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Hoorah! Finn arrives in Cour des Miracles. I figure I don't have to post her general info since I've already joined as a loner.
It was spitting lightly when Finn left the cover of Etheral Eclipse, but by the time she’d crossed the small stretch of rolling hills between the forest and the border of Cour des Miracles it was pouring. The she-wolf sprinted through the rain, Alastair jogging along beside her with long steps. Thunder crackled as they raced through the grass, pelts plastered close to their bodies by the cold, autumn rain. Finn splashed through a big muddy puddle, a growl welling up deep in her throat as she became even more soaked than before. Up head, they could just see the edge of the ocean, gun metal grey and licking out at the air with foam topped waves.
Finn slowed to a trot, and Alastair looked around, nostrils flaring. They could both smell the thick scent of a pack, and though it made the deer nervous, it was even worse for Finn. With the wind howling around her lone ear, Finn sat, toes on the very edge of the line. ”We have ta stay here, till they find us.” She shouted, trying to make herself heard over the shrieking. Alastair danced on the spot, rolling his eyes with annoyance. ”No, I know you want to get out of this but we have to wait. Seriously, sit still!”
She watched in horror as the deer bounded over the line, heading for the trees and cover on the other side. ”Alastair!” Finn roared, jumping up and racing after him. Her heart was beating too quickly, her legs numbed with cold. If she let him get to far ahead, he might be attacked by unknowing wolves, but the more she ran the more she invaded Cour des Miracles. Finn stopped, dithering fretfully. She needed this, she needed a pack. She was so tired, so sick of being alone.
She couldn’t mess this up now, but Alastair was important too. They had known each other almost a year, protected each other, helped each other. Finn would have gone mad a long time ago if it wasn’t for the big, red buck. ”Alastair, come back!” She called again, voice hoarse and despairing. She could just see him through the sheets of rain, a red-brown smudge moving at the edge of her vision. The spot stopped, wavered. For one moment they stared at each other across the gulf. And then, against all odds, he began to make his way back!
Finn began to run again, her lithe body moving quickly, cutting through the gorse and heather like an iron sickle. She knew her plan to join the pack might have gone tits up by now, but she didn’t care. Right now, Alastair was the rock in her tumultuous life. Sad as that may be, he was all she had, and Finn didn’t intend on losing a friend to some overeager hunter. Maybe she could retrieve Alastair and be back beyond the border before some curious bystander happened upon them. Maybe the rain would wash her scent away. Maybe there was hope yet.
But that was a lot of maybe’s.
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OoC: Huzzah! 
Rain, rain, rain, cold and wet and miserable. Jacquez Trouillefou found himself holed up in the stables, trapped there with the ungrateful horses, impatiently waiting for the autumn storm to blow over. It had been raining on and off all day, but now it was torrential, and he could barely see through the sheets of water pouring a curtain over the open barn door. Every time the thunder growled overhead, the horses shifted uncomfortably and nickered to each other, the whites of their eyes flashing. They had all been wild once, and most of them were still untamed, but it seemed they would never be comfortable with the guttural snarls of the coastal thunderstorms.
The one-armed man paced the length of the barn, black eyes gleaming restlessly. He was tired of being stuck here with the jumpy oversized deer that his loyal subjects kept as pets. But he did not want to be drenched by the chilly rain, either, so what choice did he have? A velvety muzzle nudged his good arm unexpectedly, and he turned, seeing his little filly standing free and untethered. "Rue, I do not have the time to play with you," he grumbled under his breath, but ruffled her ears all the same. It had been two months since Rue's birth and the subsequent loss of her mother. Jac had been unwillingly chosen as the runty horse's foster parent, since she tried to follow him everywhere. Her spindly legs were long enough to gallop now, and her head almost reached his shoulder. She was growing up, and learning to demand more of the king's attention.
He turned his back to the paint filly to watch a particularly brilliant flash of lightning. It looked close, judging by the almost immediate crack of thunder. With a frightened trumpet, Rue shied, bolting through the curtain of rain and into the storm. Jacquez snarled a string of curse words, dashing after his unruly ward as the rain erupted around him. Almost instantly, his flashy fur was plastered flat against his lean frame, his folded ears limp and soggy as the relentless water soaked him to the bone. He could barely see anything in this cold deluge, and he certainly couldn't smell anything with the way everything was being washed away. "The little idiot will break her neck," he growled, running blindly after the young horse.
The tall grass of the field whipped against his shins, the constant drumming of the downpour drowning out all but the faintest cry - was someone shouting? The lean Optime shielded his eyes from the haze of drizzle, squinting through the sea of grey for any signs of life. There was a red smudge moving, galloping? And a smaller white mark veering towards the other animal. It had to be Rue. The king took a deep breath, expanding his chest to bellow over the storm, "Rue, petite imbécile, viens ici maintenant!"
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WC: 400+
And so it begins… Muahahaahaaaaa!
EDIT: My spelling sucked! D: I need to get a better writing program...
Finn froze, stopping dead in her tracks as the shape whipped past her. She blinked the water out of her eyes, staring at the creature that ran up to meet Alastair. She took up her run again, meeting the deer halfway across the field. He was snorting and tossing his head nervously, and at his side was… a baby deer? Finn had never seen something quite like the conjuration that walked through the rain at the. She pulled up short, staring hard at it. It couldn’t be a deer, the shape was, well, wrong.
”Come on, Alastair. We need to get out of he-” Finn stopped again, the words falling silent on her tongue as someone bellowed through the rain. The language was as strange as the little not-deer, and Finn could not recognize a single word from it. She sincerely hoped it wasn’t directed at her. The wolf sighed, knowing that the jig was up, someone had arrived and probably seen her. She felt jittery, her breath coming in short gasps from her run, her blood pumping quickly. Would she be in trouble now? Would there be a fight? She really didn’t feel like brawling with someone tonight, not in this weather.
Slowly a shape came out of the gloom. Finn backed up a bit, assuming the age old posture of subservience, dropping her eyes to the grass at her feet and putting her crooked tail between her legs. ”My apologies, sir” She said woodenly when the figure was a little closer, ”I didn’t mean to trespass.” She couldn’t fully see the wolf who approached, but she could tell that he was a Luperci by the way he stood. Finn shot an annoyed glare at Alastair out of the corner of her eyes. The deer just crowded closer to her, caught between lowering his antlers and charging, or fleeing like a whipped cur.
Once again, Finn found herself looking at the not-deer. It was small and sort of gangly, and looked to be quite young, but she still couldn’t figure out what it was. Curiosity warred with respect and fear. In the end, curiosity was the victor. ”I’m sorry, but I have to ask. What is that?” Finn queried, still keeping her head down. A trace of the regular buoyancy usually present in her tone returned. She couldn’t help but want to know. She had found a gap in her knowledge, a hole that needed to be filled as soon as possible.
Waiting for her answer, Finn crouched a little lower in the grass, shivering as the water rolled down her back. If there was to be a fight, she would surely die today. She was not rested, nor limbered up, nor even in the right mindset. She was lost, cold, confused, alone. And she would be up against a Luperci, whilst she herself was not a full one yet.
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=P Firefox automatically spell-checks my crap, thank goodness!
Dripping wet and trembling, Rue nudged the big red almost-horse with her velvety muzzle, trying to crowd next to him for shelter from the rain. Her bay splotches were saturated to black, thin ribs showing in sleek contrast. She had been lucky to find an almost-horse to cling to, even if the stallion-or-other had a big crown of branches betwixt his ears. Her dark soulful eyes peered up at the stag, curiosity replacing her panic. He didn't smell like their herd, from what she could gather. Did he belong to a werewolf who rode him, like some of the other grown-ups?
Then Jacquez Trouillefou stamped through the curtain of drizzle, his dark mane plastered against his noble countenance, teeth bared with annoyance. He was about to bark at his Rue and command her to return to the stables, when suddenly an unfamiliar voice piped up beside him. Someone else had been shouting, after all. And what an odd pair of someones it turned out to be! Rue was clinging to the side of the biggest deer Jacquez had ever encountered - was it a red elk? The ungulate was edging closer to a wolf, the female who had just apologized. She looked to be just as soaked as Jac, but rather worse for wear, judging by all of the scars crisscrossing her rangy frame. The rainwater gleamed on the exposed skin, making her look like a patchwork animal, bowing her head out of automatic deference to his dominant size. Was that deer her pet? It did not seem frightened by her in the least...
"I appreciate the formality, mademoiselle," he drawled, stepping closer to get a better look. He leaned forward, obsidian eyes peering boldly at the strange wolf's face. It looked like she was smiling, the way her lips pulled back from her teeth... "Although, I am merely a king. 'Your Highness' would be an acceptable title." His wicked smile flashed, single arm cocked jauntily at his hip. Faster than the changing tides of the ocean, his foul mood had swung into something pleasant and even mischievous. His spoilt little horse had actually led him to a girl - how commendable. "What... is that creature? Why, she is a baby horse, a mustang - herds of them live in these forests. Some of my loyal subjects raise them. They are not unlike deer, although somewhat tougher to chew..." He shrugged, neglecting to mention that the werewolves typically did not hunt horses, and he was the only one in his pack to have tried eating one. It wasn't like anyone would stop him. The mad king did what he wanted.
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Firefox corrects some of mine, but still some stuff get's through. Hah, I just thought of something. Once Finn's joined Cour des Miracles, can Alastair be her steed? XD
She started, looking up and meeting the wolf’s eyes for the first time. ”You’re the king?” She said, ”I’ve heard of you!” Despite the horrible weather, the thunder and the dismal looking clouds, Finn smiled. She’d heard from Vigilante that Cour des Miracles was ruled by a king. She hadn’t expected to meet him right away, though. She also hadn’t expected him to be so good looking. He wasn’t quite a wolf, now that she looked at him more closely. He had more of the appearance of a dog, though she didn’t know the name of the breed.
She looked over at the baby horse again, examining it, committing the form to memory. She had heard of them, now that the king mentioned that name. Her father had told her of horses, but she’d always imagined them to look more like goats than this one did. Alastair looked a little unnerved that the small horse was clinging to him so, but Alastair was always a little weirded out by creatures who weren’t wolves. The fact that he hadn’t tried to kick at her or run away spoke volumes about his patience. She flashed him a meaningful look, trying to encourage his forbearance further. It would not do for her companion to injure one of the king’s property. Then Finn really would be in trouble.
At the moment, though, the king seemed quite benevolent. Finn shivered again, looking out towards the trembling lights of the building the horse had come from. ”I hope this isn’t too much to ask, but may I come out of the rain? She felt the vaguely familiar feeling of a chill in her lungs, and strongly hoped she wasn’t catching cold. The last thing she needed, on top of everything else, was sickness. Those thoughts ebbed forward into her mind again, despite all efforts to stave them off. Finn shook more violently, hating how pathetic she must have looked.
She straightened, trying to put some steel in her backbone. She wanted to join this place, she wanted to belong. Finn didn’t have time to quiver like a pup in the middle of snowstorm. Still the thoughts nagged and nipped and lingered. It was like fighting a hydra. With every feeling that raised it’s ugly head, and was subsequently cut down, three more grew in it’s place. The tide was rising, and she was trying her best to swim, but Finn had never done well with deep water. She cast her eyes towards His Highness once more, sincerely hoping he’d throw her a lifeline in this storm.
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ooc: Sorry to keep you waiting, luff! Haha, he is a noble steed indeed - I love it! ;P
"Of course!" he responded cheerfully, not surprised in the least that word had spread of his presence in the wolf lands. He was a king, the highest of nobility - it was natural for others to speak of him, to gossip about his boundless charms and gilded kingdom. In reality, it was more the novelty of a one-armed dog with delusions of grandeur that stirred the gossip, but it was all complimentary in his eyes. The raggedy wolf met his gaze with her startlingly clear eyes, grey like the storm around them, shining pale in the gloom. She did have a pretty face after all, chiseled features made wild by the bare scars. If only she was not on all fours like a commoner, the monarch might have tried to seduce her...
The small horse brightened considerably when her canine "parent" spoke up, and she nickered pleasantly at the sound of his booming voice. Still dripping wet and trembling, the filly stumbled meekly to stand behind her king, leaning against his side and gazing dolefully at the big red beast with the branches. He wasn't being very friendly so far. Perhaps he would want to play with her when they got back to the warm dry barn! There weren't any other little horses her age, and the grown-ups all ignored her. At least the other two-leggers liked to pet her when they came to feed the herd...
Jacquez wiped the damp strands of hair from his eyes, shaking his head in a fruitless attempt to free his waterlogged mane. This rain was relentless, and now he would not dry off for hours. "I thought you'd never ask," he grumbled, offering her a wink. He had only been out in the elements for moments, and already the chill had him stiff and tense, his breath crystallizing before his very eyes. "Rue, dépêchez-vous, vite! It is far too cold for any beast in their right mind." He tapped the horse impatiently on the rump, and with a flick of her ears, the foal dashed back towards the safety of the barn.
He was oblivious to the internal struggle this trespasser was mustering; it was exceedingly rare for him to empathize with anyone other than himself. As he strode purposefully towards the shelter, he glanced back behind him to make sure she was following. "Eh, there is room for your deer inside as well," he added offhandedly, rubbing the empty socket of his left shoulder. She had yet to state her name or her purpose, but he was hardly a conventional leader. Pretty girls could trespass all they like, and in Jacquez's mind, the more scars the better.
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WC: 400+
No worries! I’m just anxious to get joined and get our little plot rolling. :3
”Thank you,” Finn murmured gratefully, trotting after the one-armed king. Alastair galloped ahead, darting after the filly with big leaps. He hated the rain as much as Finn did, he just didn’t like to admit it. The stable’s lights were bright and comforting, and the air was much warmer here, as the horses in the stall lent their own body heat to the place. Though it made Finn’s hair stand on end to be inside a building, she was too tired to make a fuss. She stretched, putting her paws out in front of her and growling lightly in pleasure as the vertebrae along her popped. That done, she turned to regard the king once more.
”I do have a reason for being here,” She assured him, ”I don’t usually make a habit of traipsing over pack lands.” She could feel the water evaporating even as she sat there. The warmth was seeping in, scorching out the cold with a steady, slow burn. As feeling returned to her frozen toes, so too did Finns naturally happy nature. It was easy to be miserable when it felt like the skies were spitting at you. Worries and cares tended to evaporate when faced with lamplight and a roof over one’s head.
”I met one of your wolves in Halifax a little while ago,” Finn continued, trying to explain. ”When he told me about this place, it just seemed like… Like somewhere I might actually stay.” She grinned lopsidedly, remembering her past history with packs. Most of it wasn’t very good. ”But I’m getting ahead of myself, I guess. You may not even need another body round here. What I’m trying to say is, I’d like to join Cour des Miracles.” There was no point beating around the bush, dilly-dallying wouldn’t win her points, and Finn couldn’t play coy very well.
She stopped again, watching the other canine. Would she have to sell her skills? Tell him what she could do? Finn supposed it wouldn’t hurt, but she’d only bring up if he asked. There was no point bombarding him with information at this point, not when he could still say no. Finn hoped he wouldn’t, but knew it was a possibility. Rejection meant another long winter, for both her and Alastair, and possibility a departure from Nova Scotia in the spring. Perhaps she would head south, where it never snowed at all and the sun was hot bright and unimpeded by clouds or trees.
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ooc: Of course! We can end this thread here if you like, since joining is supposed to be short. ;P
The unlikely quartet reached the safety of the barn, water dripping from their sodden fur, their breath materializing in cold puffs of mist. Jacquez grabbed a fistful of stable blankets from a shelf, casting one atop the sneezing Rue before draping one over Finn as well. "Wouldn't want you ladies catching cold," he drawled, highly amused with himself until the full-grown horses in their stalls began whinnying and stamping their feet at the sight of the majestic red deer. Let them be unsettled, Jac thought with a sour glance. The stag was no thread, so long as he didn't start a fight with any of their uppity stallions. Rue bumbled after the deer, the heavy blanket barely slowing her youthful curiosity.
Relaxing with the promise of warmth (and ignoring his herd of horses), the tall Optime fiddled with the clasp of one of the lanterns, half-listening to whatever his rained-out companion was saying. When she mentioned the magic word, though, an excited smile curled onto his lips and he turned to give her his full attention. "You've come to join the kingdom? Bienvenue, mademoiselle - welcome!" His black eyes flickered in the firelight, giving her a more thorough examination. Even plastered with water, this wolf looked big and capable of handling herself in a brawl. Her scrapes and marks looked like an accumulation of a life well-spent, rather than one harrowing trauma. Her gaze, though, so unwavering and clear - even when she was trying to humble herself, there was truth in her gaze, no manipulation or act. Jacquez liked her.
Yes, he would welcome a newcomer without even knowing her name. It was their creed as a pack of misfits - they accepted the dregs of society, the mongrels no one else wanted. They were all unique, for their scars and handicaps, their sordid pasts and crimes committed. They had never turned anyone away, even those deserters who had come crawling back with tails tucked between their legs. "It is a lucky thing you did traipse here tonight, eh? You have a place to stay out of the rain..." The mad king winked, settling down on a haybale to cross his legs before him. "...It might be a long night, jolie. You should at least know my name... Jacquez Trouillefou, king of the sun."
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Sure! I'm good with finishing up. I'll pm you about the next thread and the sort of plot idea I have. 
Finn settled under the blanket, stretching out her legs and sighing in appreciation of the warmth. It smelled like hay and horses and leather, and it was comforting. The actual horses in the stalls were looking at Alastair and causing a bit of a fuss, but the big deer couldn’t care less. He simply dropped to the ground, took up a mouthful of hay, and for all the world looked like a horse that had decided to wear a pair of horns. He had relaxed as Finn relaxed and let out a friendly chuffing noise at the filly. Finn shook her head and looked back to Jacquez. The deer could fit in anywhere, adapt to anything. Wolves, horses, it didn’t matter. The only things he couldn’t stand were deer.
The king’s warm welcome took her aback, but she answered this statement with a broad smile. The first true one this night. To be accepted so readily created a warm glow in her chest, and it lit up her eyes like silver coins in the lamplight. Thank you, so much. I can’t express how grateful I am…” There wasn’t enough words, or they weren’t good enough. All she could do to express appreciation was try to be on her best behaviour and contribute to the pack. She had met two wolves here now, Vigilante and Jacquez, and knowing that there were at least two friendly faces in the throng was reassuring. It made the whole jumping off point less frightening. She hoped that she would get to know Jac better over the months, he seemed like a decent leader.
”Jacquez.” She said, committing the name to memory. She met his gaze again, regarding him with clear, untroubled eyes. ”My name is Finn Fidh. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She dipped her head in a little bow, laughing inwardly at herself. It was like she had tripped and fallen into one of her father’s stories. Kings and knights and wolves who rode horses. It was almost too strange to believe. But perhaps that edge of surreality made it easier to swallow. The storm raged outside, but Finn no longer cared. She was warm, and dry, she had a home. Though there were troubles behind her, and probably troubles ahead, she couldn’t bring herself to worry. For now, sitting in the warmth of the stable amongst the horses and straw, with her old traveling companion by her side, and a new friend in front of her, life seemed good.
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