red on white -- TALITHA
#1
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Oh hay guys, it's time for a meeting. This is a REQUIRED thread, though if you are on the absentee list we will overlook you. Posting order will be determined once everyone arrives. :]

     A year ago today, Gabriel had started a fire. It had destroyed the entirety of the territory and no doubt taken many lives. Nine members of Inferni had made it across the mountain. They had reformed the next day with the help of a stranger, and since then, done what was necessary to survive. People had come and gone. For all of this, though, not much had changed. Gabriel did not know if this was due to the simple way of the world or for some other reason, but philosophy was something which concerned him very little.
     The potential for violence that surrounded them concerned him. Haku had made his case, and while Gabriel doubted they would see open war again, he was sure that they would see conflict. What Jefferson would do was unpredictable; Gabriel did not know what to expect from that man. Still, he was not going to leave the clan in the dark. It would be foolhardy to do so.
     Gabriel settled on a large rock, the one he had taken to using for such occasions, and howled.



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#2
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"Let’s go, Val, honey," and the two had set off from their den by the shore. The young woman was curious to see what the Aquila had in store for the clan, but mostly, her stomach turned at the faces that would accompany her there. Especially his face. Though they had finally had a chance to talk, their situation was one that still made Ryan feel uncomfortable. The person she wished had been the father was now so far out of reach. She had no choice but to settle on what she had been handed.


The two arrived, finding Gabriel perched on a rock. He looked so regal standing there, and always seemed as if he knew exactly what he was doing. Ryan wished she could have been blessed with that sort of understanding of herself. "Good morning, Gabriel," as she settled a few meters away from where he remained. "Mornin’," little Val echoed.




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#3
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i'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

The howl roused him from his room in the mansion, and he put aside his books, and set off to his leader's meeting. His arm was healing, and not entirely badly, either, regardless of the suffrage he had put it through with his maltreatment. By some miracle Giggle must have managed to set it right, or take care of it enough (sling, wrap, sling, dont move it was his mantra) to prevent it from leaving him a permanent gimp. He would probably always be stiff in that leg, a little imperfect, but not to the point of a noticeable limp.

The Scorpius hadn't seen much of his clanmates lately, something he regretted. He would make a point to meet more of them, he decided, as he arrived to see Gabriel on his perch and two others, a woman and her young daughter. He sat on the ground and crossed his legs (perpetually in optime), a respectful distance from Gabriel and the others. 'Hello, sir,' the young coyote offered with a short nod, before falling silent and waiting for everyone else to arrive.

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#4
The young child of Inferni was almost five moons old now but she really couldn't tell. She'd watched Val growing almost everyday and still she seemed to remain small and frail. Zana had taken to hiding away from many of the older clanmembers, growing even more selfconcious about her size and looks. So many things seemed to have changed recently and yet the world seemed to remain the same, quiet and safe within the borders of Inferni.

She couldn't understand why DaVinci had been in so much trouble when he'd found her upset along the shore. She hadn't expected her brother to find her, but she had ventured all the way to Phoenix Valley without seeing him, she didn't see what could have been wrong with him coming to see her. Corona had been very angry with her brother and Zana felt she was to blame though everyone had told her she hadn't done anything wrong. The small girl had decided not to tell Ryan about what had happened though, she seemed to grow distant when Zana spoke of her brother and she didn't like it when Ryan seemed so far away but was right before her.

Today though she'd heard Gabriel's calling and she knew that she had to join the rest of the clan. She might not be very old but she did understand at least when the ruler called she had to listen. The pint sized hybrid hadn't left with Ryan and Val like she normally would have, instead she'd crept out across the sands to the meeting alone, not wanting to cause a scene as she settled down near a small nest of stones and brush that grew along the edge of the clearing. The little girl tried to crouch as low to the ground as she could, thinking that if she made herself any smaller she might just disappear and all the others wouldn't notice her frail appearance.
#5
Vexx felt very tired that morning. He hated getting up during the day, when the light would cause he excrutiating pain, but he obeyed the superior word without argument. He would never win anyway.

Vexx didn't like big pack meetings, only because of the sheer amount of members. It bothered him, since he had very little social contact whilst his stay. He was worried but he arrived nonetheless. Vexx noticed, however, that there weren't many members here. Maybe he was just a bit early. He crepy towards Gabriel's feet amd sat down, his head hung low. "Hey..." His voice sounded so soft and somber, it was as if he had died.
#6
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A long time ago, Corona had associated gatherings with good things. They had once held some sort of festive nature or some sort of grand news that had to be shared. But in the case of Inferni, she had feelings that slid towards and opposite direction. Months had gone by since she had found herself weaving aimlessly through its land and there had been nothing of the sort. So it seemed a little strange to her that Gabriel would call them out of the blue, though she was open to whatever he was calling them for. The news couldn't have been good, she decided. Maybe it was just all that she expected. Maybe she would be wrong. She hoped she would be wrong.



Corona turned up punctually, neither early nor late and settled in with the group. Jasper wasn't there and Corona hoped he wouldn't show up; a jag in the straight line of her thoughts that was just as indifferent to what would happen as it was concern or fear. Her eyes traced the outlines of familiar and unfamiliar bodies but did not linger until she had reached Gabriel. She tried to read his expression for a few moments but ended up pulling it away to wander, passing off the curiosity for a wordless greeting that bowed momentarily as a nod. It was more or less her way of saying that she was there wholly and not too far gone in her head for the day. Her days of detachment were beginning to ebb away.
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#7
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Hybrid heard the call, and for a short while, did not respond. He remained, silent and unmoving after Gabriel's voice had filled the air. He inhaled, exhaled, paused, and waited. He would be seeing her. Her and her. The two of them. He frowned. He frowned harder. So be it. He had nothing to fear. They did not even matter. The only one there who mattered was Gabriel. Everyone else was part of the clan, yes, but he only looked to Gabriel. Hybrid's duty was to the Aquila to fight for Inferni. The coyotes in Inferni had no faces, but were simply the clan. They had no need for identities.



He arrived soon enough -- or not. Much of the clan had already assembled. He felt his eyebrow twitch, accompanied by a dull stinging sensation due to the wound he received. A scar just above his right eye. It itched.



Hybrid looked up to see Gabriel perched upon a rock and an assortment of coyotes assembled around him. He noticed Ryan was already there, and Valkyrie, as well as Corona and Gabriel of course, but the others were unknown to him. He nodded to Gabriel, then settled down, a few paces away from the group.

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#8
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YOU MIGHT NOT FEEL IT NOW


At the sound of her father's voice, Talitha rolled over and abruptly fell out of bed.


Knee stinging from the impact, the girl frowned and looked up at her door, as if expecting something, though of course there was nothing to expect. Shaking her mess of red-brown hair from her eyes, the young woman untangled herself from the pile of blankets she liked to burrow under and stood. The house seemed quiet, and she found the silence suffocating rather than comforting as she normally did. Shoving the blankets back on the bed, she left her room without really thinking about it, yawning and stretching as she reached the stairs.


Though it wasn't cold out, she felt a little chilly as she half-walked, half-jogged towards her father's voice. Tal hadn't thought to wonder yet, but as she neared the others she felt a twinge of curiosity. Quickly she scanned those already present as she snuck forwards, for once trying to be inconspicuous. Her father's presence had a strange effect on the girl, though it wasn't something she necessarily minded. Mostly everyone she knew was there -- Corona, Ryan, Zana -- but Zekie wasn't. That was okay, she knew he was around somewhere. Pausing next to Giggle, she sat down directly beside him and offered him a brief grin in greeting.



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#9
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     Asleep in the den he had constructed for himself and Siobhan, Ezekiel had been in a deep, dreamless sleep. Through working his body so much the results were beginning to show; his shoulders had broadened and his weight had indeed gone up. Not all that long ago he had chopped off the dreadlocks and his hair, clipped short, stayed out of his face during training with the woad-banded warrior from Dahlia. He had yet to inform his father of these meetings and would not do so until necessary (which, though he did not know it, would be shortly hereafter).
     Waking at the sound of his father’s voice, the coyote blinked sleepily and yawned. He stretched and shook the sleep from his eyes, then sat up. Siobhan was gone, though this was not unexpected. It was mid-afternoon, and by all accounts he should have been awake much earlier. The ache in his shoulders reminded him why this was not the case, and he rose to his feet sluggishly before making his way out.
     By the time he had arrived everyone was present. Except, he noted with slight distaste, Siobhan. Frowning at this fact, the golden-eyed boy spotted his sister near a peculiar looking fellow. Without waiting for an invitation, he sat next to Talitha and winced only slightly at another pang of complaint from his muscles.
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#10
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     One by one the members of Inferni arrived. Gabriel offered his cousin’s daughter a smile, and offered the same to her own child. Giggle was next, and the Aquila gave him a short nod, pleased at the formality offered. Another man with peculiar facial markings came next, and while Gabriel quirked his brow at the tone of his voice and overall appearance, he was distracted as his sister came to his side. The worry in her eyes was understood instantly, and he was likewise hopeful that their half-brother would do well by his warnings and stay inside. Hybrid lingered outside of the group, which was not unexpected. The Aquila’s children came next, and after waiting only momentarily the hybrid took in the clan.
     It bothered him, only slightly, how few there were. “There have been some changes to our ranks. Most notably, Ryan is now my third in command. You are to give her the same respect you give to myself and Corona, and report to her as you would to us.” Pausing momentarily, the doggish male spared a glance to the girl, then allowed his eyes to scan the assembled group.
     “We’ve been having a wolf from Phoenix Valley cross our borders without permission numerous times. While I have spoken to their leader, should you find him around Inferni remove him. Additionally, our pact with Dahlia de Mai still stands. I will not have any further conflicts between us.” A pointed look to Hybrid; a warning not of Gabriel’s discipline, but of the blue-eyed demon who sought blood. The Aquila fell silent, and hesitated with the idea of revealing his half-brother. Instead, he looked to his sister, silently asking for her opinion on the matter.
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#11
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They wouldn't have believed him had he simply went on his way, claiming that he hadn't been inside the lands or just hadn't heard the call. They had to know that he didn't travel out often, far to afraid to stray to far from the mansion, where the only protection for him was. That, if Corona would have even come to his aid in the instance that someone tried to attack him. Whatever the case, gathering at a meeting would be the most dangerous thing that he had faced yet. He didn't want to go, of course, but he wasn't certain if he was expected to or not. Was he really a part of them? No, not really. Just a child-like young man that an older half-sister felt sorry for. He was only there because he was to pathetic to be pushed off onto anyone else.



He could barely make out any of them as he approach, slouched low and practically crawling across the ground on his hands and knees. He did his best to stay out of sight until he finally managed to come to one of the larger boulders that seemed to litter the area, where he ducked low and seemingly plastered himself against. He could see Corona clearly from there and, for a moment, he was tempted to scamper up beside her and take a place there. Deciding against it, he lifted one frail hand to the air, giving a very faint wave to his sister in the hopes of catching her eye and hers alone. At least then she could tell Gabriel that he had bothered to show up.
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#12
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It seemed that she was not the only one to have shown up late, the pale coyote noting Jasper's arrival from the bushes that she was also standing in. Was it appropriate for her to join the meeting now, or was that sort of thing not allowed? Jasper had come out and entered the circle but she hung back, unsure. She hadn't been to very many meetings, and had been almost too far away to hear the call. She didn't know the protocol here.

A few more seconds of indecisiveness passed before Gabriel started to talk and she crept forward quietly, taking a place next to her shy, black-earred friend and looking toward Gabriel. Maybe they wouldn't notice that she hadn't been there from the beginning. She had heard what he was saying, about Ryan and everything else.

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#13
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'Ryan is now my third in command.' It was the last thing she would have expected to hear, and she shot her red gaze towards the Aquila to catch his glancing eyes. It was Ryan’s man who had been causing so much trouble, she knew, and somehow she had expected that to affect her relationship with those in Inferni. Then again, she had made the terrible choice... she had chosen the clan over the Phoenix Valley boy. This would be a helpful step in the right direction, wouldn’t it? She looked around to all of the faces that had gathered there. She needed to make a mental note of each, since they would now be able to come to her with their concerns. Lately, Ryan hadn’t been giving Inferni perhaps as much attention as it needed.


When Gabriel feel silent, Ryan waited to see if anyone would have anything to say. Would they question who the wolf from Phoenix Valley was? But there was some relief, as Gabriel had said 'remove him'. So far, there wasn’t any mention of using 'any means necessary' or 'excessive force'. She still had residual feelings for the man, and didn’t want him getting hurt. He’s so stupid, she thought to herself, giving Valkyrie a reassuring smile before looking back towards the Aquila.



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#14
He was only half paying attention as he waited for Gabriel to speak. Talitha appeared and sat next to him, and he returned her grin with his peculiar crinkling of the eyes that never reached his lips. Another coyote showed up and sat next to Tal, and he felt a slight rush of jealousy before realizing the familiarity of his scent-- he must have been some relation of hers, maybe brother. With the arrival of the new male Gabriel began his speech. He followed his eyes to the new third in command, Ryan, as he named her, and gave a light nod to her in congratulations. Something about a Phoenix Valley wolf, now-- a wolf he hadn't a clue of, nor for that matter, his pack. And then Dahlia. Giggle followed the Aquila's eyes, turning his head slightly to glance at the man a little ways away. A small surge of fear rose in him. Was that the drunken man who'd attempted to accost him? He couldn't be sure, but those red eyes seemed so familiar. Quickly the boy looked away, keeping his gaze low. The comments on Dahlia de Mai made him nervous, anyway- he hadn't told anyone about the attack. He couldn't now, because it might have been his fault. He daren't cause any trouble, no sir no, so he'd just keep his pretty little mouth shut.
#15
The small girl watched the others arrive but she sat there below her bush and waited to see what was going to happen. She had never been to a meeting before and she wondered just what sort of news there was to be shared. She didn't see anything to eat and that disappointed her for she was rather hungry. The small girl frowned and laid her head down on her paws until Gabriel appeared once more and spoke up to the crowd. She perked her large hooded ears forward though she really didn't need to. His voice was loud and carried far. Zana wasn't for certain just what all he was talking about but she figured it out in time.

When he'd spoken of Ryan becoming important in the clan she smiled and beat her little whip of a tail against the ground, beaming up at Ryan though knowing that she probably couldn't see her from her little hiding spot. She would talk to her later when they returned back to the den, but for now she just turned her face back towards the doggish form of Gabriel as he moved on to further business.

She felt her stomach drop at the words that Gabriel spoke and a whimper rose in her throat. She realized that she knew just who he was talking about and she didn't like it one bit. It had taken forever to convince Corona that DaVinci wasn't going to hurt her and yet the two of them had been squared off and ready to go at it. Zana felt someway that this was all because of her and she tried not to let the tears flood her eyes but she found herself sniffling as she thought of her brother and how Gabriel didn't want him around. She was beginning to wonder if she was even allowed to go visit him where he lived. If he wasn't allowed here.. was she not allowed there.
#16
Once everyone had arrived, Gabriel made his big declaration. Apparently, a coyote he'd met before named Ryan, had become the new third in command. Everyone was chattering about the new third-in-command, except just a few, including Vexx himself. After the announcements, the Blue-eyed Blind seemed unnerved by the news. He wasn't stirred, surprised, or rattled by the information that the leader had bestowed on them. Since Vexx hadn't been a part of Inferni for a long time, the news didn't seem to have an impact. The hybrid just sat there, itching to just leave. However, he waited for Gabriel's permission, just in case. He peered back, another hybrid catching his eye. He was riddled with scars and seemed like a guy Vexx would want to watch out for, and he noted to do such. After taking note of everyone else at the meeting, and impatient to get back to his den, the tanned canine stood up and took his leave, his bright eyes half closed and awaiting some much needed rest.
#17
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Hybrid remained silent as Gabriel spoke, taking note of the Aquila's words -- and more importantly -- his body language. Hybrid flicked his ears back as he saw Gabriel glance at him, his gaze resting on Hybrid for a moment before moving on. Hybrid frowned. He was not sure what it meant -- he had not stepped out of line, and had not senselessly killed any puppies, kittens, etc, etc, ad nauseum. Hybrid had met a coyote with a hat, a stupid wolf by the borders who insisted on insulting Inferni, a black wolf with blue dye (whose tail he one day possess), and had spoken to Ryan. Perhaps Gabriel required for him to keep their borders safe from any more Dahlian intrusions? But if the peace still held, then why would Dahlian wolves seek to breech their borders? Hybrid frowned. This was confusing. He glanced away, frowning slightly, as he tried to make sense of it all. He looked up to see an odd white and purple coyote staring at him, but the coyote looked away just as soon. What a weirdo. Hybrid shook his head, then turned his attention back to Gabriel. None of the other coyotes mattered; all Hybrid had to do was protect them. For Gabriel, of course, and never for them.

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