When I rule the World ((tagged + open))

[Fierfly]

((Rykett - Ferox))

Epsilon:

Fine white spirits danced through the air. It was a cold, clear day. The sun lazed behind the clouds and muted white sunshine filtered through the haze. The snow had frozen into a hard crust and the fresh dry powder that had fallen during the night on top of it was being blown by the lonely winter winds to a complicated dance through the bare black branches scraping against the sky. If he hadn't felt so compelled to choose ice, the gray giant in the grove might have gone to the Mountain to petition for Current or Cyclone. It was mystical, subtle - it moved mountains with the gentlest of hands, wearing them down over thousands of years, it had the time to wait. Patient, noncommittal - free. He could have done with some freedom at the moment, but wandering about didn't feel like the thing to do - he was losing his traveler's itch and it was being replaced with a restlessness he didn't know how to vent, so he settled on practicing his power.

That was what got him thinking about how he might have preferred Current - practicing with his ice, replicating the fine little snowballs no bigger than a baby squirrel's ear that the wind could so easily pick up and whisk away. If only it were that easy to blow things away. No, his future loomed over him, a future in a pack he'd pledged his life and one day his leadership to. What in the Power's name had compelled him to do that? It felt more and more like a fool's promise as the seasons passed. He hadn't meant it, he wasn't helping anyone out here - should he resign his membership? Was that how these things worked? No, he'd give it another season, see what would happen. Maybe when spring came things would be clearer or he'd give the decision another season still, he wasn't sure, but he wasn't eager to face his problems as of yet.

White sleeves of frost came up his forepaws - a trick he'd learned fairly early on - and streams of fine, white crystals flowed from his claws anchored in the snow. He wanted to see if he had the finess to control where his ice was going, but the wind was picking it up and blowing it away - maybe he should have tried it on a calmer day. Still, there was something soothing about watching the wind pick up his work and take the frustrations in it away from him, so he let it go, trying different patterns and spirals and directions to see if there was a kind the wind wouldn't take.

[Rykett]

Ferox poked his head out of the den into the crisp winter air. Snow coated the ground. Gusts of wind rushed through the forest spiraling the softly falling snow. Some of the wind plucked flakes from the ground, causing them to fly against the flow of traffic as it the world had turned upside down. A slight mist had formed near the ground due to this and Ferox couldn’t see some distance away. An adult, however, would have no trouble seeing past the cloud of backwards snowflakes.

Ferox padded out into the grove. His paws crunched satisfyingly as they brought him into the world. His green eyes narrowed at the fog, frustrated that the world had decided to separate him from the rest of it all. Well, Ferox refused! He’d find someone to tease and the world couldn’t do anything about! The grumpy little pup roamed around the Ashwood Grove until a silhouette became visible. Ferox couldn’t be sure who it was, yet, so he attempted a stealthy approach. He couldn’t risk accidentally confronting Alphess Blaise! Skirting from tree trunk to tree trunk, he drew near enough to distinguish that the wolf wasn’t darkly colored like the Alphess or Betess. The stranger was fair game. A subtle blue glow pierced the mist carpet. It originated from somewhere on the wolf. Ah, so they were powered?

Ferox crept a little closer. He ducked behind the next trunk, and, deciding he was near enough now, he looked down at his paw. Or more accurately, he looked at the snow surrounding his paws. He gathered it together in a mound before compacting the chill fluff into a spherical shape. He slid his paw under it. Now came the difficult part. He needed to hit his mark or the surprise would be lost. Ferox peeked around the tree to aim. Carefully balancing the snowball on his paw, he flung it straight upwards and quickly swatted it towards his target with his other paw in a similar fashion to that of a tennis serve. He watched the cold white ball curve through the air. He bit his lip with anticipation, hoping desperately that it’d hit its mark.

[Fierfly]

Epsilon:

He was getting into it now - controlling the flow of the crystals, widening the stream flying off into the open nothingness, making it rise and fall and curve - he turned to let the wind take it all-

Thump.

Something raw and icy bounced off his muzzle, a fair chunk sticking to it and he startled, covering his freckled nose with a protective, icy layer. Hmm, he'd never tried generating ice on his face before - interesting. He turned his body about and began looking for where the projectile had come from. A shadowed silhouette of a much younger wolf ducked back behind a tree and he started forward, gliding almost silently for whoever had decided to attack his face with a pawful of rolled together snow and ice.

Turnabout was only fair play, he decided, veering to see behind the intruder first. Definitely a pup, tan, white feathering along his backside, a dark tip and white ring around his tail - were there many pups in the territory? He didn't know - he'd only ever met two of the gammas' sons, and that had been a long time ago, Helios was a sleek, solid adult now - Chance he hadn't seen in some time, and hadn't the gammess - Tear? - said they had a daughter as well? ...Come to think of it, this one smelled a little something like the gammas did too...

"Hello there," his low, even baritone rumbled down to the little ears and he watched as the pup startled and turned around - green eyed, blue highlights - almost an inverse of Chance, who was blue furred and had tan markings - and hadn't his eyes been changing toward green? Had the gammas had another litter? Maybe... "Do you often throw snowballs at wolves like that?"

[Rykett]

Ferox couldn’t hold back a chuckle as the snowball crashed into the wolf’s muzzle. He pulling back behind his tree cover as the adult’s eyes turned towards the direction of the snowball’s origin. Had he been seen? If he hadn’t, maybe he could hit the wolf with another frosty projectile. That would annoy them! What if he threw the snowball from another location? That would both confuse and anger them! Even more fun! He had to make sure the target hadn’t noticed him, first though. Ferox discreetly peeked around the trunk.

No eyes were staring at him. Well, that was because the wolf was gone. Gone! Ferox stepped a little out of his cover to better view where the wolf had once stood. Could they just be crouching? Or was their power Invisibility or Chameleon? Ferox had noticed that glowing power mark, so a powered disappearance was plausible. Perhaps, his snowball had scared them away? Well, if a sudden snowball had been thrown into Ferox’s face and he couldn’t see where it’d come from, he might assume the snowball had been thrown by a ghost or something. A coward might flee from the supernatural scene.

With still no sign of Ferox’s victim, Ferox decided one way or another the wolf had left. Ferox relax and padded out of hiding. Snowflakes had started to cling to his fur. He shook out his pelt and yawned, ’Well, so much for that! Time to find someone else to bother!’ Ferox was about to set off in search of another victim when a voice pierced muffled winter silence. ”Hello there.” Ferox jumped what felt like 5 feet into the air and spun around in terror.

A male towered over him. Grey, fluffy, and muscular, the adult’s sapphire eyes pierced Ferox’s heart with fear. What did he want? Would Ferox have to fight him? Could Ferox beat him? Definitely not. Ferox swallowed his alarm as the male continued, ”Do you often throw snowballs at wolves like that?” It was then that Ferox noticed the remains of his snowball dusting the adult’s muzzle. Ferox grinned, fiendishly, ”Only at bumswagglers who don’t pay attention.”

[Fierfly]

Epsilon:

A grin pulled in an eyelashes' bat at his mouth when the cub jumped. The fur raised along his ruff and his tail arched out to nearly double its original size. Ears shot back, his head twisted around and his long, scrawny legs flailed wildly as he rocketed into the air. It was sort of funny, but smiles came rarely for the giant now and the amused fancy didn't linger - he hoped he hadn't scared the little imp too badly. He had the smell of the territory on him - he was a packmate - someone Epsilon had sworn to one day protect and defend - no sense in getting off on the wrong paw.

He leaned back, chest and belly mere inches from the ground, shrinking from the adult. He always got introductions off on the wrong paw didn't he? The cub swallowed nervously and enviously green eyes darted over the adult - taking in the newcomer. Definitely smelled like the Gammas - had they had another litter? They must have, he was much to young to be from the same one as Helios and Chance - he was even a bit younger than the brothers had been when he'd first met them. My, how time flew.

The eyes lingered a moment longer on his muzzle and they lit up. What was so funny about his face? He'd stopped applying his power so it couldn't have been that he had a shield of ice locking his jaws - it had melted - melding in with the diminishing ice from the missile - ahhh, so he had thrown it. Sure enough a cheeky, impertinent smile pulled up the pup's mouth and his expression suddenly became cocky and self-assured. Dare he describe it as - arrogant?

"Only at bumswagglers who don't pay attention." he swaggered, turning his head coyly, eying him from the corner of the vibrant green orbs.

Bumswaggler - a childish insult if he ever heard one, much like squirrel-brain or slow-poke, but bumswaggler was a new one. What did this one mean? He might ask - should he encourage this name calling? No, of course not. This one was saucy, that was sure. Helios had had a good deal of confidence about him, but not quite to this. He pulled his chin in a little. "Bumswaggler? I don't see any hereabouts unless you mean the short one I'm talking to." Turn-about was fair play, and he didn't say it unkindly - though there was no amusement in his voice either - just passive, mild. Let the pup take it as he would.

"Actually, that doesn't quite suit you - I trust your name isn't Bumswaggler?" he hiked a blue eyebrow. "Then what is your name?"

[Rykett]

What short bumswaggler was the male talking about? They were the only two wolves in the immediate vicinity. The adult was certainly not short so he couldn’t be speaking of himself. Ferox’s overconfident smirk immediately dropped into a pouting frown as the comeback’s meaning sunk in. How dare he!? Ferox was the one dishing out the insults here! Ferox wrinkled his muzzle in annoyance. ”Of course it isn’t!” he snapped, his lip edging into slight snarl, ”You should be more careful of who you call bumswaggler, you bumswaggler!”

Ferox lifted his head a little in pride as he continued, ”My name is Ferox and I’m gonna be the alpha when I grow up and my first command will be to punish all the wolves who called me a bumswaggler!” Let the wolf chew on that for a bit! He truly must’ve had no idea who Ferox was. ’Ignorant idiot!’ Usually Ferox spoke such insults aloud, but right now he wanted to relish the expected stunned silence. Ferox couldn’t wait to become alpha. He was sure that Alphess Blaise would make him an Heir as soon as she saw how awesome he was and how awesome of an alpha he’d make. It was only a matter of time before he was promoted!

[Fierfly]

Epsilon:

...It didn't matter whose cub this was, he was arrogant. The snub maw twisted in an angry frown and a small canine peeped from his lip. He'd meant the friendly turnabout to be gentle - maybe he should have smiled? He should apologize -

"You should be more careful of who you call bumswaggler, you bumswaggler!”

Well that was real mature. No, no he was going to change his mind about that apology. Disclaiming the insult and then reusing it not only didn't make any matter of sense whatsoever, it was petty and childish. Oh, he was young granted and likely didn't know any better - but there was something about the tone that Epsilon didn't like. Something that made him want to turn his ears back or step away.

He did neither, but held his ground and merely blinked as the cub introduced himself properly. Ferox - a handsome enough name, and much more suiting than the insult (though he may have deserved it if this was his behavior all the time), and a good deal more sensible than his own (he would forever wonder why his parents had selected 'Epsilon' of all things). He proudly raised his cocky little head and puffed out his chest. Oh, so he was going to be the alpha one day, was he? Was he one of Alphess Blaise's brood then? Amora hadn't appeared to have known, but it seemed that Blaise had had a second litter with the little she-pup he'd met while digging his den. Her name escaped him, but he did recall that she'd been blind in one eye - she would have been about the same age as Ferox - though there was an utter lack of resemblance - Ferox was light and tawny, the she-pup had been darkly colored - more like her mother. And he was growing quite familiar with the Alphess's scent with their training sessions and as she instructed him in governing the pack. No, he was sure he was a gamma's pup - he looked a good deal like both his older brothers and though he wasn't terribly familiar with the scent, it was familiar. It wasn't uncommon for the beta's or gamma's offspring to take lead of the pack when they reached adulthood - it was not a foreign concept to him, but the proclamation did get him to raise both eyebrows.

So sure of himself, not necessarily a bad thing, but his swagger was beginning to make the adult wonder. "Pleased to meet you Ferox," he said quietly, "My name is Epsilon - Heir of Secluded Sunrise."

Drop the mic.