[ ❛ 𒑢. `𝘝𝘈𝘓𝘌𝘖 | a wolf roleplay. ❜ ── ]

[bearlike]

x

( ♕ ) x ❝ ＥＱＵＩＮＯＸ！ ── ─
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( alias: equinox/quinn. ) xx • xx ( sex: fem. ) xx • xx ( status: chief/valens. ) xx • xx ( eyes follow: tbd. ) xx • xx ( tags: solstice, open. )
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indentation The warm, humid summer evening clung to the air, causing Equinox's marrow to stir in discomfort at the heat. The evening and approaching nightfall was significantly cooler than daytime, however, was not adequate enough to provide comfort to the female. A small huff of annoyance escaped her maw, tongue slipping over her lips swiftly. Eyes grazing the vibrant sky, she watched the stars begin to illuminate the sky, painted against the sunglow sky. Shades of magenta swirled against hues of lavender. Her pelt pricked in anticipation at the coming of nightfall. The constellations provided solace and satisfaction to the female, feeling herself relax involuntarily at the thought of them. Instinctively tracing the constellations in her mind, she was left with the taste of bittersweet comfort. A temporary serenity. Nostrils tensing, she exhaled the thick summer air in attempts to quell the anxiety bubbling at the very surface of her stomach; it was a chaos that threatened to spill, havoc dancing at her fingertips. With the anxiety was excitement, a lighthearted joy akin to the infectious energy a pup radiated. It was on rare occasion that Valens travelled West towards the direction of Verso territory, in which the two allies would reconcile and share words. While the two were on good terms, the need to feel territorial was a primitive instinct. She would soon see her dear friend, Solstice. Instinctively, her attention shifted to her pack, gathered behind her. She stood alone in front of the mass of wolves, ready to lead the way. Her heart swelling with pride, the ghost of a smile flickered across her features. How far they've come, unified against the odds. She hoped her pack was ready for the trek ahead of them, the journey would be long. A sharp bark emitting from her ivory canines, she signalled to her pack that they would be leaving.

indentation Teeth sinking into the nape of a modest-sized rabbit, she gingerly lifted the carcass. A gift. Today was a day to celebrate the unity of the two packs and explore the more mountainous side of Valeo which Verso called home. Paws lightly brushing against the dry grass, she began her ascent up the slopes. Like most Valens wolves, she was agile and swift, her paws leaving the most minuscule of sounds when the lifted off the ground. Ears swivelling, they twitched instinctively to pick up nearby sounds. The route was one familiar to the mottled female, having walked this path many times before. Striding with an air of confidence, her eyes quickly adjusted to the falling darkness due to her adaptions. Hoisting her body up the rough terrain, her muscles strained with effort. A dull pain built up in her core, but she dismissed it quickly. Grunting in discomfort, she pushed through the pain, eyes narrowing into slits at the effort. Making her way towards the more mountainous territory with her pack, she fell into a rhythm, panting lightly at the exertion. Because of her short and small stature, it was an effort making her way towards Verso territory, unable to comprehend what Solstice saw in residing his pack by the mountainside. Then again, Verso wolves were built for strength and were well adapted to the landscape crafted in the earth, passing by landmarks eroded away from the weather. An hour after the beginning of their ascent, they were met with the beginnings of the scent markers that lined Verso territory. Walking forward with mild trepidation, she lowered her head as a sign of submission. The last thing they needed was to be mistaken as a threat, especially after the straining journey there. Swaying her tails, Quinn's glare soon fell upon the unfamiliar faces of Sol's packmates, taking the time to linger on each of them quickly. Flicking her ears as a form of respect and acknowledgement, her eyes picked out Solstice from the crowd of wolves resting along the territory. Locking eyes with him, she nodded her head slightly, grinning at the sight of him.

indentation Turning to her pack, she motioned for them to disperse and share tongues with their allies. By themselves, they were two tight-knit groups. Bonding with each other was important, especially if they wanted to maintain the peace lingering between the two packs. They had enough to face already than revolt against each other; if they shared the same core values, in the end, everything would work out as long as they invested trust in each other. Making her way briskly over to her fellow Chief with a renewed vigour, her paw pads brushed softly against the thin blades of golden grass. Dipping her head in greeting, she dropped the rabbit as his paws carefully. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," she joked, her tone light and teasing. "A gift," she stated bluntly, settling down next to him underneath the shade of a small tree that grew along the craggy terrain. Shedding any defensive stoicism or formalities, she visibly relaxed, earning some well-deserved rest after the journey. While they both had to maintain certain levels of professionalism, she found it easy to be comfortable around Solstice despite the fact that he was, indeed uptight at times. They were close despite their differing personalities. Drawing her tails close to her body, she stared down at the two packs interacting with each other. Night was beginning to fall.

cr: galaxial

[ataraxic_gone]

▩Ｍａｎｄｅｌ
━━━━━━[🇴🇫 ＶＡＬＥＮ]

Mandel stood silently in the den of the shaman back turned to the entrance. At his paws were the contents of the days business. Chewed up mixes, blood-soaked leaves and small tufts of red fur. All of them his own design. The day hadn't been of much substance as far as learning went. Mandel had found his legs hard to work in the blinding light of the summer ever since the days had begun to span longer and longer. They worked well enough when he could see, granted. But his coordination wasn't as good as it could be when he was blinded by the summer skies. His right front paw was covered in herbs and cobwebs, cradling a rather bad scratch after an equally bad fall. If he was honest, which he had been when he reported the injury to Astrid, it didn't hurt as much as it would have a year ago. Something about constantly tripping, falling, hurting- he'd built up thicker skin towards the pain. It didn't much help that those were the words which flowed out of most wolves mouths in the face of a small injury and thus he was given medicine for pain regardless. On the walls of the den, the colours of the sunrise painted the world different colours. The sound of Quinn barking made him scramble to his feet, reaching towards a back of herbs that he had intended to gift to Verso before running out into the light.

Mandel squinted heavily, weaving out into the pack as they prepared to disembark. He walked towards Astrid positioning her at his side, docked tail wiggling back and forth as his claws scratched at the ground each step he took. He was never ready for far travels and if it wasn't for the constant state of scratches and bruises he probably would have opted out of the journey. But be as they may he had actually put up quite a fight for his ability to join the pack on the journey. If not this time he would have to wait for the next and the chances of him carrying an injury although lesser with each day was still there. The thought of waiting years to meet the ally pack in their home purely for his own incompetence made him irate.

In hindsight, following behind his pack, the idea of long whiskers on his face seemed like one of the best adaptions that could ever exist. Imagine if he could feel things before he ran into them, because at this moment even with the setting sun, his eyes still burned whenever he tried to open them. He couldn't open his eyes and before each step, the ground felt like it would give way to nothing. It rarely happened however, it was the few times he had lost footing that haunted him and made him fear for his pelt. But he was beginning to trust Astrid enough that if there was to be a sudden drop, pesky tree root or slippery puddle he would be told before stumbling and injuring himself. He had tripped over his own paws a couple times but regardless he had found himself rather proud of his progress. Soon enough he wasn't walking blindly, the light levels low enough that his eyes saw things in bright and shining details. He broke free of Astrid's side, walking on his own rather proudly.

He watched his leader's frame rather eagerly, it was only during these later hours he actually saw Quinn. He watched as her posture changed the deeper they roamed into Verso territory. She seemed very sure of her path and yet cautious. The emotions she felt were quickly mimicked by Mandel as they slowly navigated the land. His breath came out in puffs as he climbed the terrain with one paw held close to his body for fear of doing more harm to the injury. Every now and then he would look behind him, only to be caught off guard by the blinding sun, falling just below the horizon. Yes, it was still there; damned thing. But it was fading away and with each passing second the headache he was becoming more and more aware of faded. Then just like that, they were at the Verso camp. His small bobbed tail wiggled behind him eagerly as he scanned the crowd. From amongst their ranks, a pure white she-wolf worked her way towards him a soft smile on her features. He could see everything about her very clearly and with her white fur, she almost glowed in his eyes.

"I am Adalicia," she said introducing herself causing Mandel to shift uncomfortably for a moment. Right this was a gathering of celebration, naturally, they should be quick to interact. The whole notion still made him uncomfortable, purely for the lack of someone he knew at his side to lead a conversation. He lowered his head, releasing the bundle of herbs from his maw. He made a quiet note in his mind not to squint as he stared at the wolf, it was bad mannered; even if he was being blinded by her pelt. "Mandel," he replied quietly with quick speed and a polite nod of his head. He hadn't really taken the time to know the wolves of Verso, so busy with the state of his own life. He supposed that this was what he had been so eager to attend moments prior but right now he yearned for a shoulder to lean on.
[male • 2y • ver shaman • gathering;adalicia, open • 919 • form]

[⠀vega]

「 ▌ ❝ – Ｒ Ｏ Ｍ Ｕ Ｌ Ｕ Ｓ ✧ ’ 」

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space hereAlliance. The term dithered on his tongue, giving him time to question it. Was their situation truly alliance? Or an excuse to avoid a war, either way, Solstice's reasons for this consensus must be rigorously thought out before he went into such decisions. It just wasn't in the alpha's nature to allow misjudgment to slip under his nose. Even if it came to be an apparent concern it wasn't in the lupins authority to judge; and why should he. If he thought he wasn't in good hands he would have left a long time ago... Despite how communicative he may come off to others, his most deep and significant ideas were imprisoned within his thoughts. It's safer that way Romu reassured himself. He gawked into the evenings' canvas a tangent of apricot and vermillion painted the horizon. It was almost time. The vis peeled his eyes from the sunset into the mountainous valley, they would be arriving soon and preparations were taking place. It lead him to consider where his peace contribution was. Although he held the honorary rank on his shoulders, his organisation was a different affair. He ploughed his snout through the thick tussocks lining the boulders until his gift was bestowed upon him. He fished out the Tahr hind. A stubborn and territorial beast of a goat. It was no simple slaughter, but whoever he would choose to bestow this gift to would have the purest meat Romu had to offer personally. Releasing the hind by his paws Romu scanned the perimeter in search of any valian's, an expectant hue in his eyes. But once again for the fifth time this evening he was let down. The vis retrieved the corpse disappointed for hours he had spent waiting for the opportunity to converse with new lupins! With the hunk in his maw he set off along a marshed path, grooves narrowed the path making him pick his way through the sludge. Beyond was a flat lake, the far shore a thin line in the distance growing into a sheer cliff face. In the black watery mirror was only the constellations, starlight so old and young. The tranquillity seized his breath a flourish of colours transferred on the reflected surface one could not imagen, he was such a workaholic he had almost forgotten the remarkable landscape he was so at home with.

But like all fantasies, this untroubled atmosphere was soon to be averted. The vis peeled his gaze from the lake onto the task at hand, he progressed to the lakes fringe dipping the joint in. Ripples worked there way into the pelt pulling it away from the meat and relieving it of the blood stains. Bobbed tail waging, the satisfaction of cleaning kill brought a joyous moment to him, surely the valians would be pleased. He retracted his claws allowing the water to clean between each pad, it was an unanticipated urge to present himself formally to honour his pack and to inspire their alliance. It was apparent ever since his yearling stage that Romulus was always up for the chance of companionship, leadership or the hunt. Nonetheless, this still wasn't adequate, he wanted to fulfil each event with style. Presentation is key, he would say to his hunters: or any wolf willing to listen. The male vacated the waters shaking his pelt and beginning the presentation. He lay out the corpse's pelt out straight settling the hind on top, whilst it took a few irritable minutes to perfect he managed to coil the pelt over the hind. A perfect gift to his bestower. It was almost too perfect for him; peace treaty completed, presentation fixed, speech planned. He huffed noble of himself as he made his way along the beaten track untill it struck him. "Oh god....." He remembered. He almost fell into the ditch to his right as the actuality of it settled in. How could he have been so heedless?! It's not like he was even out of practice with four fully-fledged pups, it was the one task he was asked to do. He had forgotten Little T... The dread crept over him like an icy chill, numbing his brain. In this frozen state, his mind offered Romu only one thought. How far away has the little pup gone? Dropping the meat and pelt over the mud he re-retracted his talons surging them through the sun cracked soil in an attempt to stop him shouting the pup and letting the whole camp know that he had lost their only offspring. His usual prepossessing and charming abilities had long left. He ploughed through the tussocks searching explicitly for the pup. 'Oh god oh god oh god! Great Romulus you have lost the pup that trusted you, and now you will be de-ranked if you don't get your act together.'

He was devoting all of his time leering himself at pup level with such speed that he hadn't had the chance to see the wolf that was stood plainly in front of him. Almost barging into her the male peeled his eyes from the path onto a pair of shrewd pupils. He had to withdraw a few steps back to reveal the true brutish figure to be Polaris. The dull amber hues in her eyes should have told him that already. Levelling his head he disclosed himself to be quite the bit taller then she was nevertheless he curtseyed his head to her apologetically. "My apologies. My clumsiness often costs my dignity." He skimmed his tongue casually over his jawline reclining onto his hind legs. Although it took no genius to see the franticness he hid behind that sophisticated front. After all little T was still missing and he sat there responsible.

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「 ▌ ❝ – Ｌ Ｉ Ｔ Ｔ Ｌ Ｅ . Ｔ ◇ ’ 」
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His loneliness grew steadily until it dominated his emotions. What started out as a nagging feeling became so strong that he resolved to break out of his comfort zone to search for camp, the territory was so immeasurable he assumed it would take him months to reach home. But he didn't have months. He had days, considering he wasn't able to hunt. Notwithstanding, the pup pulled his legs from under him, pelt feeling for him in the stiffness he brought upon himself. It came apparent that he wasn't much taller than the tussocks of mountain grass that plastered the rocky path where he was held, hostage. Sufferance. The term was compelled at him so often he had unrecognized its true meaning. Lil T brought himself down again laying on slate, should he be patient? It was evident that Romulus had left him alone, and he wasn't having any desire to ally with him for what he had done. Lil T, decided to mosey along in any which way inconsiderate to the direction he was taking. The mountain path winds ahead as effortlessly as a blanket laid on a bed, yet each footfall costs the pup more strength. It is as steep as it is narrow and rocky in a chaotic way, just enough to stop his gait falling into a steady rhythm. The tedious journey was not made any easier as he had to avoid the measurable footprints printing the soil. The correspondence between the footprints and Romu were not composed in his mind. Instantaneously the melancholy atmosphere was transfigured into a single animal seeking refuge along the hues of green. The hunt. His rough pads made light work along the serrated mountainside, lowering himself he lured in the grass awaiting the prime opportunity. SNAP, he backed up over a twig. His cover was blown it was all down to stamina. The pounding row of triumph carried the pup over the burffs, he was not going to be defeated. Not again. His prey was larger than any beast he had ever seen. Brawny mien, huge antler looking horns. The pup knew he could take it down. Moments past in a flourish of passion and determination. Withal the beast had enough turning to face the pup. Lil T was outnumbered but he went for the kill nevertheless. Surging through the monster he caught it mid-charge, bringing back victory. The beast was caught.

Lil T carried his capture in his maw. A small cabbage butterfly lay motionless between his elongated fangs. His tongue slipped from his maw in an act of tenderness to the heat.The sunset brimmed just over his petite body, glazing sweltering waves. Despite his trecking, it took only a moment to turn around and notice camp a few feet away from him. Amongst the premature twilight, Lil T's maw crinkled with adoration as the body of Alicida became apparent. Jostling his way through the lupins, the pup pulled his way up to the she-wolf. Only to be interrupted by the wolf on his right. The name slipped his tongue it was only his second conference and males proved a lack of interest. A hint of affection twinged in his eyes as he sat down as formally as he could manage. Sweat teased through his pads as he brought up enough courage to address the two. "Roses are blue, Violets are red, sugar is sour and so are you !" His tails thumped blissfully being in the presence of the ivory wolf. Not understanding that his lines were not quite to perfection. "I have something for you" He chirped to the masculine figure on his right, he observed the figure closely he wasn't able to see his eyes but something about the way he watched another wolf wasn't quite customary.

[paper planets]

→ ＰＯＬＡＲＩＳ !!

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❝ only bad people live to see, their likeness set in stone !! ❞

The day of the gathering was always filled with many different emotions. Some wolves, usually the younger ones, were excitable and energetic, basically bouncing around the camp as if the ground itself was burning their paws. Then, some wolves didn’t care much, but that was very few wolves. The last category, the one that Polaris fit into, was the category of wariness. Even though Verso and Valens has been allies for a very long time, tensions could easily still arise. All it could take was a misjudgement or some sort of miscommunication and their biggest ally could become their biggest enemy. Plus, she always worried about pack secrets getting out, which would only cause even more trouble. But, nonetheless, she prepared for the coming gathering as any other wolf would. Which mostly consisted of the usual patrols until evening came, then the wolves would find gifts to give to their allies, usually catching fresh prey for the wolves of Valens to enjoy and then the other pack would bring gifts of their own. To Polaris, that was the best part, it strengthened their bond and it was also quite interesting to taste the different prey that thrived on Valens territory compared to Verso territory. Verso prey was usually more gamey and tough because the animals had to be lean and strong to maneuver over the rocky, mountainous terrain. The prey that came from Valens, however, was different. The meat was extremely flavourful and, while it was tasty in small portions, it was so full of string flavour that Polaris found it too overpowering if she ate too much of it. Her system was used to the prey she had hunted and eaten all of her life, she was sure that if she had to eat prey from the thick, green vegetation in Valens she’s get stomach sick.

The summer evening was darkening when the wolves from Valens finally showed. Polaris was hanging amongst the crowd of Verso wolves and she had been as still as a statue, eyes turned upwards towards the many stars that decorated the navy blue sky. It was truly beautiful. The female was sitting just a few tail lengths behind her Chief, Solstice, keeping watch in case he needed to throw back any instructions. Though, it was clear that the light-pelted made didn’t need anything and when his fellow Chief, Equinox, approached him, Polaris decided her presence wasn’t need any longer. She didn’t want to to seem as if she’s was eavesdropping anyways. So, she slipped off, ducking and weaving among the gathering wolves as they greeted old friends that they hadn’t seen in months. She curled her lip slightly, but was glad that the cover of night hid her elongated canines, which had been revealed. She relished in the alliance the two packs had, but she knew just how dangerous and risky having friends in Valens was. She had made that mistake long ago and it haunted her to this day. She could never escape it, especially with the physical reminder scarred upon her nose. That was why she hid behind the masses of wolves during these gatherings, she would never admit it, but she was scared. It was fear that kept her from forming bonds with Valens wolves or from even conversing with them. Fear of seeing him. For all she knew the male who hurt her was long gone from Valens, but she didn’t want to stick around to find out.

Polaris huffed away the memories and stood behind the cluster of wolves, her piercing eyes watching them as they spoke with one another. Their scents mingling so that it was hard to distinguish Verso from Valens wolves. Wanting just leads to more wanting, there is no end to desire.. she murmured in her mind. Many young, impressionable wolves could easily become close with a wolf from another pack and she knew just how easily it could turn into something else. The only way to avoid that pain and confusion was to focus on what was important: loyalty, respect and the productivity of the pack.

A hard impact to Polaris’ shoulder successfully roused her from her thoughts, but also caused her to stumble and then flash her narrowed eyes towards whoever it had been who had rammed into her side like an angry mountain goat during sparring season. At first, with the shadows shrouding around her, all she saw was a tall, dark figure and she felt a pang of fear surge through her like wildfire. She held her breath, heart pounding against her chest until the male spoke and she snapped out of her daze. It was only Romulus. She shook her head and straightened up, Just watch where your running next time, especially with so many wolves around here. If I was an irritable Valens wolf this could’ve actually been a problem,” she warned. The brown-pelted sepio shook out her pelt and let her eyes scan over the crowd before she turned to look at clumsy male once again, “What are you doing running around anyways? Is something wrong?” she questioned, an air of suspicion surrounding her words as she cocked her head to the side.

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age four years . rank sepio of verso . location gathering . tagged romulus

→ ＳＡＲＯＳ !!

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❝ nothing tastes like the things you had, so turn it off, why don't you let them go? ❞

feel free to tag him, he’s just chilling with the others c:

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age eight years . rank vestigo of valens . location gathering . tagged none

[brer rabbit.]

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▌ＡＳＴＲＩＤ - ╭☆╯
vv( 739 words ) ( tags mandel, adalicia, sol, quinn ) ( shaman of valens ) ( female ) ( 7 1/2 years ) xxxx

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it was time.

as the nightly darkness began to overshadow the once bright vibrant sky, astrid knew that it was about to begin-the shaman could sense eager yet apprehensive emotions bubbling among her pack-mates. astrid was quite excited as well-for it had been a while since she'd last spoken to members of the opposing group and she was quite curious on how they were dealing with things. although astrid knew she wouldn't fully hear any grave troubles the verso wolves were experiencing, she knew that both equinoxx and solstice had a very positive relationship and wouldn't fear of expressing anything they couldn't deal with. humming softly, the pale gray wolf stood up murmuring a small prayer for a greedless moon before looking over her shoulder to call her young ver with kind eyes as he nimbly organized herbs. "come, gather the gifts mandel. it is time." astrid said calmly at the sound of quinn's bark, waiting patiently for the younger wolf to get the gifts before leading the ver out of the safety of the cave and out into the open where her ver's one true fear and enemy lay boastfully out in the open;the sun.

astrid walked alongside mandel for the majority of the walk to the verso camp, guiding the blinded young wolf with hushed praises until eventually mandel suddenly grew enough confidence to walk on his own, a part of him astrid rarely saw due to the young one's insecurity about his special gift. astrid let out a grunt of amusement and pride as she saw mandel stride a few tail-lengths behind quinn. astrid made a small mental note to talk to the ver about his progress, she was sure the uplifting words would boost his confidence more, and maybe-just maybe-he'd see the way the shaman saw him:a talented, caring young wolf with a special attribute that was a sign of his future as a shaman. when astrid would soon retire from life on the planet, she would die peacefully knowing the pack she cared so much about and poured endless love into would be in good paws.

the valens pack soon approached the verso pack camp, and astrid watched expressionlessly as her packmate's were quick to disengage the formation to find friends or friendly faces. astrid however was in no rush to do so;however one thing must be done. scoping out mandel, astrid soon approached the timid ver conversing with adalicia. "hello," the older wolf said in greetings, dipping her head towards adalicia and mandel. "i'm terribly sorry to interrupt your conversation, however mandel i want to introduce you to solstice." astrid said warmly, glancing at the herbs lying on the ground near his feet. "mandel, pick those up! they are a gift!" astrid scolded softly before glancing at the two chiefs lying underneath a tree. "come now, let's drop off the gift to solstice and give you an introduction. it's best to know each chief respectively-although we're in two separate packs we both need each other for survival. when i'm gone and you grow to be the great shaman i know you'll be, you should have support from each sides respectively."

after mandel had picked the herbs back up and parted ways momentarily with adalicia, the two padded alongside towards the two chiefs who seemed to be sharing a kind discussion amongst one another. astrid could sense mandel’s growing apprehension as the duo approached the two wolves, respectfully dipping their heads in greeting. “a perfect night for this gathering, yes? although the sun has decided to hide away for a while, I can still feel warmth among the cold evening breeze-everyone here must have been anticipating this all day.” astrid spoke softly, sitting down by the two wolves. she glanced at mandel who seemed tense to be at the presence of two wolves who held a much greater rank than him. even around quill astrid knew how intimidated mandel got when alone with her, but the young ver had to learn to not be fearful around them. they were his support. once mandel lowered his head and dropped the herbal gifts by the verso chiefs paws and lowered himself on the ground astrid spoke once more: “although you are well aware of mandel equinnox, I believe this is the first time solstice has met him. solstice this is mandel, a future shaman.” astrid said, allowing mandel to further introduce himself to solstice.

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▌ＲＯＷＡＮ - ♕
vv( 712 words ) ( tags polaris, adalicia ) ( imu of verso ) ( male ) ( 3 1/2 years ) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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desperation.

were those his current feelings? although rowan was never one who depended on the company of others to keep himself sane, he still had some senses of his old extroverted self. it was lonely being stuck in a depressing cave with a brutish guard that gave no hesitance to jump on him and harm him. sure in some words he was a traitor, but rowan hadn't technically done anything wrong. as far as rowan was concerned, adalicia was just as in the wrong as he was considering she also had snuck out. albeit it was to follow him, she still deserved punishment. in his eyes, solstice was just a tyrant who favored some wolves over others. solstice always had it out for him, and his unjust punishment proved it.

however today was the day of the gathering;although rowan was never a big fan of them, it was the once in a blue moon opportunity he could venture out of his personal cave of solitude without having too many cautions. although he could sense his pack's untrusting and disgusted glares directed towards him, he paid little to no attention to them. he blocked out their negativity, because frankly it was exhausting. a part of rowan despised everyone in verso, he never quite understood why he wasn't killed or exiled. being kept prisoner here was just a burden for everyone. was it because they expected him to change? the brute thought with amusement. there was no way he'd change his ways;no way he'd ever attempt to become someone useful in this pack. there was no future for him here, and if he had the choice than he'd immediately leave to go find rayn. rowan would rather die than contribute to a pack that held nothing but hatred for him.

soon, a foreign scent filled his nostrils. a scent so strong it almost made the wolf vomit. valens. he thought with disdain, retracting his claws before peering out of his little prison. as expected, there were wolves who were eager to greet the strangers and there were others who slunk back in the shadows. scanning the camp, his eyes layed on a few familiar pelts. polaris. he thought fondly. although rowan didn't have the same infatuation as he did when he was a ver, there were still some feelings of attraction for the sepio. she was one of the only wolves rowan actually liked in the pack;although rowan was aware of her disgust for him. she'd always valued loyalty and honesty, two traits that rowan didn't know too well. thinking back of polaris also brought memories of adalicia, the one name that brought up his inner most vile feelings. that putrid wolf deserved no respect, in fact the only feelings rowan deemed acceptable for her to harness were those of fear, sadness, and anguish. emotions she caused him to have. although rowan had little to no regrets for his past, the one thing he deeply regretted was not killing the wolf when he had a chance. this could've been avoided, he had the opportunity. he had her under him-if he'd dug his teeth in deep enough in her neck, the female could've been done with and left a mystery. but he'd hesitated and was scared of it;and now in turn he was the one suffering.

rowan glanced at the she-wolf who was at a notable distance away from polaris;it was obvious adalicia didn't like polaris. rowan wasn't quite sure why, but seeing her uncomfortable gave rowan a worrying surge of pride. limping, rowan cursed under his breath as he approached the group-slightly agitated by the pain in his legs. he lived like a rat;and it showed. his mistreatment caused him to look skinny and frail;and to an extent that was true. he despised it, he'd once been a strong wolf with the power and cleverness to bring down a wolf twice his size but now he wasnt so sure. "greetings my dearest family," rowan said with a passive aggressive tone. noticing the glares and frowns, rowan sneered before continuing. "not happy to see me? that's unfortunate. i've missed your guys's company, why dont you ever visit me?" rowan pouted before flashing adalicia a look of upmost hatred.

[ataraxic_gone]

➳Ａｄａｌｉｃｉａ
━━━━━━━━━━[🇴🇫 ＶＥＲＳＯ]

The hours of daylight had been brutally uneventful. Adalicia had travelled around the territory scaling cliffs and breathing in the mountain air as she did her best to find prey amongst the summer day. The rustle of the grass had kept her calmed into the late afternoon as she continued to go about her duties; to provide for the pack to the best of her ability. But today the best of her ability wasn't quite enough to secure a kill. There was the odd rabbit scent that was scattered in the wind and following eventually lead back to the place she had started. Most of the scent trails were like that, which was expected considering how little distance most prey animals had to go to find fresh grass, at least in the area's they called home. She poured down the cliffs, taking graceful leaps down ledges to follow different paths. It was quite possible that she was following in the path of another vis or scout who had startled all the prey away but she was beginning to doubt that there was any food to be found, to begin with.

The sun was beginning to head towards setting and Adal took note of this, a huff escaping her maw as she lowered her nose to the ground, breathing in the scent of the soil. A small tinge; the scent of an animal caught her attention, vole. A small chuckle left her maw as she was swept up in memories. Xiro loved voles, he was stupid silly about the furry creatures and despite how small they were, if you gave him one he would be elated. Between the memories and reality, Adal barely caught sight of the vole move up ahead. Impulsively she leapt forwards clawing at the place she had spotted the fuzzy rodent. But by the time she had reached the location of the vole, it was gone, burrowing into its tunnels, never to be seen again. Pin like claws dug their way into the earth as she watched the last signs of life dissipate. It was frustrating that even now, years later, her mind still flew to her former lover when she felt stressed. She was doing her best to lean on her own feet, she was capable of it but unprepared to face her demons.

And thus she returned to camp, slipping into quietly because of her belated return. Her ears twitched as she listened to wolves make conversation before finding a warm rocky area to sunbake. There wasn't much for her to do until Valen arrived. Take a deep breath Adal felt relief flood her bones, this was her home through and through. The movement from day to day, the bustle of pack life. She would never give up her pack, even if it hurt her occasionally. The thought of pain made Rowan come to her attention, eyes focussing on the wolf as a chill ran up her spine. How could he still remain in the pack after everything? If her plea's hadn't fallen on indifferent ears this wolf wouldn't be welcome amongst their ranks but regardless he remained. She pulled her body in tighter, ears falling down as she let out an annoyed sigh, trying not to let the fear show.

The sound of footsteps in the distance made her jerk to attention and leap to her feet. Behind her, the small docked tail she owned flicked back and forth eagerly as Valen wolves flowed into the camp. The alphas began to mingle first, greeting each other with quaint words. But Adal's attention was elsewhere, in truth she had been waiting weeks to speak with her son for the first time in too long. It wasn't hard, after all, he was a splitting image of his father in most ways. Once she had noticed him she was already on her way, approaching him quickly with a smile on her maw, "I am Adalicia." Her instruction was swift and after a short moment, her son replied, "Mandel."

It was at this point Adalicia noticed her error. What was she going to say? She looked the auburn wolf over trying to find something to say. She looked him over, he was everything she had wished for her children, although the scrapes along his limbs made her fret, was he just an overzealous sepio who was selfless and brave? She watched as Mandel squinted slightly at her image, was he hurt? Running her eyes over him once more with concern she noticed an injury covered in medicine. He must have hurt himself recently, that was the only explanation! Should she ask about the injury and how he got it? No doubt a good story was associated with such a wound. But before she could find the words Lil T began dancing around the paws of the two wolves, something held captive in his maw. He began singing a poorly versed hymn before gifting Mandel a vitiated butterfly. Mandel opened his mouth to say something before being interrupted by a wolf Adal noted to be the Valen Shaman. She dipped her head in respect to the high ranking wolf, "Of course," Adal spoke with a soft chuckle.She listened quietly to the Shaman speak a soft smile adorning her feature as she watched them interact. She was so glad he had found someone to lean on, the words of Astrid took her off guard, become shaman?! This was the first she had heard of Mandel's rank, he was a ver shaman? She did her best not to let the shock show on her face as the two left. For the briefest moment, she was unmoved by the revelation before her retractable claws ran over the ground. How could she not have known?

An annoyed sigh escaped her maw as she looked down, noticing Little T still around her feet. Her eyes focused on him for a long moment before her pupils thinned. "Romulus must be worried sick!" she declared, her voice raised as she quickly ascended to her feet. She used her nose to push the pup along towards the mixture of wolves. The motion of wolves moving around admittedly stressed her mind but it did grant her the ability to see the forms rather well. It took a long moment for the moving wolves to give way to two familiar faces, Romulus!.. and Polaris. The end of her fur stood up slightly along her back as she stared at Polaris with a frustrated gaze. Great, just great. Adalicia worked her life around the premise that she could avoid any and everyone who scared her. For the longest moment, her paws were rooted to the ground, immovable. But she worked up the drive and soon enough was pushing Lil T towards his guardian of the day. Adalicia watched him go, following behind just enough to make sure he made it the full way, stopping short enough to leave a solid 2 meters between herself and Polaris.
[dam • 5y • vis • gathering;rowan, lil t, romulus, polaris • 1166 • form]




▩Ｍａｎｄｅｌ
━━━━━━[🇴🇫 ＶＡＬＥＮ]

There was something left to be desired as the two wolves faced each other. Clearly, the she-wolf had come here searching for conversation but with neither party open enough to offer a subject silence filled the air. A young pup opened up an opportunity for conversation as he strolled in between the wolves, singing a poem to them. Mandel's face scrunched up and the poorly spun verses, a small smile crossed Mandel's face as he nodded a little. The approach of Astrid was greatly appreciated, despite the pup's approach relaxing some of the tension, it wasn't like he was any better at relating to the young Verso pup; after all, he had never really done most of the things he imagined Lil T spent his day doing.

"Of course Astrid," Mandel said quaintly, beginning to move towards the Shaman before coming to a halt as he was chastised by Astrid for forgetting the herbs. Mandel fell instantly into an alert position, ears raising and small tail bud in the air as he snapped towards the herbs, carefully picking them up. He turned to Astrid once more before his full eyes roamed towards where Lil T had left him a gift. He smiled slightly, resting his paw on the butterfly before scooping it up with his claws, "thank-you." His voice charmed before he turned to leave with his mentor. He listened to her speak with great intensity, eager to hear what she had to say. The compliment was not missed and Mandel felt his posture straighten, a smile painting his features as he faced Astrid and nodded his head with a sincere eagerness, even if a sadness clouded his eyes at the thought of what his ascension to the shaman rank would mean for Astrid.

And like that, they headed towards the leaders of the two respective packs. Instinctively Mandel leaned closer to Astrid, using her as a guide even though at this time he could see everything as his packmates would during midday. What if Solstice didn't like him? It was a possibility but he doubted she would hold it against him openly. Still, he stuck close to his mother figure, believing full well that she would keep him safe. He nodded his head as Astrid spoke, holding himself steady in front of the Verso chief. His steps were sheepish as he approached her closer, lowering his head before releasing the herbal gifts to the ground before finishing in a curt bow. He waited for Astrid to introduce him before he stood back and dipped his head once more, "A pleasure to meet your acquaintance," he spoke, doing his best not to let his words come out with too much speed, wary that when he was anxious that he would rush his words. "I hope that I can follow in the footsteps of Astrid and [verso shaman], I have lot's to learn but.." his voice trailed off as he turned to Astrid, for a moment of reassurance before sending his attention back towards the leaders. "But I have faith!"
[male • 2y • ver shaman • gathering;lil t, astrid, sol, quinn • 509 • form]

[bearlike]

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( ♔ ) x ❝ ＳＯＬＳＴＩＣＥ！ ── ─
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( alias: solstice/sol. ) xx • xx ( sex: male. ) xx • xx ( status: chief/verso. ) xx • xx ( eyes follow: tbd. ) xx • xx ( tags: group. )
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indentation It was evident that Solstice was indeed, troubled.

indentation Squinting against the fading light, a frown graced his features, ears twitching nervously. Summer had been generous to the two allied packs, the two groups gaining a generous amount of wolves joining their ranks. Being situated in the mountains wasn't exactly traditional or ideal for the wolves of Valeo. From the cliff side, he could see the tall, willowy trees with crowns of verdant plumage swaying in the subtle breeze. Thin, pale blue rivers weaved their way through the grounds below. Admittidly, times like these were blissful. Agonizingly blissful. It was like he was waiting for someone to pull the rug from under him at any moment; living ignorant would serve no purpose. Realistically, if someone dared break the boundaries of the term 'alliance', it would end horribly. Something as simple as a fragment of words weaved together, spite, lies, and deciet weaved inbetween them could easily crush their friendship. A complex web of lies. Life seemed to thrive in every corner, post-havoc. Being as adaptive as he was, he felt a prominent connection to being rested below the skies; the mountains bore no inconvenience to him, strong limbs allowing him to easily scope the rough terrain. Something he would never understand about Valens was their need to be around the forest. Granted, Verso wolves had a lack of need for constant food or water, which is why they may have thrived here in thier native lands. Involuntarily glancing towards his pack, he watched them bustle about in preparation. Chatter dithered in the air, his comrades sharing words of hushed excitement; or what he at least presumed was anticipation for the coming nightfall. The anxiety shifted into mild annoyance, impatiently narrowing his eyes. Watching the bright rays of light fade into sparkling constellations, his worry about his fellow allies faded, albeit with it came the onset of relief. The distinct scent of Valens lingered in the air, causing his fur to stand on it's ends. His gaze falling on Equinox, he offered a small grin towards her, feeling himself visibly relax. It felt like a responsibility to make sure that the two corresponded frequently and honesty; if one pack didn't make it to the bi-monthly gatherings, it would be taken as a sign of disrespect and arrogance. Rationally thinking, tensions were low as of now. Both sides were trying their best to preserve the fragile alliance between the two. There were no clear terms on what the word meant, but nobody seemed to seek clarification or question their words.

indentation Shoving the thoughts away, he glanced towards his fellow Chief, taking in her disheveled state in with mild amusement. The defiant look she skewered him with was enough for him to damper down his grin - somewhat fearfully - instead focusing on her words. "Thank you," the male murmured, gazing at his fellow friend. "I assume all has been well with your pack? Many seem eager to converse with Verso. I hope the journey wasn't too hard on you, my dear," he responded, mimicking her tone of voice. Earning nothing but a small scoff and swat to his flank, Equinox responded equally as smoothly; her eloquence and wit never failed to amaze him, feeling slightly envious of her power and confidence. "Great Lupus, don't let your ego get the better of you. Gloat all you want about how strong you are, I doubt you'd last travelling to Valens. I assume you have no pressing news to share either? Valens has been well." While her words resonated sincerely, he couldn't help but feel a hint of suppression behind her words. While the two trusted eachother deeply, it was unclear what should be said and what shouldn't. It was likely that the two sold themselves off better than they really were to avoid showing signs of weakness. A survival instinct that the two would never be able to shake. It was likely that some wolves in the crowd shared the same trepidation. As he was about to open his mouth to respond, the two were interrupted by Astrid, a female of pleasant disposition. Nodding his head at the Valens Shaman, he lowered his head respectfully. Trailing behind her was the figure of Mandel, presumably her Ver. "Certainly, it seems the weather has been in our favor recently. It is a pleasure to see you, Astrid, as well as you Mandel." While his gaze briefly lingered on Astrid, he felt himself drawn to the energy Mandel seemed to be radiating. A Ver who was expected to follow the steps of a high tier rank; the pressure must inherently be nerving. Judging by his stature, he was nervous; an expected feeling, really. He was inexperienced and learning, feelings of akin to sympathy and understanding rooting deep in Sol's chest. He and Equinox were once in the same position, a sense of nostalgia overcoming his sense. In Mandel, he could see fragments of himself.

indentation "I believe you will do well Mandel, under the direction of Astrid of course. You will preform brilliantly," Equinox said, drawing the Verso Chief's attention to her once again. The two shared a look. Clearing his throat, the male glanced at the small group of Valen wolves. "Is this your first time here?" he asked, mostly addressing the two Valen Shamans with an apologetic shrug. "With the amount of faces around here, it's easy to forget." The air of formality that lingered between the ragtag group was quickly shattered by an offhand and snarky comment by Equinox. "You talk as if you're old and wise," she muttered, making a face. "Sorry, I forgot I was positively ancient compared to you," he bit back, grateful for the banter that relieved the two temporarily from casual small talk. "Whatever you say, codger."

cr: galaxial