Dead Empress Backwater Patterns repeat, it shouldn't be surprising

Late morning, for Vasco only please!

Now finished with his border patrol - all part of his plan to appear as the doting and hardworking father and uncle - Rochus sat beneath an empress tree with his morning meal consisting of some type of vole clutched between his front paws. He wasted no time in digging in, feeling the aching hunger easing with each swallowed mouthful.

As he ate he thought deeply about the length of time his son Vayko had been gone, and whether it would be best to appeal to his relationship with Sharlee or Viorel to further his plans. Either way there was an obstacle in the form of Vasco. Part of him just wanted to get rid of the wolf, he was smaller, and Rochus felt that he could likely take him on in a one-on-one fight. But that came with the risk of alienating those which he sought to get closer to. The other part of him thought about maybe trying to form some type of partnership with him, to use Vasco to get what he wanted.

So many decisions to make, and not nearly enough time to think all of them through properly.

Vasco had already been wary of Rochus during their time in the Estuary, and that hadn’t changed. One might think the two would be likely friends, both outsiders, tied to the Valle family by their relationships, yet the Halex always felt like he couldn’t trust the other man, there was something slippery about him. That might be rich, coming from Vasco himself, but nevertheless, he preferred to keep his distance from Rochus as much as possible. But sharing a pack meant they had to interact at some times, and it would appear today might be one of those, as Vasco returned from a short hunt in the meadow north of pack territory. He had been successful, a dead hare dangling from his jaws, and he was eager to bring it to the children. However the way there just so happened to cut right past the tree where Rochus was sitting. Spotting the tawny man, Vasco froze for a second, debating whether to backtrack and find a longer way around. But then he shook his head, steeling himself before continuing forwards. He might be physically weaker, but in the pack hierarchy, Vasco was above, and his connections were much stronger – especially with Vayko gone; I have no need to be afraid of you! His head was high, tail held proudly behind him, as he stopped before the other man, nodding his head ever so slightly as he greeted simply: “Rochus.” Thoughts ”Speech”

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Rochus was so deep in his own thoughts that he did not realise another wolf was there until said wolf stepped up to him. He paused his rhythmic chewing of the skull to look up, his golden eyes meeting the unfortunately familiar grey gaze. Well, it seemed merely thinking about Vasco caused the wolf himself to appear out of seemingly thin air.

He took note of Vasco's posturing, barely holding back a sneer at the fact he could not posture back. But a hierarchy was there for a reason, and he had no plans of stirring it up just yet. The greeting was neither warm nor cold, and he returned one back with a similar tone. "Vasco."

Rochus continued staring up at the smaller wolf, glancing briefly at the dead hare in his jaws before locking gazes once more. "On your way to give an offering to the children?" That seemed like something Vasco would do, as a doting uncle and all. He just hoped Vasco wouldn't give it to Eros, knowing that the child had some untoward ways of burying prey to keep it safe.

Standing face to face with Rochus, Vasco couldn’t keep a cold shiver from running down his spine, despite how hard he tried. The man had all the airs of a bully, bigger and burlier than the lanky Halex. And yet, for the first time in his life, he found himself above the stronger wolf, seeing the muted response to his dominance and feeling a rush of gratification. Of course, the satisfaction didn’t last long, as their eyes met, Rochus’s golden gaze managing to look like ice, clearly conveying his true feelings, even if his posture remained non-challenging. Vasco felt his hackles prickle at the disrespect, though he knew better than to openly challenge the other man. Instead, he casually lowered his prey to the ground, as an excuse to break eye contact while he gathered himself. Mustering a cold smile, he looked back up at Rochus’s words, answering pointedly: “My grandchildren, yes.” Really there was no fight to be had here, the Ward had already lost everything; his son gone with no sign of return, his mate dead, Rochus’s shot at the Valle dynasty had missed. And meanwhile, Vasco was at the top, second only to his leading son, finally recognized as his father, and with his family legacy firmly secured; I won. Thoughts ”Speech”

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(This post was last modified: Dec 07, 2022, 01:09 AM by Vasco.)

Rochus would have been blind to miss the meaning behind Vasco's words. He clenched his teeth together, crunching cleanly through the skull he had been chewing on only moments prior. A part of him wished it was Vasco's skull between his teeth. There was no contest between them, Vasco had what he wanted in every way. But he couldn't let that get to him. He refused to give up. If he was breathing, there was always tomorrow.

Spitting out the skull fragments onto the dirt, he blinked up at the smaller man, taking a few moments to order his thoughts. "How sure of that are you?" He spoke as plainly as he could muster, save for a slight narrowing of his eyes. As far as Rochus was aware Sita had never declared Vasco was the father, meaning there would always be a grain of doubt in everyone's minds. Even just a hint of doubt could be enough to unravel everything the smaller wolf held dear, and Rochus was not above poking and prodding where it would hurt the most.

The blow landed beautifully, the understanding clear in those icy yellow eyes. Vasco’s smile grew, though a twitch went through his body at the snap of cracking bone. But his gaze held the other man’s, still smug, knowing that he wouldn’t carry through with the violence he was no doubt imagining – their minds were similar in that way: Rochus would plot, but he wouldn’t attack outright, not from such a weak position.; Checkmate! Alas, his gloating was short-lived, as Rochus made his comment, ever so subtly hitting Vasco where it would hurt the most. The lanky man’s smile morphed into a scowl, ashen eyes shooting daggers at his bulkier opponent. The one thing Rochus had ever achieved above him was a recognized mateship with his chosen Valle daughter, and now, with both of them gone, there was no way for Vasco to break even – nor of having his fatherhood openly recognized by Sita herself. He could recite what she’d told him in private over and over, but it would prove nothing, and they both knew it. One corner of his mouth twitching in anger, Vasco stared down his foe, voicer louder and much harsher than before as he proclaimed: “Oh I’m sure!” His eyes narrowed, tone growing icy as he added: “I made sure.” Thoughts ”Speech”

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Rochus had to resist the urge to grin. Gotcha. His words had hit their mark perfectly, and in turn he felt smug at garnering the intended reaction from the other wolf. Sometimes it was too easy to rile others up, but he knew he had to be careful to not push too far. They were both older now, and it would be harder to recover from injuries. But he had no plans to resort to physical violence even though he knew there would be some satisfaction in the act.

He simply raised a brow at Vasco as the other wolf spoke again, his meaning crystal clear. Oh really now? Perhaps there was more to Vasco than Rochus had initially thought. But those were just words. Words meant nothing without action to back them up. It had been quite a coincidence that Platon never returned.

"And does Viorel know just how sure you are?" Would Viorel be as open to the declaration? It meant nothing if only Vasco was sure, but to tell the truth might have consequences. Rochus' lips pulled back in a grin, though it was anything but nice. "Maybe I should tell him." Was this pushing Vasco too far? Oh well, he'd already said the words aloud.

Rochus’ words really shouldn’t be getting to him in this way, they were nothing but empty insult, the words of a man who had achieved nothing and begrudged those who had. But Vasco was vain, and his self-confidence had always been fragile – add to that how Rochus especially had always appeared as a main rival to the Halex, and it was a real recipe for boiling blood. Vasco snarled at the older man’s words, his nonchalance only serving to further anger the smaller wolf. He wanted to wipe that grin off his face, to show him just how well he could handle his problems, much as he had with Platon. But he knew he couldn’t, not without raising too many questions and giving Rochus more ammunition to use against him. He had to swallow his rage, to not give the bastard the satisfaction of continuing the argument. Taking a deep breath, Vasco forced himself to see Rochus’ threat for what it was: yet another desperate shot at getting under his skin and trying to make him further incriminate himself. But without that reaction, the Ward had nothing, just words spoken between the two of them, and vague words at that. “Go ahead!” The pale man spat, though now with much more composure and that icy superiority sliding back into his demeanor; “If you think he could possibly believe your word over mine.” Check mate, bastard! In the end, Rochus was just a bitter old man with nothing of worth left to his name. Thoughts ”Speech”

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His words had surely done the trick, garnering an angry snarl from the other wolf. Rochus didn't flinch at the outburst, but his eyes did slightly narrow as he pulled his head back and out of the way of any potential harm. He liked the way his face looked, and wasn't planning on sporting a scar anytime soon.

But Vasco finally composed himself, which was probably for the best all things considered. It was not the time for the two of them to get into a brawl. He sneered then, upper lip curling to show his distaste at their exchange of words. "Doesn't matter if he believes me or not, but that thought will always be in the back of his mind. " All Rochus had to do was plant the seed and wait for it to grow and mature in Viorel's own mind.

Long finished with his meal and feeling like he needed a good walk to clear his own mind, Rochus got up, but made sure not to turn his back to the other wolf. With tensions this high he didn't want to be too lax. "I'm sure the children are quite hungry, you should go tend to them." His own fur was quite ruffled by the encounter, and he was ready for it to be over before either of them did something they regretted.

While it couldn’t quite be called a flinch, Vasco nevertheless noticed Rochus’s move and felt a hint of pleasure. But it was no real victory, the older mans words proved as much, drawing another sneer from the Halex’s lips. He’d had enough of these pointless word games, neither of them was willing to make an actual move – at least not yet – and bickering back and forth like old ladies was doing no good. Rochus seemed to have come to the same conclusion, and despite his parting words, Vasco chose to count his retreat as a small victory. In the end those children were his blood, and the Ward had nothing, his bitterness tasted sweet to Vasco. “See you around,” he hissed, eyes fallowing the other man until he was out of sight. He’d get what was coming to him, eventually. Thoughts ”Speech”

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