'til kingdom come

Jefferson Soul · 12-02-2010, 04:08 PM

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Tammikins! Serene Sands. Big Grin

He had been possessed by a crippling silence, a thick haze of dizzying thoughts that whirred about in his head like a machine. No crackling of the fire in the ranch's heart could ease it away, nor could any amount of illegible text he distracted himself trying to read. Geneva would teach him the ways of text one day, as he was quite certain he had once known how the letters and sounds flowed on the pages, and on that day when he would be able to read again, perhaps his efforts of distraction would suffice. Today, they did not.

Pripyat was growing. He'd already aged into the adult ranks, and though the Patriarch had not admitted to it openly, the brute had placed his son directly beneath his adopted daughter in the ranks as an apprentice. Jefferson had not failed terribly in raising Addison, as it had been his first time as a parent raising a child that wasn't even his, but such instincts had surely kicked in stronger for Pripyat's upbringing. Addison would teach him well, but the cyclops worried still. His boy was growing up. Would he leave on a journey like Addison did?

And what of Phoenix Valley? While the other packs were overflowing with members, the Valley still maintained its small, cozy number. While he preferred such a small group, extra members would have been useful for hunting in the winter. On top of that, more and more packs were forming; he had seen the start of so many since his start as Patriarch, but not the fall of even one—save the original Dahlia de Mai beneath his half-brother, if it mattered. He was not old, but he was getting old. His days were not numbered for his age, but for his past. Surely, any day now, one of Aurélie's other children would appear from the darkness and leap out at his throat. Perhaps on that day, he would let them.

For now, Jefferson took time away. He knew the ways of the ocean at winter, but ignored the ache of his aging bones beneath the cold weather and climbed his way to a small overhang outreaching over the ocean. On three legs he sat down, pulled in his neck somewhat, and simply gazed his single eye out into infinity. The wind, bitter with chill and salt, whipped at his nose and eyes harshly, and the man was overtaken by frigid tremors. In all the cold and wind, his mind numbed.

Peace.

Tayui Aston · 12-02-2010, 06:32 PM

Sounds good! The setting works perfectly (332).

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Since meeting Theodore, Tayui had chosen to remain in the eastern lands. It was a two-day journey to return to AniWaya at a moderate pace and she was in no hurry to return. She was unsure why this was; perhaps she had simply been struck with wanderlust like she had after Shadowed Sun disbanded. However, since Noir’s death, AniWaya no longer felt like home. She didn’t feel at home in her own skin and it was an awkward feeling not knowing where she belonged.

She had not been here for what felt like years. And in fact, it was over two years since Shadowed Sun had been real. Now, it felt like a dream. Pilot was gone and she had valued their friendship so highly that it hurt to know she was no longer in contact with him. Wolves she had once known were now just memories. Knowing the curse of ‘Souls was real and that luperci came and went as they saw fit made everything so much harder to bear. Perhaps she could have accepted that Noir had left, never to return, like her sister. But knowing she was dead made it too real. It made her blood burn with vengeance. It was this fire that now possessed her that made it difficult to return to AniWaya. She did not want Dawali to see her like this.

She approached the edge of the sands and was surprised to see another individual. She had clearly been so lost in her thoughts that she had not even registered his scent. She wondered if he was a part of the group Theodore was with – he had many other wolves’ scents on him. Perhaps this creature was one of them, too.

“Hello,” she called out once she was closer. She stood, unflinchingly in the wind wondering who this wolf was. His scent was unfamiliar, but now that she was closer, she could tell he was from Phoenix Valley and had been for a long time.

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Jefferson Soul · 12-04-2010, 05:21 PM

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Through the thick mist of salt and moisture he smelled AniWayan, but recognized the scent no further. The tribal clan's smell lingered in the air; its owner, as he turned his single eye over his shoulder at her, must not have been there a long while. She looked as if she meant no harm, her fur as pure and white as the few flakes of snow that had started to drift from the overcast heavens. It was not often that he met another as old as he in these parts; 'Souls was a dangerous land, and only those who bore a fighter's spirit in their soul and flesh alike seemed to survive the length he had—Jefferson pictured the tattered skin of Laruku, the scars on Iskata and Kaena, the madness within Haku and Kesho. For a long while the cyclops simply stared his bold green color into her. She bore none of those marks.

He turned his head back to the sea. "Who are you?" the Patriarch barked, though it was hardly of a snappish nature. Here had been a place he sought peace and solidarity and once again had not attained it, though what had been the reason he sought it out in the first place? He was escaping time, escaping the observance of his son growing up, his daughter caring for another like a mother. His pack members coming and going, the future of Phoenix Valley dawdling before his very eyes. Why did he seek escape from it all, so suddenly?

Perhaps he was no more than a coward.

Jefferson dipped his head, the chill in the air freezing the bare, raw skin his scars provided. Moments later he raised it once more, gazing green eye into the heavens as sparse snowflakes descended about him. "AniWaya's even further away in the snow," he mumbled. "I wouldn't dawdle."

Tayui Aston · 12-04-2010, 07:44 PM

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She flinched at his harsh reply, but was silent for a moment before she considered replying. She was somewhat shocked to see he was missing an eye, just like Kaena, and considered this an amusing coincidence. Like Kaena, Tayui saw that he too was riddled with scars; though most looked old and nearly covered by fur. The scars on his muzzle where the fur was thinner, however, were more prominent. Tayui wondered what he had done to deserve those. She wondered what else his thick winter coat – and time – might be hiding. Although Tayui had no visible scars like this male did, her legs had once been covered in burn marks which had ached for months. She wasn’t sure how she had made it, since she recalled the sour smell of the infection, but knew she owed a great deal to wolves that had healed her: Acid and Shaeniire.

Tayui opened her mouth with the intention of speaking, but paused. The male spoke again and Tayui noticed the boldness of his eyes. They were a much deeper hue than Ocèane’s, the only member of her family with green eyes. Again, more coincidences.

“My name is Tayui Aston. And I’m not dawdling. I’ll return when I need to,” she replied. Her tone was calm and neutral. She would not offer any elaboration, but did not want to sound condescending; she appreciated his concern. However, when home no longer felt like home anymore, she had no real desire to return.

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Jefferson Soul · 12-08-2010, 01:08 AM

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Over the scent of AniWaya that lingered on the woman, Jefferson caught the smell of what he could only assume to be a familial entity—she spoke of herself as an Aston, and though the cyclops had heard the surname here and there, he could only connect the name with the vague, distant face of Allegro. She was a face in his past, one he had not been fond of, but the brute chose not to forward such a bias to this Tayui. Not this time, and only because she carried herself with grace and peace in her age and called AniWaya her home, or so he assumed. "I know of an Allegro Aston," he said into the wind, his eye back on the sea. Was he even speaking to her at all, or was he losing himself to the ghosts in his past once more? "I did not like her." Blunt.

"Jefferson Soul," he introduced himself flatly, though still his eye and voice spoke into the wind and drifting snowflakes. The chilled breeze bit through his tattered fur; even the brute's winter coat hardly seemed enough, what with all the barren scars that had never found reason to heal. Once the words left his tongue, the cyclops paused to consider why he had introduced himself as such—he had no connection to his own surname and never mentioned it in conversation. Perhaps it was because all those who had known the former he, Maluki, as a child were gone now. Perhaps he was still subtly seeking to find what other ghosts of his past were left, yet still somehow alive like he.

Why was she even there in the first place? He turned an eye over his shoulder. "Did you want something?" He spoke authoritatively, as if his role in Phoenix Valley was his only purpose for existence left. If Pripyat hadn't been born, if he hadn't raised Addison, perhaps it would have been.

Tayui Aston · 12-09-2010, 08:19 PM

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Tayui flicked her ears forward as Jefferson spoke, giving him her full attention. She did not want to appear rude or uninterested since she had introduced herself. Nonetheless, she found it was difficult to focus sometimes when there was so much chatter in the back of her mind. She was always thinking two or three things at once, and ever since Noir had died, just keeping her thoughts in order had grown more difficult. She frowned when Jefferson mentioned a name — one bearing her surname, but certainly not one she knew. That couldn't be right; everyone but Tayui and Aurèle had perished in the fire (hadn't they?) Whoever she was, Jefferson quickly added his dislike. Tayui gave him a surprised look, but said nothing. She had never heard of Allegro, whoever she was.

The male introduced himself as Jefferson Soul, a name that rung familiar somehow. Conor Soul. Haku Soul. Tayui's expression visibly darkened when she realized the connection.

"I hadn't initially," she said, responding to his question. "But... If you are a Soul, are you of relation to Colibri and Haku Soul?" She tried not to think about the day Haku came to AniWaya and threatened her children. It didn't work.

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Jefferson Soul · 12-14-2010, 08:55 PM

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Those names sparked something within him for reasons unknown; the thickened coat that collared his neck prickled, but other than the twitch of his single eye the brute did not budge. He was related to Haku Soul, but the cyclops had never known his half-brother well. Jefferson had known him only to be a madman, bent on some sort of psychopathic destruction that involved dragging Dahlia de Mai down with him. Had Jefferson been separate from Phoenix Valley, perhaps he would have taken action in that war, but he could not risk his pack in his own personal matters. He had seen Dahlia—Cercelee's pride—drag in the mud after its terrible Rosen. There had never been familial issues between his brother and he, at least not since their childhood that Haku had spoke of once, but now that Haku was dead and Conor had taken his place, Jefferson had hardly made thought of them at all. He had his own family to worry about.

As for Colibri, well, she was only a ghost everyone knew of except him.

"My mother, my brother," he replied, his eye held over the crashing sea. "I'm an amnesiac. I don't know anything about Colibri. All I can say is that Haku was my half-brother, and considering how he was, his father must have been a maniac." Haku—or was it Laruku?—had said once that he and Lisichka had not gotten along. Even Maluki must have had a good head on his shoulders.

A pause. "My brother was named Laruku Tears, my father was Acid. I had a sister named Akeni and an aunt named Iskata. My grandmother was Ceres Sadira. My name was Maluki." He paused once again. That was all he had gathered of his former life, of the madman Maluki and the place he had been born. For once in his life, he hardly cared to speak of himself, but perhaps it was because he simply didn't want to dwell. A pause spanned once again, then he turned his green eye to her once more. "Is that enough information for you?"

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Tayui Aston · 12-15-2010, 12:50 PM

326.
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Tayui replied with a quiet "hmm" when he revealed his relation to Colibri and Haku. It made sense; Colibri could have easily had more children, but Tayui was glad to know that there weren't any more directly related to Haku running around the lands. She hoped her children had been the last. She was, however, surprised to hear that he had no memory of the past. She wondered how that had affected him -- certainly being unable to remember where you came from was difficult. She supposed it would be even more difficult coming from a family that had ties to so many luperci in these parts.

All the names were familiar: she recognized Laruku as the old Alpha of Clouded Tears, Acid as the one to heal her burns, Akeni as the puppy she had played with, but only vaguely recognized the other names.

She recoiled slightly at the hostility of his conclusion. Her frown twisted when he demanded an answer.

"Certainly," she replied, somewhat perplexed. She hadn't asked for any of this information; he had supplied it readily. Though, she had a few guesses as to why she was so hostile. "I knew some of your family," she added. She doubted it would help if he didn't want to talk about it. He seemed both willing and hesitant to divulge this information. She didn't know if revealing her knowledge of his family would help, either. She had met Akeni a few months after her birth, which would probably make Jefferson a year younger than Tayui. She and Colibri had gotten off on the wrong start but eventually became acquaintances, though, she doubted he'd like to hear of their little feud either. She wasn't sure what else to say on the topic of his family.

"I knew Skoll too," she added. She remembered Skoll had been buried outside of the Phoenix Valley lands and that his family had visited him there. "And Jantus," she added.

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Jefferson Soul · 12-16-2010, 01:20 AM

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He rolled his shoulders and sighed, releasing his breath in the form of a white cloud sent spiraling into the wind. "I figured you might," he said, now pushing up onto his feet and turning clumsily to face her. As always, his bad leg hung in the air, the tips of his claws dwindling just inches from the ground. Ears twitching, he dipped his head. "There aren't many left who know anything about how I used to be. I don't hold back when I find someone who might, and that's not often." Most succumbed to the recklessness of their youth, he found, and few seemed to live a truly long life in their current world. Kaena, this Tayui, and himself—they were the oldest of wolves he could remember meeting thus far. All the rest that had known Maluki—Laruku, Iskata, Haku—they were dead. Until the day that Colibri resurfaced, if she truly lurked not far away as Haku had said many months before, Jefferson would learn no more of his former identity turned killer.

He had been hostile, he knew, but now withdrew it enough to present himself more properly. The brute had preferred to be left alone, but he could not let such an opportunity fall to waste. Now facing her, he noticed that she, like Kaena and himself, had also seen a battle that affected her eye. Whether or not it was blind he did not know, but it was the strangest of hues. Had that been a result of the wound? His sightless eye had lost all its color, resorting to a milky white he perpetually thought best to keep hidden. It was haunting, really, and Jefferson had enough trouble already keeping idiots from running like banshees away from him.

His ears perked; she'd known his family? Ah, but she did not say she'd known him, and thus his ears flicked back once more. His eye averted and he scowled, disappointed, even as she continued to speak of Jantus and Skoll. "I didn't know Skoll, but I've heard plenty about him," he sighed, recalling the summer day Jantus and his troop had stopped by and all the spiraling thoughts the visit had given the unforgivable sinner of a cyclops. "Jantus brought his pack and they paid respects. I guess the guy never got a funeral, but he was worth all the trouble." He spoke with a slight bitterness, suppressing the mild envy that warmed his chest. He hated to die and know he'd be forgotten, just as he had Maluki. He had decided, long ago, that he would never be worth remembering.

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Tayui Aston · 12-18-2010, 03:17 PM

344.
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His response was simple, but his body language spoke volumes. He got to his feet and watched her, with a dip of his head, as she spoke. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, or him. What exactly did he want? He explained that few knew of him – or what he used to be, and Tayui wondered if he wanted to know more about his old self, whoever Maluki had been. She flinched as he examined her more closely, wondering what he could be looking at. She had not said anything to offend him and she was unsure why he seemed to be so intent on watching her. She couldn’t read his expressions and she didn’t know what he wanted. Information? Help? Solitude? She was at a loss. His scowl returned and she was confused: had he not liked Skoll or Jantus? Did he resent their journey to Phoenix Valley? She tried to figure it out, but his negative attitude was making it difficult to read him. She flicked her ears forward when he spoke again, nodding slowly. He hadn’t known Skoll, so why had he consented to Jantus’s group squatting nearby for a few days? Perhaps there was some sort of benevolence she had missed at first glance.

She hmm’d in reply when he mentioned Skoll’s funeral. She was surprised to see bitterness creep into his tone. What exactly was he so angry at? And Tayui thought she had become bitter. Perhaps she still had a long way to go before she reached the level of ‘Jefferson’ bitterness.

“He was a good warrior,” she replied. She frowned and then tried to offer some sort of help. “I used to be a Baird in Jaded Shadows; is there anything you’d like to know? About Skoll or your family?” Her offer sounded weak, as if she was trying too hard. She didn’t know how to phrase it, but she tried her best. She hoped she could help this male to recover some of the dignity she’d lost and perhaps help him regain his.

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Jefferson Soul · 12-27-2010, 05:07 PM

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He, the analyst, recognized her anxiety as subtle as it was; everything he did seemed to perplex her further, but hadn't she been the one who greeted him and refused to leave? Jefferson was hardly one for small talk and brainless chatter, for he was simply no good at it and had very little to say. Few appreciated his brutal sense of honesty and the rather harsh way he came about expressing it, but the cyclops hardly meant harm to those who revolved with the earth around him. He was a solitary soul, after all, and perhaps pushing those around him was a natural part of the process in independence.

But still she remained, and so he had moved to give her his full attention. He was a brute, yes, but he was a man of power and respect; he had learned much since the days spent as Maluki, though the cyclops remembered nothing of them. The moment he had woken, his eye sightless and bloodied, in a heap on the ground below the fence of the Jefferson factory he knew nothing about, the brute had been a new creature. At first he'd lived his days vengefully, unafraid to attack and kill when threatened, for it seemed threats came in at every angle. Maluki, he learned soon, had left him quite the reputation and prestige.

"Skoll, no," he said, shaking his head patiently. The brute paused, thinking, before speaking once more. "Why do you know of my mother and half-brother?"

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Tayui Aston · 12-27-2010, 05:52 PM

348.
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She had already forgotten why she was here. And somehow, recently, she had been forgetting things like this more and more: who she was, who she thought she would be, and what her purpose was. It was easy to forget when there were so many other pressing things she would rather not be thinking about. These things – Noir’s death, Haku’s threat, Claudius’ silence, Ocèane’s and Attila’s disappearances, and Naniko’s mysteries – were things she would rather ignore, but somehow, always ended up thinking about them. Consequently, she felt more absent-minded and air headed than she had in a long time. It was like her days as a low-ranked member of Jaded Shadows all over again. She felt as though she had only just gotten over her old insecurities and now she had brand new ones to contend with.

Tayui nodded as Jefferson shook his head and replied. She frowned, surprised: if Jefferson had let an entire group of Skoll’s friends camp near his pack, wouldn’t he be interested? But that wasn’t for Tayui to decide; it was up to him. She flicked her ears forward and visibly perked up when Jefferson asked about his family. She tried not to think about the real reason she knew of them – Haku Soul – but of the older one: Colibri.

“I was friends with Colibri Soul and her puppy, Akeni,” she replied. It felt strange to be saying ‘friend’ when referring to Colibri since they had not gotten along at first. She noted this: “though, we didn’t get along at first. But after some time, we did. It took time though. A lot of time.” She paused and then continued. “I met Laruku once. And Colibri Haki, a daughter of your mother’s, I’m asuming? And Acid. I knew Acid. He was related to the Soul family somehow, I think. He healed my burns when I first joined Jaded Shadows since our healer was either absent or not skilled enough. I forget why, but I met with him a few times. And of course Haku and his son Conor.” She couldn’t leave that out.

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Jefferson Soul · 12-27-2010, 11:51 PM

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She spouted so many names he recognized, so many he knew to be his relations that he had never even met, past or present. She spoke of Colibri as a friend, a concept Jefferson was baffled to believe. The mystery woman that was his mother, and all stories surrounding her current or past state, were shrouded in unliftable mists. Even Laruku had not spoken much of her, and he had been raised as a brother. Akeni he knew to be his sister, the next in line in the Soul family should he himself fall. What had become of them both, Colibri and Akeni? Haku had once said the matriarch of the Soul name still lurked the outside lands, but even that had been a long time ago. Jefferson could only wonder if she was even still alive at all.

"It took time. A lot of time." Laruku had spoken of the former Maluki as a happy child, one who sought heroism or perhaps his chance at leadership even in his youth. His shift to insanity, and consequently to sanity again and the cyclops that then existed, had ousted any and all spirit that the child Maluki had contained; what was left was simply an empty shell, one that Geneva would have admitted to being walled and shielded at all times. Jefferson did not have many friends. He did not choose to shroud himself in the midst of the innocent, of those he could potentially harm or dismay in one way or another. He dipped his head. Perhaps even then, the stubborn man he was, he was still his mother's child after all.

He sighed. "Acid was my father. He and Colibri adopted Laruku from another family after his mother and the rest of his litter died. I've met Acid, but not my parents. Not since the amnesia." Green eye slid away, at the ocean once more. "You speak of Acid formally, but Laruku said the opposite. I—er, Maluki—went insane looking for him, and he deserted Laruku as well."

A pause. "As for Haku, he was my half-brother. He's dead now, or so I hear. I haven't met his son, my nephew."

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Tayui Aston · 12-29-2010, 12:14 AM

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She was surprised to hear that Acid was his father. She knew Acid had lived in Clouded Tears, but he had never elaborated much. She knew from discussions with other wolves that he was related to the Soul family, but this explained a lot. If Jefferson – or Maluki – was Akeni’s brother, it meant their father was Acid, born to Colibri. Though, she didn’t see much of Acid’s coyote blood in Jefferson. Of course, this could easily be because Tayui couldn’t usually identify a hybrid on sight. With all of the wolves and their incredible mixes, she guessed most around here had a bit of everything in them.

Tayui frowned when he mentioned Acid again, this time explaining that he had gone insane looking for him. That was not too hard to believe; after all, she was probably going to go insane with her desire to vengeance.

“Haku is quite dead, thankfully. It’s a shame, too – Colibri was one of the founders of Dahlia de Mai, you know, with a descendent of Ceres. I forget her name right now, but it sounded something like Ceres. Either way, Colibri was around here after the fire. But I haven’t seen her since.” She wished she didn’t have to say it that way, but there wasn’t anything that would bring her old friend back. She just hoped she wasn’t dead, not like her other old friends: Rain, Fly, Mordulin, Tempest, and probably many others.

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Jefferson Soul · 01-10-2011, 07:31 PM

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Haku's physical self was buried and dead beneath the cold ground, but what legacy he had caused lived on without him. The Dahlian-Inferni war had turned entirely against him, including even a majority of his own pack; Jefferson, despite their familial relationship, would have no part in his pack or his life; Firefly was long gone, as was Deuce and Colibri Haki; all that had been left behind was Conor, since Emwe had always been scarce. Inevitably, all that Haku had ever known had left him behind in the end, leaving him entirely to his own cause-and-effects, and his own downfall. He died a lonely man, a wicked man, a corrupt creature who deserved nothing but death.

...and Jefferson held no sympathy for him.

"Haku is better off in the ground," the one-armed man hissed, his scars wrinkling and fur pricking. The very thought of his half-brother erupted a fire within his chest, but thankfully, the brute forced a calm within as rapidly as possible. Settling himself, he continued. "You speak of Cercelee," he added, nodding, "I knew her well. She was the first one to start triggering former memories because she looked identical to Ceres. I was close with my grandmother, apparently."

A pause. "The first time I met Haku, he said Colibri was still alive and not far away. I doubt she'd recognize her son like this, anyway. Might be better off, especially if she did. Were you a part of Dahlia when Haku reigned?"

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Tayui Aston · 01-23-2011, 10:51 PM

This got long! (580)

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Tayui flicked her ears forward, back, and then forward again when Jefferson spoke, not sure how to react. Of course he was better off dead, but Tayui would have liked to have been the one to put him in the ground. Of course, Jefferson didn’t need to know that, so she just nodded in response. She didn’t try to hide her look of disgust, or whatever look she had, so she found it was just easier to nod. She could tell from his expression – and obviously his words – that he had not been very close to Haku.

When Jefferson mentioned Ceres, Tayui nodded again. She remembered Ceres, but only vaguely as the mother of Laika, whom she had thought she had accidentally murdered at one point. It had not in fact been Laika and she had not in fact killed anyone, but meeting the devil that was Bloodbane Wolff did that to most. She realized now how erroneous her assumption had been, but recalled the fear and panic she had felt at the time. For Ceres, however, that was the only memory she had of the wolf – discussing the event with Fly and deciding to venture to Clouded Tears to inform Ceres of her daughters’ death. Somehow, something had happened to stop the journey, or perhaps they had found out. Whatever it was, they had never actually gone to Ceres and Tayui had never actually met her. But she still recognized the name and it still evoked a slight sense of dread to this day.

Tayui nodded when Jefferson revealed his heritage. He was the son of Acid and Colibri; that made sense, somehow. Acid had been some sort of coyote mix, and now that she thought about it, she supposed it would make sense that an arctic wolf (at least, that’s what she suspected Colibri was) and a part-coyote could produce a child that resembled Jefferson. He had a bit of the Soul family hiding underneath his scars.

She was not, however, sure what to think about the other information he provided. Why wouldn’t Colibri recognize him? Why would it be better if they did not meet? What was so horrible that he had to hide from her, his own mother? She knew if Attila came to her with tales of a sordid deed she knew she would still help him, no matter how horrible it had been. If only her mother had been there to help her through the time she had thought she had killed someone, then perhaps she would not have spent so much time her first year in Jaded Shadows lost and confused.

She wished she could say the past was past and gone, but obviously, it was not. Not with her and Jefferson discussing old tales such as these.

She didn’t know what to say to his doubts about his mother, so she chose to respond to his question instead. Maybe it was weak, but it was certainly the easier path to take.

“No,” she replied, “I was a leader of Shadowed Sun at the time. But Haku would have been right. Now that you mention it, I remember when I met Colibri after the fire, she mentioned Haku to me, but said they parted ways.” She paused, but continued. “Either way, I haven’t seen Colibri since then. I told her she could find me on Halcyon Mountain when Shadowed Sun was still a pack there, but… I didn’t hear much else from her.”

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Jefferson Soul · 02-05-2011, 03:47 PM

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I am a big fan of the sentence "the Soul family was hidden underneath his scars." xD

He breathed, watching the expressions breeze past the white woman's features one after another: disgust, surprise, shame, perhaps even regret. What were the thoughts passing through her mind? He almost dared to ask, utterly curious of her association with his dead half-brother, but resisted a long while despite the biting curiosity. But if he asked, what would she snap back at him in return for questions? Why did he believe his mother should never meet him, perhaps? Where had his father gone, or what come of Ceres? Why had the son of Colibri and Acid, a prince of Clouded Tears, ended up a bitter man coated in scars?

He would not know how to respond to his mother, if they crossed paths somehow. Would she recognize him? Would she hate him for what he had become, or the crimes he committed under the birth name she and his father had selected specially for him? Did she know of a shame he brought to the family name, had she heard of the malicious Maluki or met the spirits he had crossed and destroyed? Jefferson could not face that shame, could not face the woman who had once loved him dearly, with one of his father's eyes removed and the wolf frame she had donated to him ripped to shreds? Would she mourn the loss, the disappearance of the identity for the boy she'd raised? Would she think he work had all gone to naught?

He shook his head suddenly, dismissing the thoughts; they brought him a strange, unique grief, a guiltiness that was impossible to overcome without finding out firsthand, his mother inches away. "Don't tell her you saw me, if you find her again," he said, bowing his head. A moment's rest, then his eye returned to her once more, thinning. He dared. "What is your connection to my brother?"

Tayui Aston · 02-05-2011, 04:01 PM

Thank you! Smile

Oooh and now for the big reveal!

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Tayui would have never thought herself to be a complicated creature. For all her life, she had thought of herself to be a very simple and straightforward woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it. Speaking with Jefferson made her feel like this was true – she felt like there were many things he knew and had seen that had shaped him in many ways. Although she was basing this mostly on his appearance and his odd, lingering connection to the Souls family, she felt there might be some truth to it. He had greeted her with a frown and cold words, but through discussion, she realized her first impression was not indicative of the beast that slumbered within. She supposed everyone could be like that, even herself (though, she didn’t want to admit that).

When Jefferson made her request, Tayui frowned and shook her head. “I couldn’t do that,” she replied. “Not to Colibri. A mother has a right to know their child is alive, no matter what he has become.” She certainly would have liked her mother to know she was well and alive despite the monster she was becoming.

Jefferson’s next question was unexpected. Tayui felt herself emotionally recoil in response and she responded in kind: “he is the father to my children and the murderer of one.” When she looked at Jefferson this last time, she narrowed her eyes, trying not to say any more.

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Jefferson Soul · 03-11-2011, 12:31 AM

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THANK YOU for marking this DND. Tongue I was gonna revive it if not!

Tayui did not agree to his wishes, and at that the fur at his neck bristled some, but it was no matter. She was still no threat, and he would not put himself at his wretched brother's level to get a point across. The brute simply stared a moment, grumpiness stirred, but nodded. He was powerless. He acknowledged that — unlike his brother. There was no need to assert himself with her.

The wind picked up, and as she continued speak his eye wandered to the clouds, watching the downfall of the snow. His ears perked at the words, brows furrowing, eye shooting to her in shock. He wanted to ask why, how, when; he wanted to ask if it had been consensual, or if Haku had really been such a demon to be a rapist as well; he wanted to know what had happened to that child, how Haku had been allowed near her. He wanted to ask, but he did not.

Jefferson sank quietly into his shoulders, eye lowering to the ground in silence. "Their names," he said quietly, "what are they? They're my nieces and nephews, then. I want to protect them, even if I couldn't one." His eye glanced back up to her, questioning, nearly pleading. He wanted to know how one had died, how it had all happened, and yet the words could not make themselves known.

Tayui Aston · 03-20-2011, 08:37 PM

Ooh, I had to, I love our thread! <3 (317)

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She recognized that her reply wasn’t what he would want to hear, but it was what had to be said. Everything she had said was done because she needed to say it: both for herself and for Jefferson. She didn’t owe him honesty, but she certainly owed it to herself. Since Tayui had recognized that she was a rather egocentric creature – and consequently come to terms with it – she’d found she was having a much easier time of acknowledging basic truths about herself. There had been times when she had others to worry about, care for, and feel for; but this was not one of those times. Certainly, she felt some sort of connection to Jefferson, but that didn’t mean she owed him anything. She owed it to herself and that what was important now.

She noticed his gaze begin to wander, but didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until he returned his gaze, heavy and tired, that she noticed it. His voice was low and quiet when he spoke and the tone conveyed far more than his words did. She tried not to flinch, but found herself replying with an equally grave tone.

“Noir was the one who died. I have another daughter, Ocèane, and two sons: Attila and Claudius. They all take my surname, Aston. Noir Aston, Ocèane Aston, Attila Aston, and Claudius Aston.” The two girls names she pronounced with the nasal Quebecois accent and found herself doing the same for her sons names. It was humorously coincidental that her sons were named after historical figures, while her daughters had French names. For Noir, it was simply a word: black.

She appreciated his interest, but didn’t know how to convey it in words. She took a deep breath and then exhaled, considering what she could say. In the end, she was still at a loss for words and chose not to say anything.

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