Divided We Stand (A Packs Roleplay, OPEN and ACCEPTING)

[Nellas]

Katrina's everbright gaze was lingering despite herself, fixed curiously on Beau's face as he managed to look pensive while at the same time the seemingly characteristic little grin he had never left the curve of his mouth. Brave, huh? That particular sentence had been spoken lightly enough, but behind it echoed every time she had been called brave before it, by wolves she knew- doubting, passive aggressive, sarcastic words that bit her then and bit her still. Brave, sure enough. Brave enough too to hide how deeply she hurt, to feel that others thought her wrong for undeniably being herself. Brave, or afraid?
At Beau’s seeming little peace-offer, Katrina’s attention focused wholly on him once again, finding it far better to anchor herself in the present, especially the present that contained such an arresting and intriguing strange wolf, than on the murky, ill-defined depths of her deeper longings and miss-steps. Pushing it away, Katrina matched her eyes shamelessly with Beau’s, a smile playing at each corner of her mouth as she replied: “I like wild.”

Katrina's keen gaze didn't miss the way Beau's eyes dragged across her body. Another dove might take offense in such casual appreciation of her form, yet Beau continued to prove so delightfully different from the norm of her pack that she somewhat missed that gaze after his eyes shut, amusingly self-aware. Katrina let out something of a chuckle, the light tones of her small laugh spilling over one another into the air. His words had piqued a faint irritation in her again- she bridled to be thought of as caged, and bridled more at the realization that it was somewhat true. She knew that she should press down this uprise of emotion, but interacting with this stranger with so much less care to social pressures was proving intoxicating. Instead of demurring, as another shores wolf might have, an edge to her voice was present in her reply. “Perhaps, Beau, but I’d advise against forgetting that a bird in a cage is still a bird nonetheless,” at the same time her bright gaze never leaving the sunny angles of his face in order to judge his answering expression.

~

Overwhelmedness was beginning to press against the borders of Sparrow’s mind as she struggled to comprehend all that had just happened, all of the painful history alluded to in the stiff conversation that went completely over her head. The sudden vulnerability in the foreign dove’s posture that was revealed as Lilith turned away nigh broke Sparrow’s heart; her entire being sung with the helpless yearning to heal every wound. The lithe tracker hoped ardently that Kirsten wouldn’t have moved on by the time her and Lilith returned to the pack.
But for now, there was only one course of action for her to take. Sparing Maia a last look that was complex with compassion, Sparrow’s deep grey gaze swung to Lilith’s dark form with a finality as she lengthened her stride to follow. Keeping her ears pricked forwards to catch the sound of pawstep and whispered of grass as they brushed by, Sparrow felt she would wait to catch completely up to the head hunter, highly conscious of the absence of her mask. Sparrow had never seen Lilith without it, and out of respect for her packmate she kept her eyes averted, not wanting to contribute to the midnight dove’s intense emotion.

~

If Quinn noticed the slight hitch in their conversation as her eyes met Dovev's, she didn't say anything, her expression unchanging from it's overall pleasant set- though admittedly the muscles around her eyes were still somewhat tense from the strain of the aches and pains her body was currently enduring. Even so, with the medicine's help the severity had already lessened and the clarity of mind that she'd maintained while moving had slipped a little. Her usual obliviousness in picking up the smaller social cues was likely clear to Dovev as she failed to respond appropriately to his subtle expressions in response to her words, expressions that might have betrayed somewhat of his inner thoughts, were Quinn more adept at picking them up. “Thanks, Dovev,” she said simply as he allowed her to stay, curious about his following comment but too tired to find the words to ask- she had never quite understood the tensions surrounding the pack shaman; despite the careful whispers and cool glances, he had always seemed very friendly and polite to her. “I just hope I heal quickly, I can never stand just laying around for too long,” she murmured in reply, her voice lowering slightly as she felt the continuous pull of the medicines.

Clarence’s deep blue eyes retained the fond crinkle at their corners as he observed Skye’s response to his words. He wasn’t quite expecting her attack on his paw- though he should have, knowing Skye, the beta wasn’t used to touch from his packmates beyond Quinn and Gemini- and it delighted him, an amusement that showed in the warmth of his expression. It seemed a miniature tornado had affixed itself to his foreleg. Hindlegs tensing somewhat for continued balance, Clarence lifted his unburdened paw, comically big next to Skye’s young form, placing it firmly but carefully on her outstretch sternum so she was effectively pinned, his eyes glittering with subtle mischief. At Saber’s chuckle, which was heartening to Clarence, he released the pressure on Skye just in time for her to spring up onto her paws again, a well of seemingly endless energy.

Clarence, somewhat unused to interacting with pups, wasn’t prepared for her next decision either- before he knew it she had all but launched herself towards Jesse and n’Obi, and Clarence had just begun to register alarm before he realized Saber had successfully contained her. The pout she gave Saber was incredibly endearing, even more so when she turned it on the beta himself, but Clarence bit back his smile despite himself, not wanting her to feel potentially insulted should she see it. “Not right now, Skye,” he said gently, “they’ve yet to settle into camp. Later on though I’m sure n’Obi especially would love to meet you.”

[The Royal Mirage]

The dusky grass and scrub chaffed at worn paw pads as Lilith followed an indiscernible path, one which existed only in her haste to get away. Always running away. A grimace cracked her maw apart, wrinkling her midnight brow visibly without the bone barrier her mask had provided. Striking teal markings stood a stark contrast, bent and marred at the bridge of her nose as she exposed her fangs, straining to hold it in. Her thoughts were a muddled blur, trying to evade the flood of emotions Kirsten's appearance had brought on; why did this have to happen now, where was he, would Maia and Tanga be okay, why did Sparrow offer to join her, were they following her all this time, was she ever really on her own in the first place?

Just keep moving. Get away.

The steady brushing steps behind her rose to the fore of her thoughts, a reminder that even now she wasn't alone. Sparrow. As the pair drew further and further from the scene, Lilith let one question come into focus; why? Why would Sparrow, heck, why would anyone choose to follow her after that outburst? She had lost her cool, and like a petulant child had turned away from her feelings. In a way, she wished she were alone, wished to wallow in her own sadness and confusion and puerility for a while; yet Lilith had said Sparrow could join her, if she wanted. Why had she left the door open when all she wanted to do was close herself off from the world? Even now, could she not resist the clutching desire to have someone, anyone, care about her?

It doesn't matter, just keep moving.

A couple tears slid silently past her eyelids, unsanctioned in their trailing journey across her cheeks, dipping under her jaw, and finally falling to the grassy plains below. Her fragile world, so recently reconstructed, had been chipped at once more; the cracks where glue held the pieces together widened, letting water slip through and drown her mind in feelings she'd locked out. Her steps wavered, stumbling over a mole hill, but her stride picked up again as though it hadn't even occurred. She had to keep moving. That was the only option now.

[Nellas]

The tired burn in Sparrow’s long legs began to even out as her body acquitted itself once more with travel. As she was trying not to focus overly on Lilith for the sake of respectful privacy, Sparrow instead turned her senses out to the wider world around them. There were trees still, yet the landscape was beginning to be dominated by brush and shrub and grass, grass that was yellowing and fading at autumn’s inevitable approach. They had little cover from the sun now, yet it wasn’t overly warm and Sparrow found it bearable despite her lingering thirst. The breeze, no longer impeded by many trees, grew into a wind that came and went, and the sound of the drying grasses brushing together and the lone cry of a wheeling hawk above them was the only other sound than two quiet sets of paws.
Even still, it was hard to not think about what had just happened. Sparrow was but a slim ghost of an unobtrusive presence following behind her midnight-hued companion, from whom desperation and pain rolled in tense waves. The urge to assist Lilith in whatever way possible was second only to an immense, aching sense of empathy, that had settled in Sparrow’s chest like a weighted stone. She knew she was far from comprehending what Lilith had experienced and the thoughts she felt now, but Sparrow recognized the deep pain riding beneath it all. Pain that struck a chord within her, because she had her own experience of pain as well. Every fibre in Sparrow’s being sung fiercely with the hope that she might be able to help, somehow, anyhow. The last thing she wanted was for someone to feel like she had…
Sparrow pushed away her self-pity brusquely. It would do no good to Lilith, to whom she now felt a responsibility to look out for. Sparrow would have kidded herself to say she had any idea what would happen now, the two of them travelling further and further from their camp. But she knew both her own self and Lilith to be skilled hunters, and had no need to worry for their physical well being, at least.

[*~WolfSoul~*]

At both Saber’s and Clarence’s firm but gentle denial, Skye gave a disappointed huff and let her shoulders deflate. The young she-wolf rarely wallowed in such negativity though and promptly shook it off, instead casting her attention towards the two stranger brutes from where she sat, her gaze taking on a strangely wistful quality as it rested on the thick, scarred shoulders of the white loner. She felt the same strange admiration that she often felt as she looked upon Saber or Clarence, who were equally tall and strong. This new loner was perhaps the most muscular and scarred brute that the pup had lain eyes on before, and it nearly made her feel a strange ache in her chest to look at him. She didn’t yet have the right words or knowledge to recognize what she was feeling, but knew only that she felt uncomfortably aware of her own slender, tiny body. “Can I go see Lilu then?” she asked, a little tamer, tearing her gaze away from the newcomers to pout petulantly at Saber.

The head hunter blinked slowly at her, and gave a soft nod. His voice was a breath gentler when he replied, “She might be a little busy still, but why don’t you go see if you can help. And you don’t have to ask me to visit any of your packmates, kid.”
Skye hoisted herself up onto her feet with a smile beginning to reform on her face now, mood restoring. She shook out her wayward Mohawk and grinned up at Clarence, giggling a goodbye at the both of them before turning tail to trot across camp. She slowed faintly as she began to pass by Jesse and n’Obi, eyes drifting to the side to look over at them, perhaps hoping to snag their attention. Saber narrowed his eyes faintly and shook his head, a wry grin curling the corners of his lips. Skye tossed a quick glance back and saw the expression, quickly feigning innocence as she returned to her trotting pace and headed for Lilu’s den.

Saber gave a heavy sigh – not put upon but simply affectionate and weary – and then grunted as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. “She is a wayward one.” He supplied simply, fondly. The change in position reminded him how foggy his head felt from the medications Lilu had given him, a sensation that wasn’t quite tiredness but a loose, relaxed feeling that made it hard to think and easy to lay his head down. The head hunter turned warm amber eyes to Clarence who was a few sparse feet away still, regarding him for a moment before blinking towards the two newcomers in the middle of the camp. “What do you think of them?” he asked, dipping his muzzle faintly, dark fur ruffling faintly around his neck with the movement, voice low not out of secrecy but just in the natural timbre of his voice, husky and quiet, holding no expectations and instead inviting the beta’s honest answer. Skye’s departure left the two of them relatively alone on one side of camp near the dens, allowing for a view of nearly the whole clearing, separated from the action.

(Just Saber and Skye for now, the rest will come in a bit.
Goldie I hope you see this - let me know if it's alright to send Skye Lilu's way? If not she can easily veer off course)

[-goldleaf-]

((I'm sorry for my silence everyone, I've been workmen on the artwork for my characters more than actually writing for them at all, so my muse areas have switched a little, but I'll whip out a reply or six for sure tomorrow. In the meantime, yes of course please send Skye Lilu's way Wolf and I'll catch up in no time ))

[⠀vega]

Please tell me is I am doing this right, I am literate that is for sure however this is my fist time on this so I am trying to get the logistics. Please may one of you tell me how to get me character profile sheet done and reply asap.

[-goldleaf-]

(I'm not entirely sure if my last reply with Lilu was to Saber forever ago, but that's the last one I can find)

Sitting herself beside her stockpile of seemingly random healing supplies, Lilu busied her paws with sorting clean things from those are already soiled by use. Her disked ears flickered subtly this way and that, not focusing too long on any sounds she heard, but ever-aware. Her thoughts turned idly to how many more drop-in visits she might have from the various pack mates that seemed so content when they were bleeding and bruised. Had she really been bitter about such reflection, she may have let out a little huff or rolled her bright eyes; but for the present all she did was toss the soiled cloths into the quietly bubbling kettle nestled in the coals, and tug close a satchel of cleansing salve with flashy little fangs.

((surprisingly rusty, but it feels good to get one out there))

[*~WolfSoul~*]

Reluctantly leaving behind the idea of meeting the two new strangers in the middle of camp, Skye trotted toward the medicine den – she would just have to find a way to sneak around later on, when Saber was not watching so closely, and meet the two brutes for herself. The lanky pup cast one last curious look to the wolves at the center of camp before she huffed and turned to slip inside Lilu’s den.

The youngster didn’t announce her arrival as she peered in, rather taking pause as she took in the general messiness of the den – many wolves had made recent stops here, apparently, which Skye knew to be true based on Saber’s telling. Speckled eyes flitted to and fro from piles of soiled cloth, herbs yet to be returned to their place, bubbling pots of water, and the healer’s ever busy steps as she moved around the den to return things to order. The pup narrowed her gaze as it rested on the medicine wolf, saying nothing for a long minute as she observed the older fae’s soft figure, made up of dips and curves like a winding river. Even the healer’s ears were rounded, and her coat a soft golden white, her movements graceful. Eyes flicking from the curve of the older dove’s chest to the gentle sway of her thick tail, Skye felt herself become itchy, somehow, but on the inside.

The pup spoke at last, and without forethought as usual. She had wandered just a few steps into the den and stood crookedly with her head tilted to one side, lips wearing just the faintest curl to signal that she was puzzled, or perhaps had tasted something she wasn’t sure if she liked.


“Do I have to look like you when I grow up?” she asked, still eyeing Lilu’s form. Her voice was the youthful pitch of a pup’s, with a strange tone of hesitance or petulance, though it lacked any real bite that would have signaled any intent to offend. She hardly realized how her words might have sounded to grown up ears.

[-goldleaf-]

Cream and sugar paws, still stained pink with faint touches of patients blood, drew to a dizzy pause as Lilu's dark nose tickled with a new scent. Bright doe eyes blinked once, twice, before she was again leaning wights into her movements and going about her business again. All the while she waited, and didn't have to wait long at that. A bright laugh danced its way past her lips as Skye's question let Lilu know that she was ready to make her presence known. A rounded ear swiveled to track the little pup as Lilu never paused in reordering her herbs. She found it best to never focus too much attention on the pup at once, for she was not immune to noticing the youths general discomfort with her interactions with various adults. They just weren't too familiar yet.

"I think you'll look like you," She glanced towards the young dove, eyeing her from afar. "We all look different from each other, we're unique." A gentle head tilt and a pausing to her movements gave her enough time to motion for Skye to come in to sit by the coal bed if she liked.

Lilu had never been a stranger to odd looks and lingering stares, especially with the distance she had traveled from her mothers lands. Where the different rough tribes and badlands spit out wolves of all shapes and sizes, let alone the fact that her disked ears were nothing to blink twice at in those lands. She quirked a honey-touched brow.

"If that's not enough comfort, I could always make you some tea that'll make you look like a bear." Apple-green eyes were half cautious in her jest, unsure if the pup would take the bait. Lilu truthfully had never spent a lot of time with pups, but she figured her small offer might be enough to bridge the initial gap. She added in an almost wry half smile to sweeten the deal.

[-goldleaf-]

Laughing eyes slanted in their perpetually almond shape as coffee paws flexed and unflexed stiltedly. White fangs flashed as Roan gave a husked swear as another gust of wind bit hungrily to his nose. He had spent the better part of an hour on his own, failing to return to the medicine den as he had originally planned, and was now just down the slope from the camp, drawing patterns in the light frost over the ground. His shoulder gave a tug that made him want to lean forward into a mad run down the hillside, jawline called to light as he gritted his teeth shortly. The autumn brute stood from his seat, leaving ghostly prints through the rest of the frost covering as he instead made the climb back up to the camp with slightly hunched shoulders. By tomorrow he would be fine to leave, he thought. With his departure he would definitely be sure to head instead for warmer territory.

((this is a double-posting situation suddenly... I found my last post for Roan, the anticipation has been killing me))

Dark lips, so prone to warming into smiles, and so sensitive in their regard to cause pleasure whenever they could, wrote themselves into a tight little snarl. Honey and copper fur swirled in a sudden wind devil, dancing madly around Roans hot-headed figure. Turning up his own devilish eyes in an uncharacteristically churlish glare that was cast up the hill that led to the camp. He was made for heat. For hot sun and the wild air it brought to the body and mind. That's where he thrived. But instead another nipping gust flirted its touch through his ruff, cold fingers running down his taut shoulder, chased away by a violent shiver that had enough course to make his dash a paw roughly through the frosted grass in front of him. He was ornery with his situation, as he was not often made to be. Instead of being able to run up the hill and into one warm den or anther with ease, he was trapped in a nipping cage of his own creation. Roan was stuck in a muscle spasm, torn up shoulder radiating with the pain of it and drawing his paws to a quick stop on his previous journey back up to the med den. Amber eyes were ablaze as he thrashed his tail and forced another step, feeling the tightening of a mad yelp rise in the back of his throat as he growled to keep it down.

Maia's lip trembled as she watched Lilith go, frightened and thankful all at once that, even in her state Lilith had helped her make a vital decision for the pack. The quicksilver fae's heart dropped, she really wasn't fit to lead if she couldn't do these things on her own... But self-pity wasn't what was important just then. She gave a solemn nod to Sparrow, letting the tracker know that it would be appreciated if she would accompany Lilith, and that she would be fine; or at least, that's what she hoped to convey. She then looked to Kirsten, feeling an entirely different ache in her chest as the once-proud beauty before her resembled more the likes of a trampled blossom, bent beyond repair. But with any luck, Tanga would be able to do something about that. With a reflexive motion of her wrist, Maia released her bangs from their messy ponytail, using the stretchy ring of fibers to sling Lilith's discarded mask to her foreleg - it would be easier to carry that way, before motioning to the trail the faes had followed down the mountain. "Please come with me Kirsten, I.." she paused, unsure again, before looking away with her head lowered in defeat. There was nothing else she could offer, nothing but the hard work and skill of those she claimed to lead.

Hollow eyes swung to Maia as her mind finally filed its way through everything that happened, their true bright emerald colors unable to be dimmed, but completely dead of forward emotion even now. Her mind was a coiling mass of barking thorns, swirling around darkly, slowly; always full of pain, as was her regular state. With Maia's lapse into silence after the first stilted sentence, Kirstens ears flickered in an itch, and she broke pose long enough to roughly shake her head in a primal little display of wild thought. When she stilled, she wrinkled her nose in a crunched-up little snarl that was neither aggressive nor warning, instead it was more of a grimace of distaste.

"I'll follow you." her low voice did little to fight the wind, but she trusted that the other dove would catch it one way or another. She was in no state to offer things, and it was admittedly not in her interest to be comforting the other fae by saying such promise. In truth her brows wrinkled together in a frown, sluggish socialite mind digging for an answer as to why she even said anything at all.