Wolf Mountain [Semi lit] -OPEN-

[LoneWolf-Gage]

Mika smiled a genuine smile as she listened to them talk. Surely another would have either been terrified or thought them to be insane for what they said. Mika however had no trouble believing every word of it. She took in Ari's description of her siblings and Talon's take on what Grace did for them. "Just be careful who you mention that too." She told them lightly. "Like I said before, there are a lot of people in this town who are leery of wolves because of the pack here in the mountains." She reminded them. "Though personally I wouldn't mind seeing your other forms some time." She told them with a smirk. Though her mind had already thought of adding a few more sketches to the walls. She was more curious than much else. Though that was often what got her into trouble. She took a couple bites of the food that Grace had prepared. It was actually really good.

Oliver tilted his head slightly when Lucy started scratching behind his ear. He nuzzled her hand lightly before sitting up rather than leaning against her. He was not quite use to being left with anyone though he did adore Lucy about as much as Mikael did. She was a good friend to them both. He was also not use to being confined in doors for long periods of time. Despite the fact that he would like to at least venture around the shop for the sake of moving. he stayed at Lucy's side.

[Bayfire213]

Mira & Chance

"You owe me nothing this time around." Wide brown eyes shot up to meet the elder's own obsidian, startled by the act of kindness from someone who knew. Most would see her heritage as being just a touch better than if her great-grandmother had fallen for a human instead, and treat her accordingly. It had been a long, long time since any wolf had been kind to her. A few patches of needle thin tolerance here and there, but any actual kindness was from a time before her first shift, and even then only from close family. Those descended from that same infernal fox, who shared the burden of being the pack's scapegoat. But a stranger? A complete and total stranger without the vulpine curse?

"I-... Thank you. If there's anything I can do for you, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask." Bowing her head as she fought to keep emotion from cloying her voice, the brown bottle was soon being cradled almost protectively. Even after the medicine inside had been used up, she would likely keep the container as a memento of the old wolf's kindness. She already had a feather from her first successful hunt, several more and a few small bones from her younger siblings, their friends, and Chance, a too small beaded bracelet from one of her cousins, and her purse was made by her father after her first successful attempt at hunting large prey. All treasures in their own right, precious memories, and the idea of tossing the bottle after it's contents were gone simply didn't sit well with her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, her uncle's voice echoed; "A kitsune repays any debts -good or bad- threefold."

"Well, our lot usually rides one like this out in the Labyrinth. So long as you are brought there by a member of the pack to weather the moon rather than just trespassing you will not be harmed. That would be the safest bet around here." That... wasn't quite the answer she wanted to hear. A cave she could barricade herself in, the areas where hunters usually laid their traps, a good place to buy a good sturdy cage, or even the same wisdom her parents had once imparted; to sate her hunger in the hours before, but deny herself water for two days. That way the first instinct was to rehydrate rather than to hunt, and if not then dehydration would see her weak and dizzy and overall unable without the cunning a sane mind afforded. Something along those lines, rather than this contradiction. He'd already admitted the alpha's foul mood, and, well... 'warpath' wasn't exactly synonymous with 'safe'. Perhaps if she sought out some sort of peace offering? Only it couldn't be from pack lands, as that would be asking for trouble. Maybe some of the few herbs, mushrooms, and berries she'd seen on her way to the town and somewhat recognized? A handful of rabbits and birds, or a couple deer? Unless neutral grounds only covered the town and the connected road...

"I see... About how far does the territory extend? Does it surround the town and road, or would I only need to worry past here? Sorry if I'm badgering you with all these questions... It's been a while..." Out of the corner of her eye catching sight of Chance sniffing at the box the old man had been packing before, a soft click of her tongue swiftly brought the dog back to heel.

[Roman'sGirl75]

Grace nodded "we are always cautious about who knows about what we are. Mama thought that because she was six months pregnant with us when daddy turned her is why Ari is the only human of the litter. But we keep her protected." Grace looked thoughtful for a long moment then added "I can let you see my wolf side after dinner before I go get our gear." She took a deep breath then let it out slowly as she took a bite of the chicken. "Dinner is really good Grace." Talon and Ari said at the same time then the two of them began to laugh. "Guess I owe you a bath next time you get muddy Talon" Ari teased as she ate. She paused a moment then looked at Grace "dont forget my sketch book when you get our gear. And Grace I know you wont forget Trisket and Bixly but dont forget Aurora too. I know how worried you get without her." Grace smiled "I wont forget her." she told her sister then looked at Mika "Bixly is Talon's stuffed polar bear and Aurora is my stuffed wolf. We got the when we were very little. Inside each of them is a tiny bit of....." she fell silent for a second then went on "mama and daddy's ashes. Mama's sister Aunt Rowan put them in little vials and put them in the stuffed animals for us so that mama and daddy were always with us. Kinda morbid huh?"
[I have the ashes of a couple of my pets and am waiting for my dad's ashes to come back]

[LoneWolf-Gage]

Triko saw the girl's reaction to his statement about the Labyrinth. Though listened to her next question just the same. "The territory surrounds the Village on all sides and yes the road as well. For many miles in all directions, this land has been in the pack for generations." He told her. "If all else were to fail, providing the cell is empty, there is a place within the catacombs that would work. None of us will be out during that time so there would be no worry or attack. Only a few members of the pack even know how to get there anyway." he said simply. "I would recommend the old safe hold under the barn where another wolf use to shift on the moon. However that property was bought by a young woman a year or so ago." he added with a sigh. "I am afraid there is not much to choose from." He told her. "As far as going around the territory, well that would take a bit of doing and even then the farther you go the closer you get to the city." the old wolf stated.

Mikael gave Grace a smile to the offer of letting her see her wolf form. "Another time perhaps. I will have to go and meet up with Lucy soon." She admitted. She smirked at the younger twos exchange over speaking at the same time. She then listened to the explanation of who each name was for and about their parent's ashes. She shook her head. "Not at all." She said as she pulled a small vile that was connected to a cord around her neck. Within it were ashes as well. "Like I said before. I do understand. I carry them too." She said with a light smile before letting the vile fall back beneath her shirt. Though it was not just her parents that Mika carried with her.

[I usually keep their collars and I still have my dads ashed and flag too.]

[Bayfire213]

Mira & Chance

"... closer you get to the city." Dismayed by the turn this 'short' detour had taken, her shoulders had slumped long before he had even finished speaking. There really wasn't much of an option, was there? She could plot and plan and see herself caught in a bear trap for the night, but the town was so close any number of humans could stumble across her- which wouldn't be pleasant if the moon stole her sanity for it's nightly reign. Not to mention she'd likely have to be rather deep into the forest and thus pack land before coming across any traps. Yet she digressed, because no matter the case, she was simply too close to a populated human settlement for her to feel sound in any of her usual tactics. It didn't matter if she couldn't move if a human came to her, and it would only be in areas humans were sure to be that she could avoid trespassing. So it was a choice between risking the health of the humans, of being discovered, of being shot- or entering pack territory. Which if the old wolf's earlier claim was to be believed, wouldn't be a problem so long as a pack member accompanied her. If she was going to be going into pack lands regardless, since the catacombs he spoke of were also, and she hadn't a clue where they were...

"'Not much to chose from', indeed...' More of a soft muttering to herself than any true comment, a weary sigh preceded her actual response. "You said the alpha was on a warpath... Yet that it'd be fine if I was with a pack member... Are you absolutely certain? I don't exactly look like a wolf, more like a fox on stilts, and I certainly don't smell quite like I should... Would the pack not be offended? And what about Chance, he's certainly neither shifter nor wolf..?" Chewing on her lower lip in an old nervous habit, her decision seemed to of been made for her. Not a pleasant feeling, but things could always be worse. At least she had medicine for her faithful companion, and had the chance to speak with another shifter without the blatant discrimination she'd grown so used to. It was something, at least, a silver lining to the storm she couldn't predict. Would the pack be like those she'd already met, or closer to the kind old wolf she was speaking to now? Would they be better or worse, or exactly the same as she was fearing? How did that one saying go? Hope for the best and prepare for the worst? In any case, she wasn't quite sure she dare to hope, not after her travels had proved time and time again that she was an oddity, and thus unwanted.

[LoneWolf-Gage]

Triko gave her a gentle smile. Though the old wolf could be tough on his pack at times he could see that this young lady had had it hard enough already. "I am sure. He can be a stubborn boy but he will not cross me too much. If I tell him you are to be allowed to stay he will not argue. Such are the perks of being his grandfather." He said with a cunning smile. Though Triko had passed his rank to Novak when he had come back from his time to grow in the human world, the old wolf still held authority over the pack as well. He rarely used it aside from such cases as this. "As for being a bit different. Well, we are all a bit different in our own way. Most of the pack is not very judgmental though there are a few who speak their minds rather than keeping their mouths shut as they often should. You will be fine." He assured her. his eyes went to the young shepherd beside her. "I wouldn't recommend him being locked away with anyone on this moon. Normal full moon is one thing, this one though can drive the sanest of wolves mad. The fact that you are part Kitsune may very well help you through this, since a fox is not swayed by lure of the moon." He thought for a long moment. "I know one of ours had a dog as well. An Akita who stays at his studio when he is locked up on such nights. He may let you leave him there so long as he gets along with other dogs alright. That or one of the girls in town may keep him over night for you." He suggested. Though was not quite sure how to explain why it would only be over the night of the full moon.

[Bayfire213]

Mira & Chance

"Such are the perks of being his grandfather." Letting that statement sink in and the dots connect, her eyes widened and a mortified blush spread across her cheeks. Had she really been speaking so casually with an alpha, even if he had long since passed on the torch? Instantly bowing as deeply as she could without the risk of coming across as mocking, she slowly straitened as the half-instinctive response wore thin enough for her to think. He hadn't snapped nor snarled at her yet, hadn't made a point to correct her, and overall seemed rather unbothered by her previous behavior. Cheeks burning even darker as it occurred to her that a part of the reason he hadn't told her off the bat might of been to avoid such a dramatic reaction. Having caught on to her mood, Chance had swiftly followed her example. Only he wasn't restricted to human motions, so the shepherd was flat on his back with his very best 'please don't eat me mister wolf' expression, complete with big, watery, pleading puppy-dog eyes. Biting her lip, she shyly peeked up to gauge his reaction to their theatrics.

"As for being a bit different. Well, we are all a bit different in our own way. Most of the pack is not very judgmental though there are a few who speak their minds rather than keeping their mouths shut as they often should. You will be fine." 'A few' is still much better than 'all'... Relaxing with this admission, some of the trepidation forming a cold lump in her stomach eased. It still sounded far too good to be true, but not even an hour ago she had thought much the same of the elderly wolf before her now. So maybe..? Even if 'a few' turned out to be a majority instead, behaving only when the old alpha might catch them, it would still be a much warmer reception than she'd had in a long while, just so long as some portion of the pack held the same attitude as the wolf before her.

"I wouldn't recommend him being locked away with anyone on this moon. Normal full moon is one thing, this one though can drive the sanest of wolves mad. The fact that you are part Kitsune may very well help you through this, since a fox is not swayed by lure of the moon." Not... entirely true, it was simply a different sort of sway. Some kitsune were praised as deities of fertility, and even without the ability a full moon -a harvest moon especially- would still call to the fox. It was the only reason those vulpine instincts could even hope to compete with those of the more prominent wolf. However a 'blessing upon the land' could occur on magic's whim, and the fox wouldn't have to do anything but linger- relax, sleep, bask, so on and so forth. So no bloodthirsty cravings, no drive to hunt, though the wolf's urgings might drive the fox stir-crazy and find her in an impish mood. Which may or may not be better or worse than a desire to hunt in this case, should she manage to aggravate any of the tense wolves kind enough to tolerate her presence for the night. It was always a toss up whenever instincts came into play.

"I know one of ours had a dog as well. An Akita who stays at his studio when he is locked up on such nights. He may let you leave him there so long as he gets along with other dogs alright. That or one of the girls in town may keep him over night for you." Nodding slowly, her head cocked as she pondered. Chance was fine with other dogs, unbothered by but often yielding to hostility, though it was rare for another dog to completely cow him into submission after growing up with a vulpine wolf for a foster mother. He wouldn't go out of his way to aggravate another, quite the opposite, but he wouldn't just take it if the other dog decided to attack. As for the people in town, she had a couple excuses she could think of off the bat. Wanting to have a sleepover with a friend, who, unfortunately, was highly allergic to dogs without a pen or something to put him in. Having some sort of near-night appointment she feared might run late, and not wanting her beloved companion to wait all alone outside for however many hours it may take. Given time she could probably think up a few more, but since nothing was set in stone yet it was probably best to avoid inexplicably going catatonic on the old wolf.

"You're sure about this? It's a gamble between the typical blood crazed wolf, a stir-crazy fox, a lazy fox, and the off chance I maintain my sanity.' She cautioned, wanting to make certain the kind wolf knew what he was getting into. "As for Chance... He's fine with other dogs, and is usually quite content to hunt down his own little niche and plop down for a few hours to doze if I'm otherwise preoccupied. Though with his latest attempt to prove himself ready for more of a challenge, he'll likely spend the night licking his wounds." Snickering slightly at the canine's affronted expression, she waited for the elderly alpha's response.

[LoneWolf-Gage]

Triko sighed when she started to bow and as the dog fallowed suit. "Don't do that." He said simply. "Even when I was the alpha I never cared much for constant submission from those around me." He admitted. After a moment he nodded. "Then the safest place for your friend would be with gin at the studio. He is an older dog so he is rather well behaved as far as dogs go." He added. "Yes I am sure. You are not the first kitsune I have come across. Nor the first mix." When he was young he ended up having to shack up with a cross bred family for a while. He was a bit familiar with them though had not seen a cross since that time. He looked to her once more before going back to packing the box. "I am Triko by the way." He told her as he closed up the box and set it aside.

[metaphor.]

Lucy - human - 23

The father of demonic arms? You didn't hear that explanation every day. Taking a quick glance at the clock her eyes widened a bit when she saw what time it was. She had to begin closing up the store soon otherwise she would be stuck here well into the night. As she had no desire to be impolite to the lovely man before her, Lucy simply carried on this interesting conversation. It was nice to meet some of the locals, especially a man who ran his own studio. "Fishing? In the woods or somewhere else?" Lucy asked, mildly curious to see if he'd been able to venture into the woods untouched. "By all means it sounds like a simplistic life," She whispered, a small wishful smile on her face. Letting out a puff of air, Lucy shrugged. "Just some work on the garden and maybe the store but other than that nothing much. Maybe a hike or two later on in the week."

[[ i think alec is still open, he's just snoozing on his porch ]]

[Bayfire213]

Mira & Chance

"Ah, my apologies then... far more used to the exact opposite." She mumbled, gently nudging her canine companion. Rolling over but not rising, the silly dog grinned up at her. Raising a brow, the hanging tongue was slurped back in before any drool could stain the floor. Snorting at the shepherd's antics, her attention swiftly returned to the elderly wolf so unlike any she'd met before. Tilting her head and nodding as he spoke of Gin, it certainly sounded like the pair would get along well. The only question she had was if the other dog's owner would agree. But that was an answer that'd come with time, and she'd already peppered the ex-alpha with enough questions that any other in his place would of already grown weary of her pestering and chased her off. Not that she could help herself when he spoke of meeting other foxes.

"Others?" Phantasmal ears perked, chocolate eyes forgetting all about her floundering etiquette as they shot up to meet his own obsidian- silently beseeching for more with all the hope of an orphan come to find out their family still wanted them. Her heart fluttered, a deep longing and half-crushed hope rising with a vengeance at the thought. Her great-grandfather had left before his children were even born, never to know of their existence. She hadn't come across any kitsune or others like her in her travels, would they be like the wolves in their regard for her or ever so blessedly different? Her family might not be the best to judge against on that regard, always hiding, always ashamed of their heritage. After her first shift she'd been so thrilled to be 'special', only their disgust and hostility soon saw that view changed. But even if neither wolves nor foxes cared anything for her, he said something about her not being the first mix he'd come across. Maybe she could find a family, find a mate, find a home with them? Her heart positively ached the longing was so fierce.

Flushing as she realized they'd gone this entire conversation without knowing who they were speaking to, she responded, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Triko. I typically go by Mira, and as you already know- this is Chance."