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Slay!
The last encounter he'd had with Firefly was still in his thoughts a good part of the time. There were few things about her that frustrated him, but one of them was that she absolutely refused to tell him anything about her life. For all he knew, she was completely happy. Giving to the needy, counseling the downtrodden... Her life was an image of perfection. But that was laughable, and Kansas wasn't quite so stupid. He saw the pain in her eyes, and knew she was simply keeping the truth from him to spare him the worry. Her method was pointless and ineffective, for the silence she treated him with had formed into a festering wound. He wanted to help her. And he honestly needed her more than ever now that Iskata was gone.
He had not yet met her sons. That afternoon, while Savina watched the puppies, he'd set off in the direction of Dahlia de Mai. He'd never been there before, but it was not hard to find. Though he was certainly reclusive, he knew the layout of 'Souls remarkably well. He had in his worn black satchel a few toys none of his children seemed to like, figuring Emwe and Conor might think differently of them. At last he reached the forested area. He wasn't sure if he should simply wait there like he ordinarily did when entering another pack, or call for someone to come get him. He assumed Firefly was still here, so she would recognize his voice. With that in mind, he lifted his snout and emitted a brief howl for her. When the last note had died down, Kansas sat cross-legged and began to pick at the grass while he waited.
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Slaying the Dreamer
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When he woke up that morning and found that he could breathe without feeling dizzy and disoriented, the recuperating wolf was over the moon. Slay had spent the past few weeks healing from wounds he had received from the dangerous crow-wolf, Corvus Vendetta. None of them had been deep enough for scars, but he had lost so much blood, he had suffered from anemia for far longer than he wanted to. His poor mate had been stuck hunting for him, trying to keep him healthy while looking after the gaggle of puppies they had adopted. He owed her for a lot. For now, he wanted to test his returning strength, try out the shiny scabs that had knitted him together, see how far his atrophied limbs could carry him.
The arctic wolf nosed his way through the door that separated him from the outside, and inhaled the fresh scent of early summer, a happy light glinting in his ice-pale eyes. He still felt wobbly on his paws from all the sleeping he had done, but there was something refreshing about feeling awake for the first time in many days. He padded down the steps on all fours, appreciating the springy grass between his toes when he heard the howl.
The ebony-marked male trotted lightly along the border, hoping to reach the caller before someone more fit beat him to it. It was merely a challenge to himself; this was no howl of distress or loner seeking a home, but a simple social call. Slay didn't recognize the smooth masculine voice, but with a deep yawn, the narcoleptic wolf spotted the seated Optime in the grass near the trees. His breath came a little too quickly in his chest - was he panting already, after that brisk walk?- and one of his small cuts had opened to trickle down his leg, but otherwise he had made it. His reward would be a nice conversation with a stranger.
"Hallo there, stranger!" he called, still catching his breath as he drew nearer. He didn't recognize the light cream colours of the male's fur, but the scent he carried was of their allies, Crimson Dreams. It was probably just a relative coming to visit, which happened more often than he was aware, since Slay really had no relatives. He could probably direct them to whichever den they needed to find, since he was now such a senior member and all. It still boggled his mind to realize that he had been with this pack since it had begun, some fourteen moons ago...
I've got soul but I'm not a soldier
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After about a a quarter of an hour, his hands were stained green and he'd built a nice little pile of pulled grass beside him. He found himself grinning at his own frivolity and stopped playing, stretching lean arms above him. The knuckles of his right hand still had small, half-healed scrapes, remnants of his fight with the stranger he'd run into while on patrol a few weeks ago. The wound on his lip was also still healing, but the skin that had formed over it was smooth and shiny. He was afraid that it would probably form into a scar. That whole scene still sickened him when he looked back on it; he couldn't believe he'd behaved so immaturely. Often, he comforted himself with thoughts like "that fucker had it coming to him." He wondered what Firefly would make of it.
More time had passed than the boy realized before he saw the lupine form of a bicolor wolf moving toward him. Kansas had lost himself, but he regained composure and stood up, leaving his bag on the ground. Kansas furrowed his brow, mildly surprised that it was not his sister who approached. It wasn't too far-fetched that someone else would approach - in fact, that was probably more likely.
The male had the most interesting coloring Kansas had ever seen. He couldn't even tell if the coal hues marking his coat were there naturally or if they were the result of dye. The Sadira noticed that the other was also covered in a collection of scrapes and scratches: as if he, too, had recently been in a fight. Kansas nodded a greeting, remembering his manners and allowing his tail and ears to fall slightly. "Yes - hi. I'm, eh, Kansas Sadira." Was it a good idea to state his business in Dahlia de Mai right away? "I came... looking for my sister, Firefly. And her sons."
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Slaying the Dreamer
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The athletic werewolf before him stood in greeting, dark mane contrasting with his pale cream fur. Slay was suddenly struck by how similar his missing young ward, Palindrome de Sadira, appeared in comparison, and wondered if when Pal learned to shift, if his hair would be dark as well. The Sadira family tree truly had roots everywhere. It was impressive to him, and made him feel a touch of loneliness, knowing that he was the only one of his kind on this entire coastline. "I'm Slay, mate to Cercelee. Well met, Kansas!" he said with a friendly nod, pale-blue eyes craned upwards to see the Optime's face. Then the full greeting sank in.
"F-firefly's brother?" he stammered, surprise evident in his voice. He had briefly known their sister, Ember, and she hadn't been that bad, but... the coppery woman scared him, as she had most of their packmates. She had always been very intimidating and short-tempered, threatening them and then laughing as she made them squirm. This fellow, Kansas, he seemed polite and calm and good-natured... nothing like his green-eyed sibling. "Well, her sons live with their father, Haku Soul, down thataways," he recovered, gesturing vaguely with his muzzle. If Kansas requested, he would lead the way himself. Hadn't someone mentioned that Haku was a cousin of Firefly's? Maybe he should have withheld the names for now, so as to dull the blow he had to deal. Sighing, he lowered his voice, delivering the news. "But I'm afraid Firefly doesn't live here anymore. She, ahh... had a conflict of interest, and ended up leaving our pack. Sorry." That was the nicest way he could say it. It seemed kinder than explaining how her seductive mateship with her cousin had gone awry as soon as she became pregnant, how her mate cheated on her and drove her away before she even gave birth, how she had kidnapped her own sons just to hide them from their father, and when they were found again, she had been publicly shamed and treated like dirt by her former underlings. Then, when her only friend in the pack was outcast for mouthing off for the thousandth time, she had disobeyed direct orders just to help the girl, and got herself banished as well. It was a terrible story, and the rumors had been flying for several months now, making Firefly sound even wilder than she had become in reality. It wasn't the sort of thing one wanted to tell a close family member, no matter how miffed he was that Firefly had threatened his mate's life...
I've got soul but I'm not a soldier
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There were indeed Sadiras absolutely everywhere. It seemed to Kansas that everyone he encountered either was a Sadira or was somehow linked to one. The only exception he could think of was Arkham, and that was only because he and the hybrid had not talked about other wolves at all. For all he knew, Arkham may have been a long-lost brother or something - though he rather doubted that. When this man introduced himself as Slay and mentioned the name of his mate, Kansas nearly laughed because this situation matched his thoughts exactly. He could not remember how he and Cercelee were related, just that they somehow were. "Pleasure to meet you," he threw in, deciding that mentioning his acquaintanceship with Slay's mate was irrelevant for the moment.
The dual-toned wolf's stuttered repetition of Firefly's name was enough to make Kansas nervous. It was as if her name - herself - were taboo. Immediately, uncertainty began to gnaw at him. Because he had no idea what the cause of this Slay's discomfort with his sister was. He bit his lip and struggled to give himself up to listening to Slay. And yet another bombshell was dropped. The stranger told him that Haku, Kansas's cousin, was Emwe and Conor's father. Their father. Firefly had had children with her cousin. His shock claimed his face before he could stop it, and his jaw dropped. He was for the moment incapable of speech. He simply continued to listen, doing his best to even out his incredulous expression.
Kansas was able to grasp the softening nature of Slay's words. He could tell that there was more to the reason Firefly was no longer a member of Dahlia de Mai than the man let on. Irritation tugged the snowy boy's lips into a slight frown; again, he couldn't probe any deeper into his sister's affairs, this time because it would have been rude. He never won. Sighing, Kansas spoke softly, rubbing his temples. "Okay. Thanks. Ah... so Emwe and Conor live here still? Would... would you mind taking me to see them?"
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Slaying the Dreamer
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The youthful-looking Optime returned his friendly greeting, polite and calm. It was somewhat of a relief to have a normal adult conversation... It had been too long since he had jested with Sankor, or anyone besides his mate, really. Bedrest was unfortunately lonely, interrupted frequently by noisy puppies. He loved the colourful kids, but when they insisted on waking him up several times each day, he was less than pleased by their company.
He saw Kansas's dumbfounded expression, and cringed, wondering if he had said too much. It was common knowledge around here, but clearly, Firefly had not been kind enough to keep her gentle brother in the loop. Slay felt an ebbing of guilt, knowing that he might have caused trouble for the both of them. "Of course," he agreed quickly, still catching his breath. It wasn't too far from here... but it would take them a while, since recuperating-Slay could not muster more than a lazy trot. "I, ehh... I'm sorry 'bout all that. I thought if you knew about her kids, you'd know who the father was... If it's any consolation, they did seem to really love each other. For a while, at least." He wanted his words to be a consolation, but somehow it seemed more like he was firmly wedging his foot in his mouth. Haku Soul was a creepy violent man, and it probably wasn't flattering to say that his young cousin had been enamored enough to birth his pups. It was a sticky situation, and Slay was unfortunately poor at dealing tidings diplomatically, judging by the Sadira wolf's wearied sigh. It would be better if he just changed the subject.
The shaggy arctic wolf padded several paces in the right direction, testing the air to make sure he was correct. He had not personally visited Haku's cabin - ever - but he knew roughly where it was located, and the Lilium's scent was everywhere, since he frequently scouted the borders. Hopefully the blue-eyed leader would not be home, and instead they would be greeted by the friendly pup-sitter, Alexey Koios. She had all but taken up residence there, devoting her time to raising the boys right. "So, Kansas... are you a father?" he asked, an unsubtle topic-change. He knew very little of packs other than his own, so despite Savina's friendship with Cercelee, Slay was in the dark.
I've got soul but I'm not a soldier
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[html] http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee19 ... table_.png); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> Sorry about the wait, darling. I got into a huge fight with my boyfriend a few nights ago and have been recovering. 
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On the contrary, Kansas was delighted that Slay had told him as much as he had. How else was he to know anything about his sister? Unorthodox as her romance with Haku was, if they had loved each other, Kansas really had no reason to take issue. It wasn't as if his own morals were perfect. But that they were no longer together now was something that did push the ivory boy a little. He now had more reason to dislike Haku, because of the things he had also done to his family in the past. At least now Kansas had an explanation for the darkness behind Firefly's eyes.
If Slay felt guilty, he needn't, but Kansas had an inkling that he did. The snowy wolf couldn't bring himself to be angry with Firefly. Kansas looked the man before him over, who had so generously posed as a well of information, and realized that he was still breathing more heavily than he should. As if he'd been almost blind to it before, Kansas now realized with a surge of guilt that Slay was much more injured than Kansas had been after his own brawl. He chewed his lip and spoke in a sudden rush, "I mean, if it's not too far... I'm sorry..." He trailed off, knowing it was probably useless to say so now.
Kansas eyed the man as he spoke, his tone suggesting that he did indeed feel guilty for what he'd told him. "No, it's okay. It's something I would have, eh, expected from Firefly. I'm glad they loved each other at... one point." Kansas sighed, deliberately keeping his pace slow as they started off. He really hoped it wasn't far, for the dual-toned wolf's sake. Slay went for a subject change, a welcome one. "Mmhmm. My mate, Savina, and I have three kids." He liked the feel of those words, though they were still strange to him. He felt too young to be a father, and to be talking about it casually with chance acquaintances. "...What about you?"
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Slaying the Dreamer
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ooc: Oh, don't worry about it! Been there! 
Kansas suddenly apologized for making them walk, and Slay shook his head, smiling up at the tall Optime. "I've gotta get used to moving around sometime, so why not now? It's not too far." His breaths came quickly, and his some of his paces were a little wobbly, but he felt confident that he could handle the trip. It was a lot of walking in one day, after being on bedrest for so long, but he was too stubborn to give up. He liked the conversation. He would ignore the dizziness that anemia clouded his mind with. Damn Corvus Vendetta, and all that he stood for! Slay hated being weak.
The gentle werewolf beside him slowed his pace, and Slay fell in step gratefully, pale eyes watching the ground for signs of the boys. Dahlian pups were encouraged to wander and explore, at least within their borders where they had immunity. It was the opposite of his upbringing. His new acquaintance spoke again on behalf of his sister, rationalizing her impulsive behavior. It sounded as though Firefly put him through a lot.
Slay had been warming to the idea of children, after growing close to the little wards he and Cer had been looking after. Having lived as a perpetual bachelor for so long, he had convinced himself that pups would be a drain on any man's vitality, but... he was finding more and more that having a mate suited him, and starting a family would be nice. There was an odd correlation between the two males, as Slay recognized Savina's name. They were both mated to alphas - the girls were in charge. He pondered whether Kansas had experienced the same awkwardness as he had, not from some convoluted theory of male dominance, but simply of feeling inadequate in comparison.
"Cercelee and I adopted. They're her cousin's kids, five of 'em. They're getting pretty big now!" Except Cath is missing, his mind added silently. It was the downside of raising someone else's offspring - eventually the pull would be too great, and all of them would try to seek out their biological family. Wolves could not seem to deny their blood ties, try as they might. "I was thinking, maybe when they get old enough... I might start a litter of my own," he added slyly, the first time he had admitted the plan aloud. He hoped they would be more like their mother, since he wasn't exactly a genetic gold mine, but - he was finally willing to give it a shot, and it had only taken him five years to get ready. "What's it like?"
I've got soul but I'm not a soldier
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[html] http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee19 ... table_.png); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> ♥ 300+
As Kansas became more and more aware of Slay's slightly labored breathing, his slowed movement, he wondered if he was being treated. Hopefully Dahlia de Mai had a doctor of sorts, as Crimson Dreams had Naniko. It was too random a thing to ask about, and Kansas didn't want to make himself look strange by seeming overly concerned. But if it came up... he could always refer the gentleman to his pale Alpha. She had always seemed eager to help others. The Sadira nodded slowly when Slay, as expected, insisted they keep going. He supposed that if it really was too much of an exertion, the man would have said so.
His pale eyes wandered their surroundings. This was a beautiful place; he felt bad for his sister for having to leave. He questioned where she had gone. If she would have just told him what was going on with her, he could have offered her a place in Crimson Dreams. He was certain Savina wouldn't mind. Gritting his teeth silently, he pulled himself out of his mind and turned his attention to the black and white wolf. "That was good of you, to... to take them in." Kansas didn't honestly know if he could do that himself. Not five.
He was about to reveal to the man his familiarity with Cercelee, thinking that might interest Slay, but he was too slow. Kansas scratched a bothersome spot on his cheek. "It's... tough, sometimes. But a lot of fun. I'm never bored anymore." Slay probably knew a lot of how it was, having adopted kids. Maybe it was a little different when they were your own. Kansas grinned slightly. "I met Cercelee a while ago, with Ember. You guys would be good parents." A strange thing to say, maybe. Since they already were. But he meant well.
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