Confidence is key (Joining Thread) [closed]

[emorli]

Codex;

The beautiful autumn weather was what Codex had to love most about the season. Summer was far too hot and Winter was far too cold. Autumn also greeted those with many different hues ranging from shades of oranges, reds, and even browns. Autumn also offered nice breezes every once and a while that would cool the warm sun beating on her back, which would make the season so enjoyable.

Recently, she'd heard of a newly formed pack said to be called Ivory Wild. Not only did she want to see the pack for herself, but it intrigued her so much, she'd decided to join it. A small neutral pack is what Codex wants most right now. Something that had the feel of a family. Why not help the family grow stronger?

Finally, she stands before the border of the Wildflower Clearing, taking in the beautiful scenery for a moment. Feeling comfortable with her surroundings she pulls her head back, her muzzle pointing to the blue sky erupting a confident, strong howl from her throat calling the one who would judge her. Her acceptance into this pack rests on how she presents herself to the Alphess, and Codex understood the pressure she was currently under, but she stayed calm, knowing that her getting worried would only cause this to be much harder than it needs to be.

[Meds]

Koa;

A howl, unfamiliar, suddenly tore through the autumn air. Koa's head swiveled towards the sound. She had just been trotting along the upper perimeter, ensuring that the trees that encircled the pack-land were strong enough to hold for winter. It wouldn't do for dead trees to come crashing down with the winter winds and kill her pack mates. So far she had only had to topple one dead tree over, thankfully.
But Alphess duties came before even that. She checked the tree in front of her quickly (leaping against it and pushing it with her front paws). It didn't budge, and the bark was strong, so she turned and broke into a quick trot down the sloping meadow to the southern side of her border.

As she neared the sound, she activated her Awareness. The eye tattoo flared on the back of her neck, and she reached forward. She was getting better, and could now differentiate between multiple consciousnesses. In this case, there was only one wolf at the border. Being the leader of such a small pack (one with its share of muscle, but that was somewhat lacking in numbers), her gift from Sheba was very helpful in ensuring that she would not be ambushed or snuck up upon.
Koa glanced over her shoulder. It wasn't that her pack-land was especially large, but as soon as word got out how lush and full of prey it was (not to mention how perfectly sheltered it was in winter), she had a feeling it could spark jealousy. No sense going into things with her eyes closed. She nodded to herself though, happy that it was just one creature to deal with at the moment, and checked her speed before she broke through the trees.

The stormy-blue and vine-marked Alphess slowed to a walk, and eventually came face-to-face with the newcomer. The wolf was certainly female, with a dark coat marked with star-like spots for a saddle-patch. Koa's minty eyes narrowed slightly, though not in anger, as she looked over the female.
She was not large, but neither was Koa, and she personally hated being underestimated. So she held her tongue for the moment, and instead gave a small smile.

"Greetings. Welcome to the border of the Ivory Wild. I am Alphess Koa."

[emorli]

Codex;

Codex was patiently waiting at the border with a saying tail until she spotted the Alphess approaching her and a small smile grew on her face. Codex's eyes take in the sight of this wolf, the gray and blue colors of her coat, the dark green vine-like markings on her legs, tail, ears, and face, the fact that this wolf wasn't as intimidating at first sight as she'd normally think an alpha would be. By just meeting the Alphess of Ivory Wild, it wasn't hard for Codex to come to the conclusion that the members of this pack would be interesting. When they band together, they'd be a force to be reckoned with.

"Hello! An honor to meet you Alphess Koa and thank you. I've heard a bit about Ivory Wild. The female's voice is fruity and respectful in the presence of Koa and the small smile that grew on her face when she first saw the other wolf still remains plastered there although it isn't a fake smile she'd usually put on (Taught to her by her parents) to make others happy, it was genuine. The she-wolf was just happy to be meeting a new face.

[Meds]

Koa;

The female looked her over as she approached, as was expected. From the glint in her eyes, Koa assumed she liked what she saw, or had at least gained some measure of satisfaction from her appearance. While she knew looks could often be deceiving, nothing irked her more than people looking her over and brushing her aside as if she was no more than a useless pup.
Lucky for her, however, the stranger did not do these things. She even gave a small smile. When she spoke, her voice was respectful and friendly in appropriate amounts. She said that she had even heard something of the Ivory Wild. Koa nodded slowly, pleased.

"And what sort of reputation has my little pack gained in so short a time?" She imagined that it wasn't very much, considering they had only been functioning for around a season; then again, she had already denied a few wolves in joining, so she figured word must have gotten out about them. Small, but strong in both confidence and capability. She hoped so, at least. "And what might your name be—and what brings you to my borders?" She didn't exactly smile (New Alphesses had a reputation to build, after all), but her eyes were warm and not unkind.

[emorli]

Codex;

Codex blinks a few times trying to recall all of the words said about this pack, although not much to think about, each story had different words, some good and some negative. But for the most part, Ivory Wild didn't have a bad reputation amongst the wolves Codex had spoken to recently.

" Forgive me for being so rude, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Codex. I'm looking to join your pack. I can't say I've heard too much. Just that a new pack, Ivory Wild, had claimed this area." Codex's tail sways a bit in a relaxed motion with her legs straight and tense, her head held high in confidence, mostly from habit. Her eyes slightly squinted, matching her warm smile, while all of the above also matched her friendly voice.

(Rip I don't know why this was so difficult to write I wrote so little;-; )

[Meds]

((All good! Sometimes inspiration doesn't come ))

Koa;

Koa nodded along with Codex's words. She hadn't expected there to be any sort of blossoming stories about them—as she had already considered, they were a very new pack family. The Alphess continued to nod when Codex explained that she had come hoping to join. She allowed a small smile to form over her lips, matching Codex's.
"Then allow me to share a little bit about us." Her vine-marked body swiveled as she turned to glance at the treeline behind her. "Firstly, the Ivory Wild is so named for the white spruce that surround our borders. They provide both protection, shelter,
and a natural barrier between us and the valley at large. We are a small group, you see—but strong in both our intelligence and our integrity. I as a leader also value independence, though expect a reasonable level of obedience and respect from my pack members as well." Her mint-green eyes sparked gently.
"What would you bring to our pack family? In other words, why should I let you join?" She smiled once more, to ensure that her words did not come off as threatening. "We have ranks within our pack that you could work towards; however you would start as a recruit. So tell me—why should I allot 10% of my entire pack-volume to yourself?" Another smile.

[emorli]

Codex;

Codex nods slightly, thinking of her answer for a moment, choosing her wording as carefully as possible. "Well, first off, I was always in a group of 3 or less, counting me, even as a pup, so, I have always been quite independent and had to rely on my own abilities. You'll most likely never catch me putting others in danger because of my problems. Codex looks up a bit after her little summary of her first reasoning and keeps a respectful smile plastered on her lips, I was the only pup to survive from my litter and my parents forced me to learn the ways of respect in and out. I promise you, I will not knowingly go against your choices. Another effect of having only my parents for most of my life, I cared greatly about them and would do anything not to lose the few wolves I loved dearly.

Codex's tail sways a bit as she speaks and her eyes close after she opens them for a second, almost as if she's explaining notes she has on the inside of her eyelids, however, unlike reading them emotionlessly, without retaining anything she's saying, her words have a sort of reverence as she speaks about her parents and her ways of life. She was raised in an almost military-like home, but despite that, her parents were all she had, so she loved them with all her heart. Because of the environment, she grew up in, she isn't one to be known to stray from the system or 'rules' she made up for herself.

"If I ever have any problems with your orders, which in most situations I won't, I will come to you before acting, but if you stick by your initial order, I won't go against it."


(Woo! I got 300 words rather than the 130 or something that I wrote last time XD)

[Meds]

((Love it! Codex certainly makes a good argument for herself!))

Koa;

Koa activated her Awareness as Codex began to speak. Her tattoo was behind her, so the female wouldn't notice the glowing mark. Koa knew that when she was more powerful in her gift, she would be able to tell outright if wolves were lying—but as it was, she simply became more attuned to Codex and her movements. Suddenly, Koa was aware of the way her chest moved as she inhaled, the subtle half-blinks of her eyes, the way the wind brushed the small lashes at the bottoms of her eyes.
Koa watched closely, for any larger intakes of breath, any flashes of the eyes that might happen if a wolf was being untruthful. It all sounded very good, but Koa was paying very close attention for any slip-ups that would give it up for a facade. In the end, however, it did not appear that the female had fabricated anything that she had said; at least not as far as Koa could tell. The Alphess nodded slowly. She was pleased, though didn't exactly want to show it.

"I'll admit, that what you say, if it is true—" No sense revealing just how sure she was. For all Codex probably knew, the eye-mark on the back of her neck was just a strange coloration of fur. "—that it does indeed sound like you would be a good fit in the Ivory Wild."

She continued watching closely, but deactivated her power.
"In this pack there are seven position below myself. Our Beta Male is Epicenter, our Gamma is Nanouk, and another Recruit is Zeus.
You and he will be at the same level, if you do indeed join. We also have Sentinel-Scouts, Hunter-Warriors, a Diplomat, and Trainees. Where, Codex, do you think you would fit?"
She would start out as a Recruit, as Koa had already said, but hearing what direction she might like to go in once things got in motion would never hurt.

[emorli]

(Thanks! She might be bratty when she's being ignored but she is quite obedient!)

Codex;

Codex can see how closely Koa was watching her, which only helped in putting her a little more on edge, it gave her a bit of a self-consciousness. The closeness causing her to worry about the Alphess seeing any imperfections in, well, anything she did or said. After Codex's reasoning concluded, she was taken aback by how trusting the wolf standing before her was being, Codex wonders what exactly caused Koa to believe the words she spoke so easily. But, brushing it off, the sea green female listens to Koa's word with intent. Even as she listens, she thinks about her response, and when the names of the other three in the pack are said, she tries her best to retain the information about each one and attempt to remember who everyone is, and she nods as she repeats the names of everyone in her head. Eventually, Koa ends her sentence with a question for Codex, "Where, Codex, do you think you would fit?" An interesting question, causing her to throw out all of her previous thought, and think about a question she wasn't expecting to be asked.

"I'd say a Sentinel-Scout. I have no problem fighting if I need to, but I prefer not to use force against others if I have other options. I try my best to listen to situations before I act on them." Codex's voice is smooth but friendly. She has both of her paws planted firmly on the ground, swaying a bit from the wind pushing her weight around, her tail following the wind, along with her body, the wind pulling it further along than her body. She ends her words with a sweet smile directed toward Koa.

[Meds]

Koa;

Codex seemed surprised when Koa asked the question of where she would fit. Koa had expected she would be. It was a sudden question, but a necessary one, and one that she was interested to hear the answer of. It was not a guarantee into the pack, but knowing as much as she could about her potential-subjects before they joined was never a bad thing.

Ahh, Sentinel-Scout was calling to Codex, was it? From her build alone, that was where Koa had guessed she would fit. She was a small wolf, petite—though as Koa had already considered, perhaps not one to be underestimated. It would work well, of Codex did join, for Koa had already considered that Zeus would probably fit more as a Hunter-Warrior.

"Ah, yes. The eyes and ears of my pack. A valiant and honorable position to strive for," Her eyes traced over Codex's frame again. Sentinel-Scouts were the most observant wolves in the pack, strong in both speed and power if need be. Koa could see Codex fitting in well, if properly trained...
The stormy-Alphess sat down and leaned back on her haunches, facing the newcomer. So far, Codex had impressed her; or at least, had not unimpressed her. This was a positive. Winter was on its way soon, too, Koa knew. The more bodies that Ivory Wild had to collect food and build dens throughout the cold months, the better.

"As stated, you shall start out as a Recruit. This will mean helping with anything and everything, from hunting, to border-patrol, to den-digging, and so forth. Our territory is well-sheltered in winter, and though you will be safe, you will be expected to help the pack-body as if it was your own." She gave a slow, deep nod. "I plan to fill Ivory Wild with clever, honest, and reliable wolves. Wolves that are independent and confident, but that also never hesitate to help their pack-mates. It is a small territory, one that I am slow to accept newcomers into; and therefore, mating is strictly prohibited amongst the members unless given explicit permission by myself. I give you this information because it is now that I am formally inviting you, Codex, to join the Ivory Wild if you so wish."
Her tail swayed behind her gently, sweeping a few dead autumn leaves across the ground. As Alphess, Koa still reserved the right to expel any wolves she deemed unfit for the pack, but for the moment, Codex had said all the right things.

[emorli]

Codex;

As the time continued passing and the sun moved positions in the sky, the temperature was getting chillier, the gusts of wind sending a cooler temperature through Codex's dark fur, but the air never seemed to warm back up much after the winds blew by. The low sun was still enough warmth for the time being, but autumn nights can be quite chilly. Their conversation had started a bit later in the day so, it was only expected that the sun would start to send oranges and pinks through the sky, painting it with beautiful mixtures of both hues. Just as the thoughts of the chill in the air Koa started speaking of the pack, but all of the things Koa speaks about was for the most part, what Codex had already expected from the pack residing in such a small area. She nods as the Alphess speaks, showing her that she's listening and understand. The female moves per paws closer together as Koa finishes the little rundown of what it'll be like in the pack and what her job would be. Finally, Koa says the words Codex was waiting to hear since she arrived, "I am formally inviting you, Codex, to join the Ivory Wild if you so wish." Codex flashes another friendly, close eyes smiles.

"I believe I'll take you up on that invitation. I thank you, Alphess, Koa, for giving me your time and allowing me the right to join your pack."