clouds are spitting dust.
#1
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Form
Lupus
Info
Date: 19 Dec (f-dated)

Time: Noon

Words: 444
Great Village


One or two from Inferni, fasterish replies?

Of the great many things Myrika Tears enjoyed, chief among them was reading. In her estimation, little else fascinating quite like escaping into another world entirely. She herself enjoyed writing, though she was not quite so good at it as these people had been. Where there sentences and ideas flowed like water over the page and through their words, hers were chunky and stilted, her only characters based in reality and history. She had never attempted fiction -- her only writings had been copying the works of others, in practice and learning, and this adventure with Inferni's history.

Though there was a faint skin of ice over each puddle and pond these mornings, Myrika was comfortably seated next to her small fire, tucked beneath one of her larger pelts. The morning, though cold, was too beautiful not to enjoy, and the red-haired woman had spent a long time simply watching the world spin, listening to the birds sing their morning songs. She had done further work on the book of Inferni, jotting down what had transgressed at this past meeting on scratch parchment and tucking it into the book's pages. She could always scrub out the cheap coal ink she used for such scraps, so it did not bother her to use paper in such a seemingly frivolous manner.

When the sun caught noon, the rusty coyote had closed her book and stretched her legs. The fire had gone to ember, but the cold of morning had disappeared, too; along with it, most of the fog had crept back, waiting in its shallows and hollow places in the earth to bubble forth again. Her cerulean eyes shifted to the fire, and an uncommon urge seized her. The woman shed both the pelt she hunkered beneath as well as the scarf around her neck, loosening the necklace so it could accommodate a wider neck.

With that, she shifted into her Lupus form, assuming paws rather than hands and four legs rather than a pair of legs and a pair of arms. The transformation took a few long moments, and Myrika moved to and fro even in her half-shifted form, eager to run. When she was finished changing form, the rust-hued woman darted forward, prancing eagerly as she held her nose to the ground, seeking Eira's scent. She'd released the horse some time ago, and now trotted after her scent trail, catching up and giving chase to the horse after not too long. It had been some time since they played like this, but the roan picked up the game again instantly, galloping speedily away from her four-legged owner.



Myrika is by Nat!

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#2
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433

I told myself no more Ves threads...
but I wanted to roleplay with you and Myrika. xD

It was with some embarrassment that the Vigiles admitted to herself that she hadn’t explored much of the territory thoroughly. She had risen, stretching and yawning, in her cavern then crept out into the cold morning air—only to go on a normal patrol like every other dawn. She marked the borders the best she could, pausing frequently with large ears turned toward the outside world. But the patrol had been uneventful, and she circled all the way to the northern part of the territory when, by chance, she looked inward instead of outward.

The Waste was an expansive place full of fields—some beautiful and some worthy of the name. She was still relatively new to the clan, having been brought in during late October, and despite her promotion, she wasn’t as familiar with the lands within as she should have been. She knew several hunting grounds in the Dampwoods and countless trails through the Halcyon mountain range, but when it came down to the secrets of her own territory, Vesper was sadly ignorant.

She snorted and tilted her head back; the sun shone directly overhead, chasing away the frigidity of the morning. It would be as good a time now as ever to go exploring a bit.

The lupus-formed hybrid loped south through the fields and hills until she found a road—one she hadn’t encountered before. Always hungering to know things she did not, she immediately followed the pavement, pads beating rhythmically on the frost-dusted asphalt until the first houses came into sight.

As always, human ruins made her slightly uncomfortable—but curious, too, and these warped buildings were somehow less disconcerting than the skyscrapers and cars in Halifax. Here, time and nature had defeated many of the human creations. Ears tilted forward, she sniffed busily at the base of one of the homes, managing to find a break in the wood that was large enough for the small coywolf to squeeze through. Twisting flexibly, she popped her head inside only to startle some mice—mice she quickly pounced on and wolfed down. It seemed that the rodents had sought refuge in the sheltered buildings; there was a whole nest here, and she managed to pick up two extra dead ones in her jaws for the journey back outside.

Vesper had padded a distance from the building, tail swaying behind her and demeanor oddly good-natured for once, when the thundering of hooves caused her to jump with fright. She leaped backwards when the horse galloped past her, dropping the mice and bristling in shock, an indignant yap escaping her mouth.


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#3
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(322)
I am glad! I wanted a Vesper thread. O_O <3 Take your time replying and all that, too, if you have many threads! D: <3



Myrika is by me!

The sprawl of the Great Village was playground enough for them -- the horse and woman they darted between buildings and around rounded hills that might have been the remnants of long-sunken homes. Eira rounded a corner at a gallop with Myrika a few feet behind, and it was only as the rust-hued woman rounded the corner herself that she realized someone else was nearby. Myri skidded to a halt at the sound of an alarmed yelp; Eira kept running for a few moments, but slowed as she realized her owner was no longer in pursuit. The horse snorted and trotted back, standing a few yards away from Myrika and the new stranger.

Myrika peered on this new stranger curiously, hesitating a moment before she offered a faintly ashamed smile. Hey, Sorry. She took a step or two toward the woman, pondering whether they'd met at the meeting, but left a respectful distance between them. So many of Inferni were small! She did not begrudge their size -- Myrika had received enough of that particular flak to ever inflict it on another -- but it made her feel awkward. Her coat was pale browns, creams, and grays mottled together, and Myrika thought the smaller woman rather pretty, despite the scars that cris-crossed her body -- there were as many as to rival Myrika's grandmother.

I didn't know anyone else was around or I wouldn't have been carrying on so. Myrika Tears. Her voice was warm and the tip of her tawny tail wagged a few times, the darker patch near its middle showing in slightly raised position. The rusty woman knew her position and who she had to bow to, but she was still rather awkward in executing any sort of display of dominance -- the tail dropped back low upon cessation of its wags, somewhere between relaxation and slight anxiety, perhaps the latter due to being discovered at play.

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#4
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262

Sorry for the wait and shortness and boring conversation. xD

Vesper growled under her breath once the horse had passed; she detested the animals after plenty of experiences with them and their idiotic owners. While Inferni seemed to know how to treat their steeds—as work animals to care for rather than precious pets to be babied and gushed at—she still was antsy around the larger animals and couldn’t quite wrap her head around the concept of riding one. She snorted, watching the animal come to a halt before she became aware of another in the vicinity—another canine padding toward her.

The paler, smaller hybrid looked the other female over: a wolfish build but classic coyote facial features, splashes of sienna on a tawny coat, and exceptionally bright and pretty turquoise eyes. Her own light blue gaze softened slightly from their earlier agitated hardness, and she accepted the apology with a sigh and a loosening of her tense posture.

“I should have been more watchful of galloping horses,” Vesper said, her mouth quirking sideways in obvious but lighthearted teasing. “I’m Vesper.” She took a moment to look the other over again, trying to attach her offered name to the face—and it was then that the belated realization hit her. “Myrika Tears—you’re the head of the scouting tier, right?” She wasn’t very up to date on how everyone ranked other than the obvious, but as a Vigiles herself, Vesper had to know who was immediately above her. She knew that Myrika’s position wasn’t quite at the very top, but it was enough to garner the Inferni newcomer’s cautious respect.




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#5
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(332)
<333 All good on all accounts brosephalusksuski~ Maybe Vesper can suggest they go scout or do something useful together? X3 I don't mind, whatever's good. O;



Myrika is by Kiri!

The stranger didn't seem too fond of Eira, which struck Myrika as queer, though she wasn't about to say so. Her social awkwardness wasn't so great that Myrika failed to recognize a poor choice of comment when she thought of one. Instead, she grinned a lopsided smile at the stranger's tease. The humor had nothing to do with Myrika's height, and that was Myrika's absolute favorite form of comedy. The rusty-hued coyote nodded at the patchy woman's introduction, and her ears flicked backwards at the patchwork woman's next words, her grin turning sheepish.

The rust-hued coyote had precisely zero idea what to do with dominance and authority; such concepts were hitherto unknown. I -- yeah, I am, she answered, affirming the notion far less casually than she might have liked. I'm sorry -- I don't quite know your rank? I've spent too much time lost in my history project, I'm afraid, and I don't know the clan as I should, she said, wondering if this was one of those in her particular "tier." Parts of Inferni's ranking system still confused her, but the tawny coyote understood them well enough to comprehend her position, at the very least.

The woman hadn't consciously chosen scouting. She supposed she'd been shunted into the position naturally, by virtue of being a big woman with a horse, a big woman with a horse who liked to ride. Myrika could admit that, at least -- she preferred riding Eira six days of the week, and the seventh, too, perhaps. Maybe it was only natural she would be put where her inclinations were best utilized. She would have laughed aloud with the realization, if such a thing weren't completely out of turn -- Vesper would think her crazy. She had to hand such a thing to Ezekiel, however; it had been so subtle Myrika herself failed to notice the association until just that moment.

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#6
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sswm 267

We can lead up to 'em scouting around...

Have a distracted Raze stupid post. xD

It was strangely refreshing to meet a friendly coyote and exchange simple, amiable words and smiles. As soon as she had that thought, Vesper knew it was ridiculous; it shouldn’t be a novation to have warm relations toward her clanmates. It still seemed that her only friends were wolf outsiders; to everyone in Inferni, she was often trying to prove herself or otherwise hide a part of herself. They were warriors and killers and fierce creatures rather than the relaxed, if silly, canines who lived outside of the fire clan’s culture.

But she cast these thoughts aside and continued to smirk at the female, the signature, sideways-quirked almost-smile coming without thought. It wasn’t an unkind or mocking expression but one that came easily to lips that reserved true smiles for those who were special.

The pale coywolf flicked her tail to dismiss the other’s apology. “It isn’t your fault. I haven’t interacted with much of the clan either, and I’ve only been here a couple of months anyway. I’m a Vigiles.” It made her proud to say so; her Immunes rank bound her to the clan and made her feel like she had a reason for being here, unlike the weeks as an uncertain newcomer.

Vesper glanced around at the half-sunken houses, her curiosity returning. “Have you come out here before?”


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#7
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(512)
Ugh rambly. :c Sorry. <3

The blue roan horse gave a toss of her head and meandered away, in all likelihood to graze. Myrika knew the horse wouldn't wander terribly far, and in any case, Eira could generally be summoned by a particular yelping howl Myrika taught her. The horse responded only when she chose to do so, however, and the tawny hybrid did not begrudge her infrequent refusals, either. Myri did not quite think of her blue roan mare as an equal to herself or any other Luperci, but she did recognize the horse's ability to have her own desires, needs, and so forth. In this manner, perhaps Myrika was far too kindly an owner -- surely, there were some who considered horses and other beasts of burden only a step above prey.

It was not difficult for Myrika to differentiate between a prey animal and a horse, though she supposed in the most dire circumstances, the lines might become a little more blurry. She could not imagine eating Eira as her father must have done in that awful ravine. Perhaps she might dine upon the flesh of some other horse if the worst happened, but not Eira... right? Myri supposed in the end she would not know until -- unless -- faced with such circumstances. For the moment, she was content to ride her high horse and claim she would not eat her horse, given the proper situation. She simply would not claim such too loudly, for fear of looking a hypocrite.

The tawny hybrid offered a nod of her head at Vesper's words. She hadn't expected to be chastised for failing to recognize another ranked canine in Inferni, but it was faintly relieving nonetheless. Perhaps part of Myrika would always expect teasing or harsh words, or perhaps in time, the red-haired coyote would learn to release such anxieties. I held that rank before. It's easy enough -- easier still with a horse, the russet woman added, smiling. She did not wish to gasconade regarding her ownership of the equine, and so it was that she moved onto other subjects than the blue roan quickly enough. I actually live out here, over in that schoolhouse, the hybrid added, gesturing vaguely in the direction of her home.

So -- maybe that is my fault, she said, her grin widening a bit. I live all the way out here -- can't expect the clan to come and drop by, what with most of you guys living in the caves or the mansion. Where'd you take up your house? the coyote inquired, mostly out of politeness. She didn't know who lived where, aside from Ezekiel and his caves, and Halo and her room. Perhaps it would do her good to learn where some of her fellow coyotes chose to make their home. She needed more friends, and more interaction in general. It had been good to undertake the project of Inferni's history, but the rust-hued woman ached for company more frequently than she thought possible. Perhaps there was sociability lurking within Myrika yet.



Myrika is by Nat!

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#8
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sswm 500

blah wrote this during class so it's awkward

Vesper was oddly comfortable talking with this woman—perhaps because she was a woman. Like any other breathing canine, she had her biases, and she was not afraid of being hypocritical, either. As arrogant as she was, she recognized certain flaws and didn’t bother to correct them. Despite not quite being particularly traumatized by them, she was less comfortable speaking with men and was more apt to assuming they were physical brutes rather than a creature who could relate to another on an intelligent level. Females could quickly prove the same, but like any fallible being, she was more willing to give a pretty face a chance.

Myrika spoke of the scouting rank, and mention of the horse made Ves flick her coyote-large ears. She supposed that the horse would make covering ground much easier, but she was too used to operating her own legs to ever consider learning how to command one of the smelly prey animals. “It would be convenient enough out in the open,” she said, knowing that she personally enjoyed wandering along the forest border where one of the large mammals wouldn’t be able to navigate as easily. Maybe she had a predisposition to that part of the territory because that was where she was found—or more likely because she had lived in the Dampwoods for a considerable amount of time since venturing over the mountains. Playfully, she tilted her head as if considering something new, and suggested: “A horse could also run over any trespassers.”

Sharp blue eyes followed the other’s movement, glancing at the building amongst the other sunken houses in the village. “You aren’t afraid of it collapsing?” she asked, brow furrowed. Living a feral lifestyle for so long, she found it hard to trust one of the rickety old structures that the humans had built unless there was no alternative. It was all too easy to imagine the roof or floorboards dropping and trapping her there. The schoolhouse looked to be in better shape than the others, and from her most recent experience Ves knew that it’d be warmer than the surrounding air—but she couldn’t help but be dubious.

Myrika acknowledged that she lived far away from the rest of the clan, and Vesper smirked, nodding. “Are you a hermit?” she asked, and though it might have been a mocking accusation coming from someone else, the coywolf was not one to talk. She’d joked about the same thing with Kiara, who’d been all too startled to find out that the jaded loner had found a pack.

She shrugged. “I live in the caves—a bit more natural.” She doubted that many wolves would say the same thing before the virus, but compared to the buildings that many luperci sought refuge in, a formation shaped by Mother Nature was preferable. “Fewer coyotes stay there, too—I guess I’m somewhat of a hermit myself.” She smirked lightly, dropped her gaze to the frost-coated road. “Living in a group has taken some adjustment.”



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#9
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(475)
Rambling again. ;_; <3 Sorryyyyyyy ilu



Myrika is by me!

The rusty woman offered a smile and nod to Vesper's comment. In the woods, horses were far less useful -- their bigger bodies made navigation difficult, and a frightened horse might dart beneath a low-hanging branch, catching its Luperci rider in the face and knocking them to the ground. Myrika herself had been thrown from a horse once, and she knew firsthand it was absolutely no picnic. Since that event, however, she had become far more adept with handling her horse and the lesser animals in general. She had begun considering the low speech talents, though she pondered the usefulness of learning dialects that could be as different as the many foreign languages of the Luperci. She might always encounter a horse she count not communicate with, after all.

She laughed and nodded earnestly. If the horse was willing to charge, most definitely. A skittish horse would run away from a Luperci faster than charge it, though, she said, hoping to assuage some of her scarred companion's apparent dislike of horses. Eira? Maybe, she said, glancing again in the direction her blue roan had disappeared. Myrika then shook her head, again smiling faintly. It's brick, where most of these are wood. No basement, either. It will fall eventually, but hopefully, that'll be years and years after I'm dead. I -- maybe, I don't know. I don't mind company, but I don't really like the idea of living on top of someone else in the mansion or right beside someone in the caves, the woman admitted, shifting her forepaws in the cold ground awkwardly. I would like the mansion more than the caves, though, she said, honest enough to admit such, but still wishing she didn't offend her conversational partner.

It's just -- I was raised in a cottage, near a village. I'm more used to human-styled dwellings. I'd love to build my own someday -- I think that's a fair compromise. Made for a Luperci, by a Luperci, but with some human technology, she offered, pondering how her companion might take such a remark. Myrika did not appear too frequently in her four-legged form, though she was not entirely averse to it, as some might be; perhaps Vesper was amongst this latter group? Myri did not know, of course, but she already felt as if she were defending herself. Not that she minded -- it was always interesting to hear alternative perspectives, and she rather enjoyed debate, even if it involved her own life choices. Vesper wasn't proselytizing, in any case, which would have irritated Myrika; she could handle gentle ribbing and even downright disparaging, but to insist some other way was the only true path -- this the russet-woman's bane, and she hoped her scarred companion did not walk this road.

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#10
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sswm 515

no. how dare you ramble during sosu. >:C

Laughter rang from the larger coywolf’s sienna-striped muzzle, and Vesper shifted her weight and smirked to hide the more-than-likely stupider-looking smile that threatened to crawl across her mouth. She nodded slightly at the other’s remark on horses running instead of fighting. In the same way she feared getting kicked by a horse she could fear getting kicked by a moose, but the tamed horses were generally comfortable enough around luperci to be more of a threat; they were less likely to run away on sight.

“Eira already almost ran me over once. I don’t care to meet her in battle.” The pale tawny hybrid flashed a grin to show that she wasn’t upset or otherwise berating her superior for the near-accident. She already felt awkward enough in this relaxed conversation without affronting Myrika.

The other woman described the house, explaining how it was less at risk than the others then mentioning her own preferences. Once again, she was proving different-minded than Vesper, but nothing that made the more feral coywolf feel alienated; this was a far cry from the preaching of lifestyle superiority. “Yeah, close quarters don’t suit me much either…” Her blue eyes fell to the red-ankled paws shuffling slightly, but she went on without further pause. “The caves are, luckily, less crowded than the mansion—or at least in the half that I chose. The tunnel goes so far back that I can forget anyone else lives there.”

Her mention of being raised in a cottage made her nod again, feeling like a bobble head by this point but not caring. “I was born—” She paused, drew her tongue over her lips as if she could wipe away the emotions that her words would stumble over on their way out of her mouth. “I was born non-luperci. I was raised in a field, in the woods, once in an old barn when the weather was especially bad.” Her ears turned backwards, and she wondered what Myrika’s reaction to that would be. It was obvious enough that Vesper lived a more feral existence than others in the clan, perhaps, but then again Inferni was less domesticated than many of the packs in Nova Scotia. She didn’t feel too different here.

Her eyes widened with obvious interest when Myrika mentioned building a humanlike dwelling of her own. “That makes sense,” Vesper agreed, her tail wagging lightly. “I don’t mind implementing some human things in life; otherwise, why would we be able to? I don’t want to give up the old ways, but I’m not too much against change… Makes me think I need a door or something for the entrance to my cave.” She grinned slightly, finding it oddly interesting to speak about their differing views. Maybe it was because Myrika was honest without flaunting her beliefs. Despite Vesper’s arrogance and inclination for certain prejudices, she was not a creature of such radical extremes as to be preachy and rude, and it was nice to find someone else on middle ground too. Or maybe she was just really desperate to make a good impression.


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#11
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(735)
The first two paragraphs are skippable -- the rest, uhm. Strangely enough, this is a long post where most things are kind of relevant? XD YOU MAKE ME WRITE RELEVANT LONG POSTS FOR ONCE, IS GOOD. <3 Also lol myrika.

Fiercest horse in the North, the woman jested, grinning. Eira was not a particularly skittish horse, but neither was the blue roan battle-tested. A storm had frightened her, after all. Myrika had always wondered how her mare had initially reacted to the strangers who had taken her. The roan-colored coyote herself had not been fond of Zemyhot Pacrel, and the few times she had seen the hybrid interact with Eira, the horse hadn't seemed particularly keen on Zemy, either. Perhaps this was the closest Eira had ever come to battling -- Myri rather thought her mare had bucked and reared to throw the ropes of the Pacrel brothers. At least, she thought so in the fanciful way one does when one daydreams revenge, however petty. In all likelihood, tired and hungry Eira had acquiesced immediately to the hands of strangers, hoping they would provide her with food, water, and a good brushing. One thing Myrika could not begrudge the Pacrels on was their treatment of Eira -- she had been well-kept when Myrika had finally stumbled across their farm, at the very least.

No? she murmured, more to herself than the scarred woman before her. She could imagine Vesper disliking caves and disliking the mansion, but there were few other acceptable places to live within Inferni -- she had taken the schoolhouse, after all. While Myrika certainly would not have minded a roommate -- or three -- the russet-tinged coyote thought others must think she'd claimed the whole building. In actuality, Myrika used but two rooms of the little schoolhouse. Sometimes her larger projects spilled into the hallway, but this was more for her own convenience than necessity. Rather than bump into her stretching frames and other larger goods, she simply set them in the hallways. Sure, the rearmost, largest room was positively stacked with the various furniture and decor Myrika had removed when she gutted her two rooms, but there were four perfectly usable rooms left. Still, she thought others might think it awkward to move in on top of her without asking.

That's good, at least. It can get very... lonesome out in the village, though. I don't get many visitors, you know? The rust-hued coyote offered another smile at this. At least in the caves, you do have some coyotes near you, if you ever do decide you'd like a visit. The coyote's ears pricked with interest as the other spoke of her beginnings. Myrika cocked her head when Vesper finished, but not of any confusion at the story -- Vesper seemed strangely reluctant, perhaps even ashamed. Myri, who was at least well-versed enough in social situations to recognize discomfort -- perhaps because she was quite well-acquainted with it herself -- smiled reassuringly. That doesn't sound too strange to me, the woman said. Well -- maybe the non-Luperci part. I didn't actually know you could be born that way. But not strange in an 'eww, you're weird' way -- strange like -- i-interesting, the coyote said, stammering this last word out as she realized just what she was saying. Of course, the realization had come right in the middle of her sentence, and there was no way to rescind the words.

Rather than dwell on this, Myrika was quick to speak of other matters, the droop of her ears and rapidity of her speech evident of her sudden fluster. You could always hang a big pelt over the entryway. Or maybe a few pelts stitched together, you know? I don't quite know how you would hang it, but I can help you with the pelt part, at least. If you want, I mean, she said, now feeling doubly embarrassed for having admitted interest in Vesper and offering a gift, all in almost the same breath. If Vesper didn't think she was odd before, now the scarred woman certainly would. Myrika could not help herself, though -- the other canine seemed to exude confidence. If she was not actually confident, she put on a damned good show. The rust-tinged coyote also found the scars as fascinating as Kaena's, and if Vesper was anything like the Lykoi matriarch, each scar would be accompanied by a riveting tale. Myrika knew enough not to ask such terribly inappropriate questions, however, and the tawny woman was glad for that -- she'd done enough to embarrass herself here.



Myrika is by Alaine!

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#12
[html]

sswm 412

aaawwwkwaaarddd.

Myrika mentioned lonesomeness, and the scrawnier coywolf shrugged lightly while simultaneously resisting the urge to mumble a promise to visit her. “I’m sure you’ll find more people stumbling along the village sooner or later,” she said instead, a mischievous grin scrawling sideways across her angular face. Her tail danced lazily behind her. “I can spread rumors of a ghost that lives out this way, maybe. Though I would personally like the peace and quiet; guess I’m just used to being alone.” She spoke this last statement casually, no weight behind it that would suggest this was a bad thing. She still had a firm conviction that being separated from society would have no real ill effects on her, or at least nothing she couldn’t adapt to again.

The reassuring smile flitting across the female’s small muzzle surprised Vesper, and she stared at Myri with ears askew before chuckling softly at her clumsy conclusion. “Yeah, non-luperci are very rare except in the most secluded pockets of wilderness. It gives you a different outlook on life, that’s for sure.” She could not help but grin faintly in relief and gladness to know that her strangeness wasn’t a bad thing in this case, merely “interesting.” She lifted a shoulder in another shrug. “I used to think you guys were…interesting too,” she said lightly, taking a seat on the cracked pavement of the road.

It was adorable when the larger coyote grew flustered, and Ves sat with the same smirk hovering on her lips before her ears tilted toward at mention of the pelts. “Oh—that would be pretty cool,” she replied uncertainly, tail twitching an awkward dance in the frost. “Would definitely help keep the cave warm in the winter. I mean, I don’t know how much I’ll be able to contribute on my end since I’m generally clueless about that kind of stuff, but… I’d like it.” She grinned crookedly then rose onto all fours, the fidgeting movement contained to her ears and tail now rushing through the rest of her scarred body.

“We can—maybe go look for a pelt now?” she suggested tentatively. “So you don’t have to use one of your own; we could maybe scout around as per our actual jobs and nab an animal if we come across it. Would be nice to eat something more than mice today, too.” The slow wagging did not stop even though it made her awkward posture and expression that much more awkward.


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#13
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Despite her embarassment, Myrika couldn't help but grin a lopsided smile at Vesper's words. Well, if they think it's haunted, maybe they won't come out my way, the woman said, her grin and wagging tail evidence enough of the jest she made. Most of the time being alone is good -- it helps me get work done, anyway, she said, shrugging and intent on carrying the conversation on as normal. If she dwelled on her slip-up, it would only make things more apparent and worse. But sometimes -- it's nice having a friend. It depended entirely on the friend -- Myrika would love to have Halo, Ezekiel, or Vesper drop by her home, but she might not have appreciated a visit from someone more like Ithiel. She couldn't imagine enjoying his company.

Diversity makes the world go 'round, she said, misquoting some forgotten source. The reddish coyote was more firm in her refusal of a reciprocal offering from Vesper, shaking her head and smiling. No, think of it as a gift, she insisted. Then, she considered, and added something more. Well, I mean. If you insist on trading something for my time, then -- come visit sometime, the hybrid said, shrugging. This offer was made unabashedly, for there was nothing particularly odd about packmates spending time together -- it was no more and no less than they were doing now, after all.



Myrika is by Alaine!

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