I Can Wait Forever ((Joining thread))

[Fierfly]

((Meds))

Leviticus:

It was a gloriously warm autumn evening - truly! The trees were aflame with gold, crimson and amber leaves and the golden late-evening light only seemed to highlight the richness of the colors, lighting up the golden veins in the hearts of the leaves. Slender, white aspens and dark, serious pines protectively sheltered the small territory. The Wildflower Clearing territory if the rumors were to be believed. Wildflower Clearing, you look for the Secluded Sunrise marker and swing west by southwest for an afternoon, or head to Kai Lake and travel east from the furthest shore in that direction. Let it never be said that Leviticus didn't do his research.

...Leviticus - that wouldn't do at all. Oh sure, maybe for an initial formal introduction it would suit its purpose, but there had to be a handy shortening of it for friends once he made some in this new pack. He hoped he would make friends, and quickly, he wanted to be a part of this bigger picture, and neutral was the part he would play. He had deliberated long and hard on whose pack he would join - that of the alphess who went by Blaise and that of the one who called herself Koa. In the end, Ivory Wild had won. He'd lurked just beyond the borders of both - Secluded Sunrise was - of course, secluded, sheltered. He could smell pups in the territory, it was a family-rearing place and altogether a bit larger than he wanted. Not only did he want to make a difference, he wanted to be core - the pack was too large and too old for him to be in the integral workings of it. He'd heard of the betess and the gamma pair in Secluded Sunrise, all founding members and standing strong. Ivory Wild was still being born, he wanted to be a part of it and make his mark here where it would matter more.

Besides - he couldn't help but smile to himself. He'd heard that the Secluded Sunrise betess was the daughter of the alpha. That only fortified his thinking - it was a family pack, or else full of bachelors one way or the other. Ivory Wild was not only a younger nation, there were bound to be younger wolves in it, all single and all different and looking to get the young pack on its feet. It would be a beehive of activity, and he was always drawn to something new being built. He'd heard that the alphess here - Koa, was quite beautiful. Of course, he was only three and terribly handsome if he could say so himself, he wasn't ready to settle down just yet, but it was best to keep his options open with a new crowd in a new pack.

Ah, here he was, at the border. He identified the alphess' scent and composed the message he wished to send in song. He braced his long, skinny legs, tipped his head back, raised his soft gray nose to the sky, and began to sing for his would-be commander to come and meet her newest recruit.

[Meds]

Koa;

Koa was lounging against one of the sentinel-trees that had been warmed by the sun. Her Sentinel-Scouts, aptly named, for they were as much a part of the treed border as the trees themselves—had retired for the evening and would be back at the watch in the darkness. She really ought to have more members. So far, they had been lucky and avoided detection or run-in with any of the larger packs; and yet, luck couldn’t last forever. It would be good to sturdy her ranks.
And then, as if her thoughts had made it so, a request suddenly carried over the trees. Koa turned slowly, her Awareness activating almost without her telling it to. She had become well-versed in it since becoming Alphess. I now felt like a blanket she could throw to the sky and settle over the area, sensing all beings there, picking out those that she knew. She had begun to even put together mental pictures of what she was sensing—but it was still crude at this point.
All the same, she could tell that the visitor was a male, and that he was alone. Her lithe body sprang up from the warm trunk, and in a scattering of bees and pollen, she was off.

By the tome she closed in on him, she allowed her gift to fade. Pinpointing a howl wasn’t always accurate, but when using her gift, she could all but walk up to the wolf in question. When she broke gracefully through the tree line, a smokey-grey male with plenty of esthetically-pleasing blue highlighting met her eyes. He was tall, bordering lanky, but had strong shoulders and held himself with confidence.
”A fine evening for a meeting,” Koa said, her minty eyes dancing in the orange light of sunset. She sat a short ways off and fixed him with a calm, yet expectant, smile.

[Fierfly]

Leviticus:

Light, delicate paw-steps approached the border and he straightened. He wasn't exactly a vain wolf, but he did want to make a good first-impression, so he straightened and pushed up a charming, professional smile - which suddenly became much easier to do when the alphess made herself visible. She was pretty, the rumors didn't lie, but more importantly, he could see the intelligence in her eyes, the confidence and the warm light of welcome for a new member to her fledgling pack. "A fine evening for a meeting," her voice was like a calm, steady river trickling over smooth-washed stones. This was what he'd been looking for.

"My Lady," he dipped his head and bowed deeply, but quickly, he was not a groveler, but credit where credit was due, she was indeed the equivalent of royalty and was owed that respect. "Good evening, my name is Leviticus and I look to join your pack." maybe he was playing it a little formal - the warm, honey-like color of the night and the season did make him feel like waxing somewhat poetic. Still, he shouldn't overplay it. He chuckled at himself, "Excuse my forwardness, I tend to be more than a little blunt, but truly, it would be an honor to serve in the ranks of Ivory Wild if I can be of any assistance to your noble band." Warm amber eyes twinkled in good-humor and hopefully. Long, slender thrash of a tail wagged once or twice hopefully, but kept low to compensate for his height - he was at least a head taller than her and he wasn't stooping his neck, but nor was he arching it - how could she see him if he crawled and how could she see him if he towered over her? She would see him as he was, and then decide.

[Meds]

Koa;

A quick, formal head-tilt later, and they were conversing. Koa flicked her chin upward slightly as he addressed her and introduced himself. One vine-marked ear twitched, and she logged his name away for future use. Leviticus. A mouthfull to be sure, but noble in its own way. He allowed a light chuckle to ring out, and then his voice lost a little bit of the overly-formal notes. Koa could appreciate that. Respect where it was due, but anything that made her roll her eyes was too much.

”Bluntness forgiven, I am looking for new wolves to fortify our numbers.” Her frosty eyes twinkled. He was tall, but young she felt, perhaps not much more than her though. She had the feeling that he would grow into his height, and even if he did not, long legs made for fast feet. ”Will you stay?” A light smile played at the corner of her lips, but she was very serious. ”Unfortunrtly, some of the core wolves in this little family disappear more often than not.” Nanouk and Zeus, which was half of her pack body, and who knows where they were? It had been over a season since she had seen either of them. It was not quite to her satisfaction in pack members, and she wanted to be sure that this Levi wouldn’t do the same. ”And what will you bring to our family, Leviticus?”

[Fierfly]

Leviticus:

Koa was the agreeable type, he was pleased to see. She took his joke on himself in good grace and frankly addressed him - forwardness was not an issue with her, she was indeed looking for more members to add to her band. His smile grew a tad more. Wonderful! She was open to the suggestion! But then - though her pleasant smile remained, it slipped and a serious note made itself manifest in her tone. But would he stay? He wrinkled his snout in puzzlement. Stay? That was what one joined a pack for, was it not? If he was to commit himself to Ivory Wild, wasn't that the same as saying he would stay? She nearly sighed as she explained some of her core members had a tendency to disappear. His jaw nearly dropped. Really? This wasn't something he'd ever expected to run into. Leaving the pack without permission had been a punishable offense where he'd been brought up. Of course, he supposed the punishment would be something of a problem if the offender didn't come back and resources were too precious to send a few fools chasing after any such delinquent, but still... Oh, and what could he bring to their family? Ah! Of course, making his contribution. He recovered himself.

"Of course I would stay, if Ivory Wild is my home -" well, this wasn't coming out as smoothly as he'd like. "Aside from the occasional run to the Hunting Plains, I assure you, My Lady that Ivory Wild would not only have my life and loyalty, but my love and undivided attention. I want to contribute to this group - this small nation who is carving out and existence together, I should like to add my talents - anything I can do for you. I'm a born runner - and sharp-eyed, I'm not large and I'm no great shakes as a fighter I'll admit, but I'll gladly watch out for my fellows, do what I can to keep them safe. Besides, no fight was truly won with brute force, it's always the wits and strategy that determine the winner in the end." ehhh, a bit long-winded, ah well.

[Meds]

Koa;

He seemed generally surprised when Koa asked if he planned to stay. Her face became grim and her brow lifted slightly. It should have been an odd question—one an Alphess should never have to ask. And yet here she was, an Alphess with a Beta and two missing wolves. She shook her head lightly, dismissing it from her mind. She would speak to each privately should they return... and if they didn't, well, she would remove all trace of them from the pack eventually and they would no longer be welcome. Such was the blessing and the curse of a powerful female with only so much space to spare.

"That pleases me to hear," She bent her head slightly. "And of course, day trips or even trips that took you away for days and nights and a time would be acceptable... But as your Alphess, I would expect to hear some word of where you were, if you planned on being gone for long. Ivory Wild is not a large family. We feel the loss when our members disappear." She massaged the springy Autumn earth below her claws.
When Levi explained what he could bring and let slip that he believed that fights were truly won by wit and strategy, Koa smiled. Had somebody told him to say that? She leaned back on her haunches slightly, as if tossing it around in her mind.

"Do you have a mate? Family, inside the Valley or otherwise?" Again, a good thing to know. Her Gamma, as far as she knew, had yet to tell her about a budding romance of her own. "I'll admit you make a good case for yourself, Leviticus."

[Fierfly]

Leviticus:

Koa was pleased to hear that he would remain. Wonderful! This was going much better than he'd anticipated, though it was a shame that this much ground was being gained from such unfortunate circumstances - wolves leaving their new pack. Who would do that? And why? Well...he had a couple of ideas from previous experience - not that they applied to every case, and it was still unfortunate that they had pledged themselves only to leave. Ah well...

A mystical smile etched its way onto her lips and she sat back a bit, kneading the moist earth with her claws and toes thoughtfully, clearly still considering all her options, though he was almost sure she was beginning to favor the idea of his joining now. Did he have a mate? Or family someplace? He chuckled good-naturedly. "Ah, no, and yes respectively. I have not had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of my lifelong companion and am very much single as of now - but I do have a mother and two siblings, about a day east of the edge of this valley in thicker, wilder wood than this. We have parted ways on good terms - I to my adventures, they to their own paths. I had hoped that Ivory Wild would become my family." no need to tell her he had family and then leave her to question whether or not they were good or may come back to hunt him and disrupt things. A young pack was fragile enough - never mind beasts leaving, and then someone coming in with a price on their head, it was not a pretty picture. Fortunately his family had no bad blood betwixt them, and such a long ways away - it would be a clean slate and a chance to start over, just what he wanted, a new adventure.

He wondered if this was a particular habit of Koa's - the endearing little half-smile and how her eyelids gently drifted down over her vibrant blue-green eyes. They were not quite half-closed - she still looked alert and professional enough, but her expression had softened to something friendly and dream-like. Not all ambitious folk were brassy and constantly yapping for action, there was always a bit of time to dream. He did make a good case for himself. He felt his smile take a crooked turn - the awful divot that came to the left side whenever he was especially pleased that and his eyelashes were the two things absolutely horrendous about his appearance, but she was considering it, that was the real victory.

[Meds]

Koa;

He gave a satisfactory answer to her question. Koa has nothing against mates or families—but she did have a problem with circumstances that would take her subjects’ prime focus away from the pack body. Ivory Wild was a small territory. Very small. One rouge litter of pups and they would be fit to bursting. But so far he had given off a good first impression. Koa would need a little more information before she welcomed him, though.

”So tell me,” She hummed. She had already made the mistake of letting wolves in quickly. It wasn’t hard for her to get an idea of strangers though, especially now with her gift—so she had to remember that sometimes, things weren’t to be rushed. ”Where do you see yourself within my pack?”

She took a few steps toward him, circling him once and looking him up and down in the close quarters.
”You have long legs—fast. A Sentinel-Scout, perhaps?” She did one more circle before sitting close by. ”Or do you have larger plans for yourself?”

[Fierfly]

Leviticus:

"So tell me, where do you see yourself within my pack?" It was not quite low enough in the throat to be a purr, but er voice had dropped to a comfortable, purry tone - something between a sigh and a hum as she came forward and paced around him, eying him up and down. She observed that he was indeed long legged and was likely fast and asked if a Sentinel-Scout position would suit him or if he had larger plans for himself.

"However I may please and serve my alpha and pack I will - but I would be lying if I said I didn't someday envision me as a counselor to you - a gamma perhaps." his amber eyes lit up with the old pup-hood dream of being the commander of the knights of a noble pack. It didn't have to be a big pack, he just wanted to belong to something noble that could face against the odds. Of course there were stations higher than gamma he'd used to covet - but no great thing was earned overnight, only a little at a time and very slowly and steadily. This Koa was no feeble-minded creature - though she was beautiful - she was not simply a means to the lofty station of alpha. Besides, he could wait, check the waters and test them and see if he even truly wanted such a position. Better to start small. "But seeing as I'm yet a stranger to you, proving myself as a scout in your services would be most satisfactory - I see you'll put my talents to good use."

[Meds]

Koa;

Koa nodded along, her eyes still tracing his form and finding where he may fit, as he answered her latest question. These interviews always felt forced, it was the way of them—and yet she was confident in her ability to make a good choice. He mentioned that he was happy anywhere, but one day could see himself as Gamma. Koa's eyelids lowered slightly and she regarded him calmly without words, knowing full-well within her mind that he current Gamma, Nanouk, was one of the ones who had disappeared. It irked her beyond measure, but she had to tell herself not to focus on that in this moment. It wasn't Levi's fault—no sense giving him the attitude that stemmed from it.

"Ivory Wild is small, and new. There is plenty of room to rise within our ranks." A small nod tipped her chin towards the ground, and then she fell silent. From behind her, though whether Levi was tall enough to see it or not, she didn't know, her tattoo flared to life once more.
She inhaled slowly, leaning in and closing her eyes lightly. Her brow furrowed slightly as she memorized his scent and allowed her power to take hold of it. He smelled of a hot summer sun, perhaps dry grasses being rustled by an afternoon breeze... maybe the barest touch of rich soil. She would not forget it, after that. Once she was powerful enough, she hoped she would one day be able to locate any and all wolves within the valley, as long as she knew them; not that she didn't believe that Levi would stay. But caution was never a bad thing.

Koa pulled back and allowed the last of the warm autumn evening to flash past her eyes as she let her gift die once more.
"Do you have anything you would ask of me?" This was the time for him to ask questions before committing himself. Koa gave him a small smile.

[Fierfly]

Leviticus:

She assured him that there was plenty of room to grow and rise through the ranks in the new pack. He tried not to get too excited, but this was good news and it nearly made him beam. The timing and selection of which pack had been so perfect he could have gloated if half of it wasn't owed to some good chance and Koa's good temperament.

She dipped her head and closed her eyes, a soft, blue violet glow began to emit from - her neck? Were the stories true then? He raised his head and shifted his weight back to see - what were the symbols? Umm - a flower, wisps of the wind, the curling streams of water, a flicker of flame, three circles inside each other for a target, the marks of battle, a pawtrack and something that resembled an eye -

Koa's power tattoo was an eye.

Well! That was something he hadn't heard in his inquisitions - Koa was powered (indeed the stories were true - that was a discovery even of itself, but could be marveled over another time, there were more pressing matters and thoughts that needed his attention at present), and with an intellectual gift if he remembered correctly the signs and stories - maybe he didn't, it had been pretty long ago. Of course the coats of his siblings were much brighter than that of their parents - some sort of enchantment had brought those, but the Power stories - they were not mere fables then? The birth of Lunar Meadow...the great fire that burned the Sapling Grove in its prime and left only the young saplings growing from the ashes - were all of those stories true as well? Time would tell, or perhaps retain her secrets, for memory was not always kind to such details, but this fantasy he'd wondered about as a pup was indeed true.

This gave him hope that other fantasies could be achieved as well.

Koa's head came up again and her piercing blue-green eyes smiled at him once more. Did he have anything he would ask of her? His own smile broadened, "One very simple request," he confirmed, "I never held fondness for 'Leviticus' - and as this Ivory Wild provides me with a new start - a rebirth if you will - I'd like to go by 'Levi' among my new family." Shorter, almost crudefully so and not so elegant or sly-sounding, but it certainly made it easier to pronounce and he felt it matched the hope and new discoveries awaiting him in this new pack.

[Meds]

Koa;

Since Levi noticed her power while she was still using it, Koa noticed all-too easily. She would not feel it, not while she was so new to it, but his body was out in the open to Koa while Awareness was engaged. It gave the term body language a whole new meaning. But she did not feel threatened. Part of having the “eye in the back of her head” meant that other wolves did not see it right away. In this way, she was not to be seen as too threatening. Even psychological powers were still powers.
But it did not bother her that he noticed. If anything, she felt a twinge of pride.

”Levi then,” She said after a bare pause, eyes running up the length of him and locking his own gaze once more. A rebirth—has he said just what it was he wasn’t being reborn from? No, Koa didn’t think so. Interesting choice of words, then... ”A rebirth, my my.” She smiled, but her eyes were keen. ”Not running from anything too close by, I hope? Ivory Wild does not need such large battles as of yet.” She watched very closely for his reaction, her tattoo glowing once more to catch all but the smallest of movements.

[Fierfly]

Leviticus:

Was she amused by his word choice? Was it too much? No, it was true enough. She smiled and raised an eyebrow at the implications. A rebirth - he wasn't running from anything too close or too dire now was he? He chuckled, low in his throat, a rather bass sound for the medium tenor that he was - just goes to show that there were more to creatures than tended to meet the eye, always something yet undiscovered.

And at this, the start of the journey, there was much to be discovered.

"Not from," he assured his alphess, "I find myself not running from anything, but rather running to a new sphere I had previously only dreamed of exploring." He dipped his head low and looked up with his penny-hued amber eyes impishly, "And that's an adventure I look forward to." Leviticus - no - Levi now, straightened once more, "With your permission My Lady," and he poised to cross the border and become a part of this larger picture.

[Meds]

Koa;

Levi certainly had an ungainly charm to him. As Koa watched him sift through her words, her Awareness heightened, she couldn't help but smile when he chuckled. He responded to her, but no amount of Awareness could tell her he was lying. As far as she knew, he was being honest. This was positive, as Koa would not have dishonesty directed to her on her own border, packmate or no.
"Well if you run fast enough, young Leviticus—" Her mint-eyes flashed. "We may make a Sentinel-Scout of you, yet." Even as she said the words she felt the reminder in the back of her mind telling her that her Gamma was absent. While not necessarily dire to fill, quick wolves with sharp minds were always welcome... She would ponder it.

"I have found nothing to be displeased by in you. I caution you, though. Should your words have failed you this time, and it turns out that something indeed is chasing you... I tell you now that I do not do well being lied to." Her words were soft, smooth, not necessarily threatening—but laced with authority. A promise was hidden in those words. "But until that time comes, the Ivory Wild would be pleased to have you. My Beta Epicenter is around. The two absentees are a Recruit and my Gamma. You will now be a Recruit under me and Epicenter. Given time, we will find a place that suits you best. Welcome, Levi, to your new home."

[Fierfly]

Leviticus:

Her mark of power flashed again as she listened. He began straining his brain to remember what sorts of abilities such gloriously burdened wolves might have carried - but he couldn't quite reach the memory, it was just something to do with the mind. A fitting power for an alphess of a small pack, she had to be intelligent, aware and think on her feet. Whatever the third eye told her apparently pleased her: "Well if you run fast enough, young Leviticus - we may make a Sentinel-Scout of you, yet." he beamed. If he could run fast enough he essentially had a rank with his name on it. His speed had always been reasonable for a wolf of his build in the means of leg-power and such, but now he had extra incentive to practice: finesse with maneuverability and coordination was all that stood between him and the dream he'd sought since he was a child.

She did caution him that though she found him honest at this time, she did not take well to being lied to. "Ah, then we'll get along famously," he grinned. There was no need to scramble and assure her of his honesty, let his deeds do that for him - actions did indeed speak louder than words. She took it well and told him that for now he was a recruit and would report to herself and the beta - Epicenter. Well, at least his name would not stick out overly much, there were after all beasts with names as strange as his own, and seeing Koa's coat, colors as strange - he would indeed fit right in. This was indeed his new home.

He eyed the border as an outsider one last time before lifting an ungainly paw attached to the foolishly long leg and in a light leap became a part of the land. Ah - so this was what a home felt like. Very much like the one he left, but as yet it was strange to him, and new, and waiting to be explored and to grow him in mind and to show him what fate had in store.