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Post by Fierfly on Oct 23, 2017 16:48:02 GMT -5
Kailypso:
The gingery she-wolf squirmed uncomfortably. She wasn't a very good promise-keeper was she? Twice in less than in hour she'd broken the promise she'd made herself when she'd left home and it was beginning to sting. She'd hurt someone, someone who had stuck up for her, someone who wanted her to laugh (Power knew why), someone she could have reasonably thought of as a friend. Why had she gone and done that? The meager apology felt lacking and bare, not because she didn't mean the words, she did mean them, but sometimes words felt weak, sometimes they didn't say what she wanted them to. She chanced a glance back over at Kanga as the old male dramatized his fishing story to a now completely inattentive audience. He seemed to be mulling over the apology, considering it. He caught her gaze and flashed her a grin, a frank, forgiving, blessedly crooked smile. A weak, shy, relieved smile - a true smile this time, not a smirk - briefly, very briefly flashed back. Yes, Kanga was definitely a friend. More than that, he was a good friend, better than she deserved for him frankly forgiving for her resurrecting whatever hurt haunted him. How did wolves do that? Just go around and forgive each other? It was...well, it was kind of a miracle, a small miracle of it's own quiet kind when you thought about it.
The brute wrapped up the story, stretched comfortably and turned companionably toward Kanga, like close friends did among a larger group when they wanted to share a quiet joke with just the one friend, a personal note or something of the like. She considered eavesdropping, she'd grown up eavesdropping, it was as much a past-time for her as terrorizing was for Kanga, they males weren't that far away from her and it wasn't like he was whispering, but the comment he was about to make was obviously intended more for Kanga and she'd rather that mean old brute not have more than one source to cite for her "lurking". She tried not to listen too closely, but the tone towards the end of it caught her attention and she did hear. "You look like you've been living in a shadow, something or someone constantly restraining you. I know of a place where wolves leave their cursed labels and leashes behind, to find who they truly are."
Something about how he'd said it sent a shiver dancing up her spine. She didn't get to her feet, her ruff didn't raise, but she kept her weary yellow eyes on him. Maybe he was friendly and cordial enough, a bit arrogant, but old and harmless. She really had nothing to go on, aside from him poking at her pride and her own arrogance, he been acting like a mal-inclined wolf, he didn't seem violent, really he was probably just a lonely old wanderer, and that was no reason for her apprehension. And yet it lingered, call it a hunch, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something just a bit off with him.
He stepped away as though to leave (finally!) and mentioned something about the wolves in the Outer Reaches not being as bad as others made them out to be. He began, stopped, turned and winked his goodbye to her, "Thistle burr" and finally left.
The odd haunting chill he left her with combined with the bit of guilt she still felt churning in her stomach left her feeling awkward and inadequate. What did one say after that? She cocked her head and stared after the trail the male had left as the snow slowly began to fill it in, "D'you know what wolves live in the Outer Reaches?"
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Post by Meds on Oct 23, 2017 18:47:09 GMT -5
Kanga;
The old male finished his story, which Kanga barely noticed, snapping back to attention just in time, and fixed him with a curiously-intense stare. Kanga pulled his eyes from Kailypso, whom he had been observing raptly, and met the old wolf's gaze. He gave his head a barely-perceptible shake, clearing it of thoughts of his brother. Where ever he was, he probably wasn't dwelling over Kanga—so why should the younder twin do so?
But then his attention really was grabbed when Tiago began speaking of Kanga's potential. He said that he had seen many wolves in his time, and Kanga was wasting his gifts. Kanga looked down as if checking himself over to make sure his potential wasn't lying forgotten on the ground or something. Upon seeing no potential, he looked back up in time to hear Tiago say that he had seen eyes like Kanga's before. Kanga withheld a snort and was just about to remind the elder that he knew nothing about him, when he guessed that Kanga was living in a shadow. Whatever the burly giant had been about to say died in his throat as Tiago's words registered in his big head. A shadow? He might not have put it so bluntly, but upon hearing it... it sort of made sense. His thoughts flicked to Manaaki instantly, which surprised him. He would have thought it would be his father that came to mind, since he had never had the best relationship in that respect. But no, his twin had popped into his head. Curious. Had Manaaki become like a father in place of their grizzled patriarch? Kanga thought hard on that. He knew that Manaaki was more level-headed, of course, and often got them out of trouble, but did they both see him as a father-figure? It could explain why Kanga sometimes got frusterated with him for simply being himself.
Interesting...
"Do y'know what wolves live in the Outer Reaches?"
Kanga gave his head another shake and looked around, only to discover that Tiago had left and it was just he and Kaily again. He had to reply the conversation in his head just to be sure he heard everything the elder had said. Something about the pack in the Outer Reaches beind full of wolves who left their lables and leashes behind and found themselves. Labels and leashes... Both of those words held meaning for Kanga, though one brought smiles and the other brought darkness. But was the Outer Reaches really the answer?
Who would have thought that Midnight Silence would suddenly make Kanga feel so curious? Such thoughts were simply dripping with guilt as well, for he had so recently ranked within Secluded Sunrise; and yet, perhaps the wolves over there had gotten a bad wrap. Kanga knew only too well that words and labels had a way of being blown out of proportion. Could that truly be where wolves like him found their places?
Manaaki;
"The most evil wolves this valley has to offer," Manaaki answered Kailypso's question that he had overheard as he rounded the bend. Kanga swivelled meeting his brother's eye and feeling a grin despite all of his muddled thoughts. The silver brother came to sit by his brick-red opposite and they shared in the smile. "Hello Kanga."
It was as if a weight lifted from Kanga's chest. Manaaki had stood by him through so much already—how could he have doubted the love and closeness he shared with his brother? Even just seeing him made his thoughts come more clearly... and yet, behind his eyes, Kanga's mind was still turning. The beginnings of curiosity had blossomed in his mind and would not be stamped out easily. For the moment he would be able to distract himself, but even without his knowledge, questions were forming within him. Questions that needed answers. Answers that could only be found in one place...
"This is Kailypso!" Kanga said, loudly and excitedly, making himself feel the emotions so fully that he would have no room for anything else. Manaaki didn't sense anything off about his brother, for once, and so turned with a smile to the smaller shewolf.
"I hope this one wasn't giving you too much trouble," He grinned as his deep voice broke into a chuckle. "I'm Manaaki—" "—The much more boring and less fun twin—" "—A label I take on whole-heartedly—" "—And less handsome."
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Post by Fierfly on Oct 23, 2017 22:13:26 GMT -5
Kailypso:
Whatever the old male had said, it struck something of a chord with Kanga, and despite what he'd said earlier about his having a "gimpy" head, he was putting some real thought into his pondering. He didn't exactly look upset, but a little caught off-guard, a sensation Kailypso despised personally, but it happened every once in a while, what was to be done about it? Not angry, certainly not indifferent, there was a definite note of interest, maybe some confusion? Now she wished she had eavesdropped. Did he get the same prickly feeling she did? If he did, he was much more judicial about it, he was in general, more easygoing and fair about it than she was, not such a firecracker, not as impulsive with his actions, but he was also more generous about giving the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he would shake off the unease, or maybe he wasn't nearly as weary of it as she was, in any case, it had his attention and it took him a minute to register her question.
"The most evil wolves this Valley has to offer." a mellower, quieter voice piped up. She whirled around again. Good Geist! Could wolves not have a conversation without the Valley intruding upon them anymore? Her ears twitched back again and she braced her weight back so she could spring up, but hesitated as the speaker came into view. He was enormous! Like a silver reflection of Kanga's copper and brown, a second "gentle" giant rounded the bend and again, like a reflection took a position beside his match in size and they grinned at each other. How many wolves in this Valley got that big? He was almost a perfect match to Kanga, a bit lighter, legs longer, more of a sprinter she guessed, but what he lacked in some of the bigger bulk he made up for in sheer height with his long legs and high shoulders. The more she thought about it, the more he was nearly a reflection of Kanga, even his silver eyes were a lighter reflection of the hazel - black around grey. Gray around brown. Hadn't he said he was a twin?
Silver greeted Copper and they shared a smile and she eased up, ears turning to look less aggressive and to focus on the interaction more, try to glean what she could from how they dealt with each other, if they were friendly, how different the gray one was from Kanga. His voice was quieter, she'd recognized that already, his steps were more deliberate, quieter, more analytical. He turned to her smiling graciously as Kanga eagerly introduced her, "I hope this one wasn't giving you too much trouble, I'm Manaaki-"
"-The much more boring and less fun twin-" Kanga interrupted, grinning she noted,
"-A label I take on whole-heartedly-" Manaaki deflected calmly and graciously,
The devilish twinkle came back into Kanga's hazel eyes, "-And less handsome." he interrupted again.
Her lips began behaving like a helium balloon again, as she fought to anchor the corners of her mouth and the middle wavered and began to curve into a smile. They puckered and pouted before she couldn't hold it in anymore and gave something of a choke and finally a clear, single giggle. "Well, whaddya have to say to that?" she demanded, biting her inner lip, trying not to let the laughter spill out of her. "Oh no, Kanga hasn't been giving me much trouble, you on the other paw, seem to be in a bit of a tight spot." she quirked her lips back down, but could do nothing to hide the amused light in her eyes. As fed up as she was with wolves just inviting themselves in and ruining what had actually been turning out to be a good conversation on a good day, this was going to be interesting.
But she wasn't going to laugh about it! She gritted her teeth together and pushed the smile back down inside of her again, determined it would not get out anymore today. She wouldn't get distracted! Pleasant conversation was all well in good, but she had initially been asking about the wolves in Outer Reaches. Manaaki said they were evil, that made the ruff along her neck prickle, thinking of Asrael. Her eyes grew more serious and the entertained notion of laughter died. "What kind of evil? What can you tell me about them?"
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Post by Meds on Oct 23, 2017 23:16:33 GMT -5
Kanga, Manaaki;
The fiery little female was certainly quick to read her environment, that was for sure. Manaaki watched her observe the conversation from the corner of his eye, sharing a private smile to himself at the picture he and Kanga must paint. As large as they were, and going at it like pups. Ahh, but what else was new? Something would be terribly wrong if they didn't bicker. Manaaki's keen eyes traced Kailypso's line of sight, watching her fight magnificently from keeping a smile off of her face. He lifted his brow and looked from her to Kanga, too quick to notice. Was she smiling because their arguing was funny in general... or was she smiling for another reason? Hmmm... what could that reason be? Manaaki had a few ideas. And wouldn't that be funny? —a real treat. He turned his head more obviously to Kanga now and met his brothers' eye with a rare mischievous smile.
"Oh well I don't think he's all that handsome..." He said, half-glancing at Kaily to guage her reaction as well as include her in the joke. Kanga, affronted, leapt up from his sitting position, looking at Kailypso as if such a statement was the epitome of incorrect.
"Excuse me?!" He squared his chest and shoulders and turned broadside to the other two and then lifted his neck, making quite the picture despite the ridiculousness of it all. "With this extraordinary physique and charming smile?" He turned and gave them both his best, most crooked smile, arching his forehead in the process. The sun twinkled off of one of his sharp canines and he winked. "Not to mention my winning personality."
Manaaki groaned outwardly, the display causing him physical pain. He had forgotten just how good Kanga was at embarrassing both of them. Whether the young female had been enamoured with his brother originally or not, Manaaki was sure that after that she would be as uninterested as ever. He laughed heartly and shook his head back and forth.
But then talk turned serious, and even Kanga dropped the bravado when Kailypso asked about the Outer Reaches. He wished that he could just forget what Tiago had said... "Midnight Silence," Manaaki said to her, almost as an after thought. His eyes lifted to the trees, as if seeing through the scenery to the packland that he knew lay in that direction. "Secluded Sunrise is a large pack, which is where Kanga and I are from, but Midnight Silence is larger still. They are a family built on destruction, fear, violence, and death." He looked to Kanga, expecting his brother to add something. Kanga hadn't intended to, for he couldn't think of anything, but spat out the first things that came to his mind when Manaaki's eyes fell to him.
"They're dangerous."
He thought on his words for a moment before Kaily replied. He had spoken the truth... they were dangerous. In more ways than one.
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Post by Fierfly on Oct 24, 2017 9:03:18 GMT -5
Kailypso:
She had to admit, the one-upping war between the brothers was amusing, and reminded her vaguely of her own brothers who'd engaged similarly every now and then. Manaaki was clearly the straight-man of the comedy duo, he took Kanga very seriously at the jibe to his looks and downplayed it, saying he didn't actually consider Kanga all that handsome and cocked his eyebrows at her, asking for her thoughts, her judgement on the matter. Before she could even process that, Kanga leapt up, like a startled rabbit with a snake hissing behind him, or like a pup when they have a secret or the answer to a question and they yip and prance and jump and squeak: "Oh! Me! Memememememe! I know!" "Excuse me?!" his voice boomed defiantly, eyes bulging wide in mock disbelief. He delicately raised his head, arched his neck and stood to attention where they could get a good look at him as he proudly squared his chest and put on a perfect show smile with the sunlight kindly glinting off of it. "With this extraordinary physique and winning smile? Not to mention my winning personality."
Kailypso bit her lip and glanced back at Manaaki. He groaned and rolled his gray eyes, looking skyward for patience. The laugh had been building up inside her since the moment Kanga suggested what might happen if he got fat and lazy and his hips went, and now it shook her frame, shoulders shaking gently with the mirth that wanted to express itself in the laugh that she absolutely did not want to give. It was all a big game: What would make Kaily crack? And she wanted to win! "You brought that upon yourself," she gruffed, shaking her head almost disgustedly at Manaaki. "See what happens when you try to challenge the Crooked Smile? He rolls with it." she shook her head again,
Manaaki apparently conceded the point and gave up and turned to the more serious matter: The wolves of the Outer Reaches. "Midnight Silence," he said solemnly, turning his calm, gray gaze to the trees as though seeing through them to the abominable pack he knew was out there. It was a pack even larger than Secluded Sunrise, a family built on destruction, fear, violence, and death. Kanga gravely, ominously added that they were dangerous and she felt herself shiver again and her blood begin to boil. "Do they go out looking for trouble?" she asked stiffly, having no trouble fighting a smile now, the light in her eyes no longer amused, but cold and calculative. "Would I have to go to them or should I be watching over my shoulder?" she looked between the brothers. "Ever met one of them? Seen one? Talked to one? Heck, can you meet one? Or do they just kill you where you stand upon meeting you?" she set her jaw and shook her head. "Hear about them much? Or are they just lurking in some corner of the Valley?" in retrospect she probably sounded like a drill sergeant interrogating them like that, but she believed in being informed, knowing your surroundings and your enemies, she wanted to be prepared. If the likes of the old stranger were out there, she wanted to know where so she could keep away.
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Post by Meds on Oct 24, 2017 19:17:47 GMT -5
Kanga, Manaaki;
Suddenly the questions were pouring out. The twins hadn't noticed that Kailypso was much younger than them until that moment, but they noticed at the same time, around the sixth question. They made eye contact for a half-second, too quick to notice, exhibiting that strange connection they had. Kanga cleared his throat and waited for the onslaught to end, and Manaaki merely sat back on his haunches and listened, a light smile on his lips. She was afraid and hungry for information—a mix that almost always resulted in a host of questions.
When she slowed down and finally stopped altogether to take a breath, the big boys were quiet for a moment. Each were considering which question to answer first. Manaaki, because he wanted to give her as broad of an understanding as possible, and Kanga, because frankly he already couldn't remember what the first questions had been.
"Some pack members go out looking for trouble, yes," Manaaki said, and though the information was grave, the mood was light. They were in a safe place there, perhaps Kaily most of all, surrounded on all sides by friendly giants. "But often times, even if they aren't looking for it, they have a way of bringing it wherever they go." Kanga brightened, remembering the order in which the questions had come now and wanting to take a turn imparting knowledge on the young mind.
"Watch over your shoulder anyway. You're not very big," He lifted a great paw and rested it, unthreateningly and slowly enough so as not to frighten her, right beside her in the snow. It got the point across, though he wasn't exactly what one would call 'average'. "But typically if you don't go into their pack land, there will at least be a mix of others around who could have your back if thigns turned ugly." He didn't mention the roving gang he had heard of. Some pack members, some loners, but all of them evil. They certainly roamed around looking for trouble, and gave it more often than not. "And I've met plenty. They smell." He winked.
Manaaki gave his brother a look but didn't comment. "They are not mindless beasts, though some are more imbalanced than others. It is true that some will try and kill you on sight, though rarely if they are out of their own lands. But that is not to say to think they will not harm you. On the contrary, harming is like second nature to msot of them." He met the little female's eyes, expressing the seriousness of his words. "And because Kanga and I are ranked members within Secluded Sunrise, yes, we hear about them quite a lot. As a scout, I often make contact with them on our borders and have conversations. I won't lie and say that all of our conversations go well or end positively, but they are still largely animals just like you and I."
Kanga twitched the paw he had laid near Kaily and fixed her with one of his smiles that she seemed so fond of. "Just don't try to mess with them. I know that you would never get in over your head by challenging wolves more powerful than yourself, right?" His smile turned mischevious quickly.
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Post by Fierfly on Oct 24, 2017 23:07:47 GMT -5
Kailypso:
The two exchanged hesitant glances before answering and she bristled slightly. She didn't want the fluff, she wanted the truth, oh please don't water it down, please don't water it down! Thankfully, they didn't, at least, not as far as she could tell. Manaaki slowly admitted that some would go out looking for trouble, but even if they weren't looking, they had a way of bringing it with them, and whatever they encountered during some jaunt...well...she could imagine would would follow and her ruff prickled and her adrenaline started pumping. It wasn't easy to outright scare her, but the unease and the awful feeling of knowing an enemy could be near by and some danger could befall made her fight or flight instincts kick in. And when push came to shove, Kaily was a fighter.
Kanga suggested she watch over her shoulder regardless as she wasn't very big, and flexed and raised and settled a paw to make a point. She nodded, it was a strange territory, you couldn't be too careful, not with wolves like Asrael around and if there were many more wolves Kanga's size around - well then, she'd rather not be turned into a wolf-sized pancake. A good rule of things: stay away from them and they generally wouldn't come after you, it also increased your chances of finding a friend, someone to have your back should the Midnight Silence wolves come and things get ugly. Again, that was common sense, she wasn't about to go looking for trouble, she wasn't that stupid, but it made sense. Then Kanga confirmed he had indeed met many of the Midnight Silence wolves, her ears shot forward and her eyes went wide, and she unconsciously leaned forward, eager for the report,
"They smell."
She sat back with a thump and rolled her eyes and snorted, fine help that was, but what did she expect from Kanga? Manaaki must have had much the same sentiment that she did because he gave Kanga a similar look, but refrained from commenting as she did and moved on. They were not mindless killing machines, but some were more inclined toward violence than others. There was always a chance she could be harmed and it was better she not take it. He stopped and his ghostly silver eyes bored into her fierce golden ones and his voice became serious. As Secluded Sunrise members, they heard about them a lot, and as a Scout Manaaki often encountered them. Her ears snapped forward again, they'd conversed, not all ended well, but they were still wolves just as they were, living, breathing creatures with souls and motives and lives.
Kanga shrugged and wrapped it all up with his trademark crooked smile and a bit of infinite wisdom. "Just don't try to mess with them. I know that you would never get in over your head by challenging wolves more powerful than yourself, right?" and the roguish tilt came back to the grin. She lips twitched to almost a smirk, though not necessarily out of amusement. "I think you'd know me better than that." she objected, then considered the advice, "No promises," she shrugged with the same low, serious tone that Manaaki had used. "No promises at all."
She shook the creeping mental image just starting to come into focus out of her head and tried to think of there was anything else she needed to know. Yes, there was, but she hesitated, it was not a delicate question and she coudln't think of a way to put it delicately, so she just asked in her typical blunt, factual fashion. "What have they done? I mean actually done, that you've heard about or seen. Have you ever actually seen the destruction they leave behind?"
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Post by Meds on Oct 26, 2017 19:17:51 GMT -5
Manaaki, Kanga;
"No promises at all," She said.
The twins exchanged glances and Kanga gave an explanatory smile. He knew that she was a little firecracker. She had challenged him when he had first walked into the clearing, for goodness' sake. He watched her closely, trying to imagine what would have happened upon their meeting if he had been a different kind of wolf. It wasn't a happy thought. Some wolves were only out to prove a point—Midnight Silence wolves especially. Kanga shook his head slowly. No, it would never do for Kaily to go and tangle with those kinds. The kinds Tiago had spoken of. His stomach turned uncomfortably.
"It would be in your best interest to promise." Manaaki looked at her briefly before turning his gaze skyward. "Don't promise that you won't search them out. Don't promise that you won't speak to them if you feel like it. ...But it may be smart to heed our words and not challenge wolves that you cannot fight. I do not doubt you are more than capable of fighting someone your own size... But these wolves are not like Kanga and I. We are large, intimidating, strong, yes... but we are not evil." He wasn't exactly lecturing her—he was more trying to make her see what they were talking about. Kanga nodded, picking up the conversation where Manaaki had left it.
"Imagine me, Kaily, but mean and angry, with something to prove. How do you think I would have responded when I walked into the clearing and was instantly given the tough act?" He wasn't calling it an act, exactly. He knew that would make her upset. But like Manaaki, he was trying to phrase it in as many different ways as possible. He looked at her with his silver-ringed eyes. "Be honest with me. How do you think you would have faired if I jumped at your original challenges? I'm not trying to make you feel stupid, I really want you to think. Just how long do you think our conflict would have lasted?" He stood up and walked to sit beside her, tilting his head fully down to look at her.
Manaaki stretched, looking the both of them over, side by side. "What have they done? Oh, let's see here..." There was no need to sugar-coat anything, nor spice it up. Midnight Silence was bad enough without all of that. "Last I heard there was a group of Evil roamers that torture wolves they come across, most recently nearly crippling a Good, soon-to-be mother. Not all are in Midnight Silence, but a handful are. One of them killed one of our members, Narci." "He was a pain, though. I'd have killed him too." "Not the point, Kanga..." "It's kind of a moot point, then." "Anyway—" Manaaki spoke louder, shooting Kanga a dark look tinged with humor. They were trying to explain to Kailypso how bad Midnight Silence was. "Midnight Silence has recently started gathering slaves—wolves that are not part of the pack but are bound to it in every way. Their alpha, Fjord, killed a fallen alpha from another pack. The alphess, Skia, ripped apart a family, killing and slaughtering like it was nothing." "Oh yea, and I met a male named Odin. It—" Kanga paused and glanced at Kaily, then Manaaki. "It uh—looked like he was wearing the pelt of another dead wolf." Manaaki nodded, signalling that he, too, had heard of Odin.
"They have a gruesome practice entitled the Rage Ritual, where pups have to kill or be killed to secure their spot in the pack... There's also murders, countless murders. Midnight Silence is vile, it's just vile. In any and every way you can think of." He sighed and dipped his head. Kanga cleared his throat as well, aware of how heavy the conversation was. It was his instinct to try and lighten the mood, but this was information that Kaily needed to know if she didn't already, so he held his tongue for the moment and simply glanced down at the little female in silence.
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Post by Fierfly on Oct 26, 2017 23:33:00 GMT -5
Kailypso:
Manaaki's eyebrows rose dubiously and in what could almost be called some measure of alarm if he was so cool and collected. Kanga offered an apologetic smile to his brother, but one that told her he understood to some degree where she was coming from. When given the choice to freeze, fight or fly, she was a fighter, he'd gotten a nice display of that since he'd stumbled upon her, she'd bared her teeth and fluffed up at him, she'd been ready to pounce on Asrael, she'd been ready to pounce on the old geezer from Amoux, she was a fighter, and she sensed that he might have been too, he understood her spirit and could respect it, but they were both quite a bit older than her, and like all older wolves seemed to think: it appeared that they were of the opinion that they had some wisdom she didn't and that she ought to heed it. "It would be in your best interest to promise," Manaaki said gently, and he went on to say that she didn't have to promise not to run into them or talk to them if it struck her fancy, but it was just plain stupid for her to challenge someone she couldn't fight. She bristled at that, why was it that everyone assumed she couldn't-? Manaaki interrupted before her tongue got away from her and he amended that he was sure she was capable of fighting someone her own size, but a Midnight Silence wolf...large, mean, a murderer. There she might not have been so capable.
Kanga leaped in to help his brother, imagine him (that wasn't too difficult), but mean, dark and with something to prove. To stumble upon a she-wolf with her teeth bared and her ruff raised and looking for a fight...alright, they had a point, that would have been a different story. He stood and came over to sit beside her, ears turned toward her in concern as he prompted her how she thought she would have fared against him, how long the hypothetical struggle that Asrael had assumed would have lasted. How long, really? Maybe longer than Kanga thought, she wasn't just an act, she'd been fighting her whole life, she was small and maybe hotheaded, but she'd never given anything up before and had never backed down and didn't plan to anytime soon.
Manaaki stretched and shifted his weight uncomfortably at her more direct question: the actual crimes of Midnight Silence: some of their number had been roaming, looking for trouble and had badly injured an expectant mother. The fur on her neck prickled, her eyes widened and a low growl came into her throat just at the thought of it. One had killed a member of Secluded Sunrise - Kanga jumped in and drily commented that...Narci...had been a pain and he wouldn't have minded killing him either, he'd been a pain. She snorted a little and one corner of her mouth tilted up, leave it to Kanga. Manaaki eyed his brother, then said that was not the point, Kanga grinned slightly and countered that it was all a moot point then. Manaaki quickly went back to his list, speaking loudly and quickly to take control of the conversation again. They collected slaves, both of the alphas were ruthless killers, and one of their number - Odin - wore the pelt of a dead wolf.
Her blood ran cold.
She didn't like to think she was squeamish, and she wasn't all things considered. And she definitely wasn't a Good wolf, not by a long shot, she was too bitter and hot-headed, definitely Neutral, but to have no respect for the dead and wear their pelts as a trophy... Oh, and it got worse. Manaaki wrapped it all up with mentioning one of their demonic rites, something called a Rage Ritual, a pup (a pup!) must kill to secure their place in the pack. She didn't dare ask what became of them if they failed, in a pack full of murderers, it didn't take a whole lot of imagination to suppose what the fate of the unfortunate pup if they failed.
She was trying to keep her breathing even. They hadn't been kidding when they said Midnight Silence was evil, they were probably the most vile, evil pack that had ever roamed the Valley, darkness was in their blood, and that made hers boil. Her thoughts went back to the promise Manaaki had counseled her to not be so hasty to dismiss. She took a deep breath and turned to look up into Kanga's hazel eyes. His mouth was quirking a little, unsure whether to keep a solid frown to maintain the somber mood or whether to turn up in that crooked smile and try to lighten it again. "And that is exactly why I can't make that promise." she turned to Manaaki, shaking her head. "Don't you get it? You don't just walk away from something like that. You don't give in, you don't bow, you don't break. You stand and fight it with everything you've got. Don't worry, I'm not stupid enough to go looking for trouble, but I haven't backed down yet a day in my life and I don't plan to start now." she turned back to Kanga, "If you'd been from this pack - Midnight Silence - you wanna know how long I think I would have lasted? Four, maybe five minutes with a little luck. And I would have fought back 'til you killed me." back to Manaaki, "If they're really as bad as you say - and I don't doubt it, then it's just that much more important I don't turn tail should they find me. No, stop looking at me like that, I'm not going to go and pick a fight, I'll promise you that, but if I find one, I'm not backing down; don't do anything stupid? Don't fight when I don't have a chance? Now that, I can't promise." she set her mouth grimly. Gosh, this had all gotten depressing all of a sudden: like, really depressing. Time to move on a little bit, no need to dwell on all of this, she had her information, that was what she had needed, she had her mind made up, they could move on from that now.
She looked back at Kanga, the corner of his mouth quivered again, unsure where to go after that. Crooked smile or the dark frown she'd caught him with earlier? His expression turned so quickly she noticed, one slight curve of the mouth and it was all so completely changed. Between jocularity, friendly competition, slight boredom, curiosity... "I never told you what my name means," she realized. It had just suddenly occurred to her, the male from Amoux had sent that I-know-I'm-being-watched-chill up her spine mid-sentence, and he'd looked so curious too. Gosh-dangit the old lurker!
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Post by Meds on Oct 27, 2017 0:11:28 GMT -5
((I thought she did say her name meaning just a few replies ago, didn't she? I'll reply like she didn't though in case I'm wrong, and we can focus a bit more on it Also I'm on my phone so please forgive if it's not top notch:) )) Manaaki, Kanga;She replied to them in the best way she could have. All spark. Parts of their explanation had definitely disturbed her—the twins could smell it on her, especially when they mentioned Odin—but she didn't let it show. In fact, she did quite the opposite. She answered all of their questions truthfully, even the part about her fighting Kanga, which couldn't have been an easy thing for her to say out loud. Manga smiled down at her. Five minutes, eh? He would almost want to see that... he was sure, at the very least, she could cause him quite a lot of lower-leg pain. He chuckled deep in his chest at the thought and gave his shoulders a shake, flashing red in a cascade of colour. Manaaki was watching more closely. She wasn't just saying all of that for effect—it would seem that she meant every wors. This was greatly interesting to Manaaki. It almost sounded, for a moment, that she had decided, then and there, to take up arms against the evil pack. She certainly sounded convinced, if that was her train of thought. Then Kanga chuckled and Manaaki spared a glance for his little brother. "Why, Kanga, it's suddenly dawned on my that Kailypso here may do very well in Secluded Sunrise." He smiled at her, lifting a silver brow. Kanga turned fluidly and nodded his head side to side. "Oh, yeah! You could be a warrior, Kaily! I'd even teach you, if you let me. I'm the best teacher, anyway, so you probably wouldn't want anyone but me. We could take down Midnight Silence together."He didn't really think that she would want to join, neither of them did. She seemed like a strong independent loner—but it never hurt to suggest. Of course, they could not offer for her to join because there was no telling what Blaise would say... but it was worth mentioning. But then Kailypso offered up the meaning of her name. Manaaki grinned broadly, but his smile became slightly hitched when he turned to Kanga and felt an almost imperceptible shift in attitude. Kanga's face didn't reflect anything, but Manaaki knew him better than anyone else alive. This had been the one topic that Kanga hadn't wanted the conversation to turn to. In any case, in the half-second of hesitation, he had already glued a genuine smile onto his face and pushed his emotions down. He would deal with them later (or never).
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Post by Fierfly on Oct 27, 2017 8:28:40 GMT -5
((The magic of editing, I think I cut it out as you were replying, I felt like it didn't quite work in the moment, sorry for the confusion XD. Also no problem on the phone, it looks great.))
Kailypso:
Kanga chuckled at her ginger - good, this whole scene was getting ridiculously depressing, Kanga's turn to go and find a joke in there somewhere to make of it. The same look of satisfied admiration that he'd had when she'd given her integrity speech to Asrael slid across his features now. She could hang herself, why was she suddenly so preachy? Power, she'd left home to get away from lectures and they'd followed her, good Geist...that was it, no more speeches today, she was going to shut her springy trap and stop before one of them got some bright idea.
Manaaki had a very similar expression, a brow lifted in genuine interest. He hadn't been there for the first one, her running off on a tangent, all passion and fire-fueled. Through the surprise, he too looked pleased. Strike her where she stood, why did she do this to herself? He didn't tease or comment though, teasing was Kanga's bit, instead he turned to his brother earnestly: "Why, Kanga, it's suddenly dawned on me that Kailypso here may do very well in Secluded Sunrise." and he turned and cocked his raised brow at her, turning the question to her, Kanga jumped in before she could bat an eyelash. She could be a warrior! He would train her if she was willing - did Kanga have more faith in the rumors of his promotion than he'd let on earlier then? Or maybe he just wasn't willing to turn her over to strangers and wanted to irk her and keep her temper to himself to play with. He sat back with a day-dreamy smile on his maw and gestured to lay out the picture for her, they could take down Midnight Silence together, two-wolf army! Fighting and dying like a martyr. She shook her head. "I don't do packs, and if that alpha of yours - Blaise - is really such a fussbudget then she would hate me. Better to save everyone's sanity all-around."
Upon mentioning her name, Manaaki looked genuinely interested, maybe even slightly amused, there was some broadness and eagerness to his grin she couldn't identify. Then his gaze turned to his brother and something - the light in his eyes flickered for a moment. She quickly turned back to Kanga, but if his eyes had flickered similarly then she hadn't been quick enough to catch it. What now? Both smiled at her politely and waited for her to go on, but she was sure she was about stick her paw in her mouth or open an old vial of worms. Did she go on? She racked her brain to remember - Kanga had acted funny earlier when they'd talked about names - did his own not sit well with him? Was he going to feel obligated to share his? Of course he was, Manaaki was there, they'd probably do a big triangle-trade of the information. She hadn't expected him to share earlier, but with Manaaki there was an added element, and there seemed no way to avoid it. Blast! She shifted her weight a little, "It means 'Runaway'," she said at last, "'The one that hides'," She shook her head, "Don't feel obligated to share, their fool things anyway, just another label." she trailed off, brilliant, now she'd made the whole conversation awkward.
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Post by Meds on Oct 27, 2017 9:59:19 GMT -5
Manaaki, Kanga;
Ah, so she didn't do packs. They had guessed as much—but still, had they not mentioned it it would have always been unknown for sure. At least they were all on the same page now. Kaily explained her reasons for not joining up, and when she mentioned Blaise both both shared a knowing look.
"'Fussbudget'," Manaaki repeated, not agreeing—simply trying out the title on his tongue. It made him laugh, an honest, genuine thing. Manga looked from one to the other and chuckle again as well. "Blaise isn't our biggest fan either. We ranked, but I think that's because she's clever, and not necessarily because she wants us to come by and visit." "It's mostly Kanga that she doesn't like," Manaaki said. His smooth, quiet sense of humour was sometimes easy to miss, because often he didn't even smile when he made a joke. He simply said it and had an internal laugh with himself, then quietly glanced around to see if anyone else had heard. "We sort of trespassed and knocked a bunch of trees over." Kanga smiled again, but sheepishly this time. Kailypso (and Manaaki, frankly) wasnt big on the smiling, but Kanga more than made up for his company.
But then talk turned again to names. Kanga had accepted it would come. Perhaps it wouldn't be that bad. After all, his past couldn't hurt him anymore, right? Tiago's words about labels and leashes floated around his head as Kaily started talking. "The one that hides,"
Manaaki's face fell noticeably. "That's not very festive," He said, looking her over and trying to see how the subject made her feel. He was quite attuned to wolves' sensitivity towards their own names. It wasn't as if he was staring at her though—just being attentive. "Unless of course it means that the bearer of the name is strategic in battle." Hiding was often an important part of life; in fact, it often saved lives. It was nothing to be ashamed of. Kanga listened, struck that perhaps Kailypso's name didn't make her feel all that great either. But then he remembered that his name in itself didn't bother him either. It was the literal connotation behind it that their father had intended that hurt. "Well I'm Manaaki." He continued. "It means 'blessing'. But I'm the only twin that is allowed a name with a deeper meaning. Kanga's name doesn't mean anything."
His words were convincing. There was no hint of hesitation in them. When Kanga glanced quickly at his brother, he saw it reflected in his eyes—he was telling Kaily that Kanga didn't mean anything to make it easier on the red brother. But he was also reminding Kanga that his name didn't mean anything, because it didn't (anything that mattered, anyway). Kanga gave Manaaki a quiet smile meant just for him.
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Post by Fierfly on Oct 27, 2017 10:48:35 GMT -5
Kailypso:
Something about the word struck Manaaki's fancy and he tried it out on his tongue. A slow smile came into his eyes and spread to his lips and he began to laugh - Kanga had started long ago. Even Kailypso smirked, and she had never met the wolf, but if both of the twins found it so funny - who knew she might have been so close to the mark? Kanga's hearty laugh slowed and he explained that Blaise wasn't their biggest fan either. She'd given them ranks because she was clever, not because she liked them. Kailypso wondered at wolves who were diplomatic like that. She was too opinionated, stubborn and hot-headed to deal with wolves she didn't like, forget promoting them in a pack, if Blaise was willing to do all that- No, it was a good thing she didn't do packs or else she might have been tempted by the offer and that would not have ended well. She could already see that she and Blaise would not have gotten along, diplomatic, careful, proper, and then the hot-headed, sharp-tongued firecracker...no, they wouldn't have agreed at all: especially if Blaise didn't like the twins because Kailypso was discovering that she liked them very much and she had to admit that Blaise was likely clever and knew where to put their talents to use if she'd ranked them despite her personal feelings. Manaaki insisted that it was mostly Kanga she didn't like (Kailypso thought rebelliously that she liked Kanga very much) Kanga ducked his head sheepishly and confessed that their first meeting hadn't been the best. They'd trespassed, crossed the border uninvited and had...was he serious?...knocked a bunch of trees over?
Her mouth fell open and a slow curl one one corner curved slightly up. "You 'sort of' knocked a bunch of trees down?" she repeated and shook her head in amazement: the trees couldn't have been anything like the Redwoods around them now, but even felling a sapling big enough to be called a tree...Wow! She had a sudden wicked impulse to giggle. She had a rough mental image of Blaise as a no-nonsense matron of a quiet, respectable pack heading out on border patrol and finding these two giants sitting among felled and broken saplings of decent size and looking guilty but also pretty pleased with themselves. Kanga, she had a feeling, would have been pleased with himself at that rate, never mind if he was sheepish about it now, whatever scuffle or roughhousing that had caused that kind of mass destruction had to have been fun. She could almost picture Blaise fixing them with a frosty eye...she couldn't guess the color - and solemnly, stiffly, asking them to kindly explain themselves and then leave. She couldn't exactly fault her for being upset with them, but as a loner she wasn't so territorial and didn't mind wolves intruding on her space, she could always get up and walk away if she wished, for Blaise it had been her home, and yet, she couldn't find a way in which the situation would not have been even remotely humorous. The smirk tugged at her mouth again and she shook her head, she was sure, she liked these giants.
Her hesitation, her explanation of the meaning of her name. Manaaki's face fell considerably in disappointment, as though he'd been expecting something more, maybe something more exotic with how it sounded just saying it. "That's not very festive," he observed, "Unless of course it means that the bearer of the name is strategic in battle." she shook her head. It didn't, and she was okay with it, with her temper she didn't have the time or the patience to think up strategies anyway. Honestly it didn't matter what it meant or why it had been chosen, it was her name and she was stuck with it and thought rebelliously that though she hated the sound of it (too graceful and exotic), she didn't much mind the meaning, she even liked it a little, one had to admit, it suited her.
Manaaki ignored that they didn't have to feel obligated to share and said that his meant 'blessing'. She considered that, it was a pretty-sounding meaning, she had to admit, and his steady ways probably were a blessing in their own way. Sometimes those wolves who picked names for pups got things right. He went on to say that Kanga's name was mostly nonsense, it didn't really mean anything. Somehow that didn't sound right...hadn't...hadn't the meaning of his name bothered him? She must have misunderstood, maybe it was the lack of meaning. It didn't mean fair somehow that Kanga didn't have a meaning to his name, hand't he said he was the younger twin? It ought to have meant something bright and go-get-'em-ish, something like 'bright' or 'smile'...'crooked smile' was more like it. "Us younger siblings get all the luck, huh?"
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Post by Meds on Nov 9, 2017 14:01:08 GMT -5
((DANG! I'm so sorry! This one slipped my radar as well. Literally if I take longer than a week to reply without any warning PLEASE feel free to bump me, it means I've forgotten!!! xD))
Kanga, Manaaki;
She was impressed that they had made their entrance to the pack by knocking over trees. Saplings, most, though not all young. Kanga chuckled deep in his throat at the look a masked-wonder on her face, when she repeated the statement. He saw her eyes flick to the towering redwoods around them, and an idea came to him. Manaaki's head turned slowly on his shoulders, as if he could hear his brother's line of thought shouted out for the world to hear, but Kanga had alreadt sauntered over to one of the redwoods. It was old and dead, and though not quite as tall or thick as the others surrounding it, it was still by all means and tree and well-attached to the ground. Kanga grinned, inhaling the scent of the dry, rotting wood. "Only a few!" He barked in response to the question about trees, and his tail waved behind him as he rose onto his hind legs, reaching an appalling height of about nine or ten feet. He leaned back and tottered for a moment or two, before lunging forward and bringing all of his strength and weight down against the tree trunk. It cracked magnificently, just like Kanga's lips did as his mouth spread in a smile. After two more great heaves, the tree itself was leaning horribly—unable to recover. A third heave brought a loud and echoing final crack, and the tree parted from its base and smashed into the surrounding forest with a great cloud of dust and scattering of birds.
Kanga whipped back around and grinned like an idiot, faced immedietly with Manaaki's rolling eyes. A smile tugged at his lips, but he wondered, as he often did, why Kanga had to be so loud all of the time. Kanga snorted to his older brother and trotted back, not even having the decency to breath heavily after such exertion.
Manaaki sighed and tilted his head toward Kaily. "My brother, ladies and gentlemen."
Moving on through the conversation, Kanga only felt ill at ease once when Manaaki said his name didn't mean anything, but recalled that he had already shared with Kaily that he didn't like the meaning of his name. She either didn't notice or didn't comment though, so Kanga breathed easily after that. He didn't know her well, but Kailypso already seemed like the kind of wolf that didn't ask unwanted questions. It was pleasant. A good change form the nosier wolves in the valley. Manaaki didn't pick up on Kaily's reaction, though he did feel Kanga's sudden tension. He chalked it up to the general discomfort that names brought him though, so he bypassed it as easily as he could manage. She didn't seem to love the meaning of her own name either; and yet, she didn't seem entirely opposed to it. Manaaki could appreciate that. He himself didn't love his own name, if only becaue it made Kanga feel so awful. But he was strong enough and confident enough in himself not to let it bother him very much, either. Kanga knew where he stood, and he knew where he stood. That was everybody that mattered.
"Younger siblings?" Manaaki echoed, coming out of his revere in time to hear Kaily's last comment. "So you have some brothers and sisters of your own? You know how they can be, then." He glanced at Kanga with a raised eyebrow and Kanga flashed him his teeth. Manaaki's question was light, easy, for the sake of continuing the conversation. He knew that not all wolves had a good relationship with their siblings, and he could already tell that Kailypso wasn't the most open female. He didn't see anything wrong with gentle, friendly questions though, so he squared his chest and smiled. Kanga glanced back to the fallen tree and shared a smile with himself. Manaaki could roll his eyes, sure, but Kanga knew how to have fun. The older twin did as well, but it wasn't as easy for him. A lot of things came difficult for Kanga that were fine for Manaaki, so in this respect, he allowed himself that smile.
((PS I checked. Timberwolves can sometimes reach 8 feet on their hind legs, so I added a bit to account for Kanga's general hugeness. There you have it xD ))
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Post by Fierfly on Nov 13, 2017 15:38:30 GMT -5
Kailypso:
Kanga sheepishly ducked her exclamation and wandered a ways away to an older, dead tree - a smaller specimen among the giants surrounding them but still an impressive size and probably considering how vastly different the size of this tree was in comparison to the ones they'd bowled over when they'd crossed Blaise's border. He didn't deny it, and though he slightly downplayed it, he didn't exactly look as though he felt guilty about it. Hang that Kanga! A smirk bordering on a smile played at her stiff lips and one corner softly turned up. She had to hand it to him, there would never be a dull moment with this giant, and she found his honesty and how he enjoyed living up to his self-awarded and earned reputation as a scamp, trouble-maker and jokester refreshing, almost even comforting - because such open honesty was not something she was familiar with, and the freedom with being true was so much more comfortable than tip-toeing around secrets.
Kanga continued to eye the specimen, and Manaaki swung his great silver head around to eye his brother and send him a warning glare, but it was too late. Kanga was up - Kailypso had to again admire the finess the brothers had in their movements despite their sizes. Kanga's towering copper bulk reared up to almost three of her on her hind legs and slammed against the poor old tree.
Her eyes popped open wide as the ancient wood creaked and the tree swayed to tilt to one side with awful crack.
Kanga was grinning and the idea was firmly set in his mind now - even if Manaaki had voiced the protest she was sure was going through his head, it would have had no effect on Kanga. He slammed his weight against it again and again, each time it began leaning over further - further! One final slam and it fell completely over, what used to be the base raised slightly only because the stump added some height as the top fell into the forest and great flocks of small, winter songbirds took flight to escape the awful crash.
Kanga whirled around, beaming with that awful, wonderful crooked smile. Like a pup that had caught their first field-mouse, he was pleased with himself beyond description. He'd knocked over one of the ancient sentinels of the Redwoods and wasn't even breathing hard. Grinning impudently like the idiot he was at his brother, Manaaki turned his gaze heavenward as though searching for patience and heaved a sigh that carried the weight of the world with it.
"My brother, ladies and gentlemen." he murmured quietly, briefly addressing her.
The grin that had softened her mouth and expression split and she shook her head and snorted. Really what more needed to be said? It was Kanga, leave it to him to beat all.
Manaaki pursued the conversation again - blast it! Why had she had to go and share her name? He appeared intrigued with the idea of her having siblings and followed up with an assumption that she knew how they could be. He raised a brow at Kanga and Crooked Smile flashed a dagger-toothed grin. She thought about that, then shrugged, "Well, I guess that depends on what you know. My two brothers are quite a bit older than me, a couple of years I guess, and the other pups in the pack I was born in were closer to their age - your sibling experiences are probably lots different from mine," she stood, shook herself over and went to examine Kanga's handiwork of knocking down the giant more closely - partly out of curiosity, and partly so she couldn't have to look at Manaaki's ghostly gray eyes studying her as she responded - he analyzed statements the same way she did, and he seemed a sympathetic kind of wolf: she did not want to see any pity should he feel it, and thus turned her gaze deliberately away from him and toward the tree and tried to ignore her limp as she realized Manaaki didn't know about it yet. She paused as she came to the tree - it looked so much bigger close up and closer to her level! She jumped up and with only a brief undignified scrabble managed to climb up to the top of the fallen trunk and felt safe enough to look back at them. "So, on the one paw, yeah, I get how they can be, and on the other, I don't know the same way you do." she shrugged again and examined her perch again, "'This knocking down trees a hobby of yours Kanga? You're pretty good at it," she turned her re-affixed smirk to Kanga and hiked an eyebrow, wondering how he'd take her move to claim the throne he'd so conveniently knocked down.
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