something between the two. At least, he wouldn’t have been surprised. He found that when people brought up others' names it was usually because they were on their mind.

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#11
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It was curious, about Phoenix. She wondered if Kansas knew this information about his father. She wanted to ask him, but at the same time she didn't want to nose into family business such as that. The sable girl tried to content herself with the fact that if he wanted to talk about it he surely would let her know. He had been there for her when she had talked about her mother, so he knew that she would understand. A small sad frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. It made her a bit upset to think that the man wouldn't come back to his family, it made her think of Serge. She attempted to remind herself not to judge too quickly though; she didn't know the whole situation. "That's too bad. Hopefully he'll prove you wrong...for his family's sake and yours."



The frown was quickly banished from her visage as Pilot inquired about herself and Kansas. She looked shyly, yet happily down at the ground for a second, feeling the warm reddening of her face beneath her raven fur. "Yes. I love him." Her accented voice stated almost musically. The snowy male was the first she had told this fact to aside from Kansas himself. It felt great to say it. Savina wanted to run around and yell it at the top of her lungs. Emerald gaze looked back to Pilot's silver, the grin now wide across her face. "He's the first person I've ever been with. The first I've ever felt this way about." It had been a long time coming, but it had been worth the wait.

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#12
This is crap.... love me anyways? XD[html]


He was so glad to see that she had found love and happiness in someone else. Pilot was on the verge, teetering between a new love and falling back into recession because of his old. He wasn’t sure just which way he would swing, but he was sure of one thing: he was slightly jealous of the joy Savina had found. He thought of he and Dierdre and how similar their love must have been compared to Savina and Kansas. For their sake, however, he hoped their relationship didn’t turn out like his had. "Well, that’s wonderful. Congratulations." He paused for a moment, before adding. "Oh, does he know?" Giving her a playful wink, obviously joking with her as if it were sort of secret love the Phoenix child wasn’t aware of.

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#13
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Of course I still love you <3 And randomly bringing up the whole Conri thing since they were planning on talking about it, yes?



Her ears lightly folded back, emerald orbs sparkling with her new found joy. It made her feel even better that Pilot was happy for her, for them. It still nagged at the dark fey that Naniko was so apprehensive about their relationship. She could understand wanting to protect her brother, but the Commander and herself were best friends. Surely she didn't think she was going to hurt him in any way? But if that wasn't the case she didn't know what it could be. None of the alternatives were good. "Thank you. It really means a lot." Savina was glad to have Pilot as a friend, and glad that they were getting this opportunity to know one another better. With his last teasing comment her ears pricked back up. The sparkle in her eyes changed to one of playful mischief. "Of course he knows!" She stated, sticking her tongue out at the male.



Suddenly a thought struck her. She hated to ruin their playful good mood, but it was something the girl felt needed to be said. "Pilot...I never thanked you for coming to help when Nani was...hurt. I don't know what I would've done without you." It was true, that was one of the most panicked moments of her life. But with his help they had all gotten through safely to the other side.

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#14
Yus, yus.[html]


"Naniko has long been a friend of mine," Pilot responded, nodding his head slowly. "She has taught me a lot – about medicine and life. It was the least I could do to help out a friend," he said. He smiled then, glad things had turned out for the better. Though Conri and Naniko were no together, maybe that was for the better. Crimson Dreams offered them all a home, and so far, things had been going smoothly. He wouldn’t be surprised if he started to feel the same sense of belonging as he had with Storm. "I’m just glad things are alright now," he offered, brushing some of the silver fur from his eyes. Silently, though, he wondered what had happened to Conri.

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#15
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Her head nodded. Anyone would do what they could to help a friend in need. Luckily Pilot had the training to do what it had been required. Savina hated to think what might have happened if there hadn't been anyone to give her medical attention. And yes, things were alright now. Naniko had found Anu, the pups were doing fine as far as she knew. It appeared that things had turned out for the better. However there was still that creeping fear of Conri ever returning to the lands. Mostly, she feared the madman coming back to take further revenge against Nani, Kansas, or herself. She wasn't too worried for her safety. It had obviously been proved that around him, the darkness inside of her was provoked into fighting. Mostly, she worried about Kansas. Especially after that horrible nightmare she had had. The fallen alpha had reason to go after those she cared for most.



"Sometimes...I worry about him coming back. About him hurting Naniko or others again." Her eyes had taken a sort of far-off look, staring at nothing in particular. "Though I hope he won't after the last time he tried." Not until after those words were uttered did she realize that Pilot had no idea what had happened. That Conri had even returned to the packlands at all...and what she had done to him. No one knew, except for Anselm and Kansas. The ebony femme knew the question would come, and worry shone in her jeweled orbs. What would he think?

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#16
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He nodded, understanding her fear. However, he knew that Crimson Dreams had strong members and he didn’t worry about Conri’s return. If he ever did decide to set foot near the pack, the members would surely defend their lands. He could count on that. However, her added statement made him wonder. His brows furrowed and he reconsidered her words. The last time he tried… He wasn’t sure what incident Savina was referring to, but it made him slightly uneasy. Maybe Conri was a threat after all. But how would they deal with such a liability? "We have strong members, Savina. I’m sure if Conri ever came back that he would be in for more than he bargained for." He considered asking her about what she had meant, but decided to let it drop. Maybe it wasn't important enough for the General to worry about. What was done, was done, anyhow.

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#17
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Haha, awww, no she-hulk talk. Guess we can wrap this up soon then?



She saw his brows furrow and knew that the question of what had happened had to be forthcoming. But...then it never came. Savina was surprised, and somewhat relieved that Pilot had decided to let the subject drop. She still had mixed feelings about what had happened. She knew that she had had every right to do what she did, however the General was still nervous about how others would view it. How they would view her after they found out. Would she be feared? Or thought of as a liability? Luckily at the moment, those thoughts subsided. Sleek head nodded at his statement. Really, he didn't even know the half of it. There were many mysteries about that thing that lurked inside her, but she knew it was strong and pain didn't stop it, it only egged it on. If she even caught a whiff of Conri's scent anywhere near the lands she'd be on him like white on rice.



With that topic out of the way for now, the mischievous glint returned to her emerald orbs. Savina closed the short distance between them and batted at Pilot playfully with her paw. Then she took off at a sprint, stopping briefly at the peak of a hill to yell back at him. "Come on! Last one back to the mansion gets border duty for a week!" A sly grin had crept onto her face and she trotted in the direction of the manor, giving her compatriot a chance to catch up.

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#18
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He couldn’t deny that he was slightly relieved when the subject of Conri had been dropped. However, that wasn’t to say that Pilot wasn’t curious about what Savina had meant. He was sure he would find out sooner or later, and supposed it didn’t matter that he knew right this instant. As long as everyone was safe for the moment, then things would be alright.



His lips curled back into a grin at her playful gesture, and he made to run after her. Savina, however, had the advantage being on four legs. He took a moment to shift (something he hadn’t done in weeks), before chasing after her. She could have easily beat him to the mansion, but this lighthearted idea was enough to keep him running up the sloping hill after her.

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