Drooping Willows saw so many places, the things that I did

September 14th; Just beyond Willow Ridge territory; Early morning, after sunrise; Partly Cloudy; 57 ° F, 14 ° C.

And, so, the sun rose on the 3,138th day of Angier's life. He stiffly rose from his resting place near the Infirmary, only half taken aback when it wasn't the weight of Niles' growing body on his shoulders that woke him up. Rather, it was the uplifting chirps of late summer birdsong, the last melodies of the warmer seasons. He took a moment to warm up his muscles from the cool night his joints had endured before heading straight for the borders and well beyond them. If today was to be any other ordinary day then he was going to do his routine: rise and traverse the borders, hunt or scavenge, return home and, if time would allow, a quiet moment with Elettra and the cubs before their bedtime.

These days, however, it was becoming more and more apparent that his years of wandering were catching up to him at long last. As soon as he had reached the borders of Willow Ridge, he allowed his pace to slow to a leisurely walk. With uneven steps, it seemed as if he were merely out for a walk, just waiting for Relic Lore to offer him something in exchange for his curiosity. He smiled as he went, looking up into the umbrella-like canopies of the trees beyond his and Elettra's domain. In all the years he had been here, nothing about them had changed.

The grizzled patriarch came to stop beneath a dead willow tree, touching his nose to a select few of its boughs, the leaf-less twigs reaching downward with skeleton-like branches. He parted the sparse veil with his nose and passed through it, slowly lowering himself into a sitting position. He couldn't recall if this tree had always been this way or if it had been alive at one point in time when he had come to this part of the Lore. Though, one thing was for sure, Angier had come to a point in his life where he could finally take a moment and look back at all he had accomplished and hold dear the memories he hoped would echo through time with his children and grandchildren. Peering up into the tree's dry trunk, he raised his brow at the scratched markings. His tail gave a wag, wondering now if it had been El's doing once upon a time when she had first come to lay claim to the lands.

A heavy sigh lifted from him and his ears lowered in reverence. He closed his eyes, feeling the sun shine down on him through the willow. From behind his lids he remembered a number of things he knew he couldn't forget, hoping with every fiber of his being that he still had energy yet to come by this very spot and do this again.. to remember and anticipate whatever else the future still had to offer him and his family...

Hecate Liar

I hate this car that I'm driving
There's no hiding for me
I'm forced to deal with what I feel
There is no distraction to mask what is real
I could pull the steering wheel

---

The waters were calming. The ripples of past happenings were making their last rebound to the center of the pool to dissipate. With so much commotion and tragedies taking place, the woman had yet a moment to think. The white noise had surrounded her in a blanket of secureness, preventing the memories and wandering contemplation to take place. But, all good things must come to an end.

They came rushing back like a tsunami, washing over her mind and with each wave she became looser. And looser. And looser. Hecate was burning with the desire to start something, pacing back and forth until it came to her. Angier must have the answers! She knew that their cords with other packs were tightening, becoming coarser, bristling with tautness- specifically Grizzly Hollow. But it didn't matter what task, what extremity or its backlash. Just something to do.

The lithe ghost slipped between the tree's girths and the bushes cloying talons. The familiar ashen pelt merged together with the turning leaves. Her eyes cut diamonds with a piercing glare, observing him in serene silence. He seemed so peaceful, resting in the golden morning sun. Suddenly, she felt as if she was interrupting something that insisted to be untouched. Yet still, the overwhelming desire to end the stillness ate up at her. Quiet was violent.

She sat, relaxing the coiled springs that were her muscles. "Angier, is this an alrigh' time?" Her voice read tranquil but her eyes flamed with determination. She wondered if he would deny her. Turn the ghost down in her quest to eliminate the clear air. Give me something to do. Give me a name. Just say the word.

---

I ponder of something terrifying
'Cause this time there's no sound to hide behind
I find over the course of our human existence
One thing consists of consistence
And it's that we're all battling fear
Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here
Oh my,
Too deep
Please stop thinking
I liked it better when my car had sound

(This post was last modified: Sep 15, 2015, 12:23 AM by Hecate.)

the armed queen

"Angier," a familiar voice came to him through the curtain of willow branches, "is this an alrigh' time?" One of those pale gold eyes fluttered open first before the other did the same. His right ear twitched as though it were warding away a bothersome fly and he squinted slightly to discern before him Hecate, bathed in sun glow. "Yeah," he replied, his voice still hoarse with sleep. "Yeah, that's fine. Come on over 'n' sit fer a while."

To show that he wasn't in any hurry and had no intentions of going anywhere anytime soon, he reclined forward with some difficulty in his shoulders. For a second, he winced but once he was comfortably settled on the ground it dwindled away. His tail swept across the dying grass, eager to show that he was appreciative of her company. It had been quite a while when he had had the chance to interact with someone who wasn't his immediate family - at least, Elettra and the youngest Archer-Lyalls.

He smiled up into her face, half-regarding her bright green eyes and half-minding where she sat. At least he didn't have to worry too much about anyone listening in on their conversation. A part of him was certain that Sköll was already far away, asleep somewhere where he couldn't be reached. "What's goin' on?" he asked then, looking her over as a whole. "Ya don't norm'lly come 'round lookin' ta talk ta me." Instinctively his mind drew lines from Hecate to Sköll, then from Sköll to the younglings (Sven included). "Somethin' wrong?"

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Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

hecate liar


I hate this car that I'm driving
There's no hiding for me
I'm forced to deal with what I feel
There is no distraction to mask what is real
I could pull the steering wheel



Hecate partially felt uncomfortable with stumbling in on Angier's quiet time. But, the deed needed to be done. She was practically dying with the extra time on her hands. Anything that would get her out and about, particularly something the field of assassination. She smiled kindly, taking a seat beside him to stare up at the fleshed out tree leaves. He asked if something was wrong, and technically something was. "Well, I been findin' myself thinkin' 'bout the question y'asked me months ago. Would I kill for th'right of the pack?" She gave him a minute to recall, her ears warming with the thought of it. "I'd like to take y'up on that offer sir. Y'see, I would need someone willing to spar with, d'think y'could arrange that Angier?" She was rambling, getting ahead of herself. She was far too unused around here, her gears going from being unused to going into over drive. "Y'know I'm smart, y'know I'm loyal and ya sure as hell know I'll get the job done right."

I ponder of something terrifying
'Cause this time there's no sound to hide behind
I find over the course of our human existence
One thing consists of consistence
And it's that we're all battling fear
Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here
Oh my,
Too deep
Please stop thinking
I liked it better when my car had sound

the armed queen

He idly cleared his throat as Hecate came to settle down near him, her smile returned on his graying face. What bits of tan that had once been on his brow and muzzle had begun to fade; in the morning sun, this was even more apparent than ever. As if to return to meditating, his eyes closed again and his muzzle dipped downward in thought. The only telltale sign that he was still mentally present or listening at all was the position of his ears, both of which were cupped forward with the closest one leaning towards the younger woman.

"Well, I been findin' myself thinkin' 'bout the question y'asked me months ago." she started, "Would I kill for th'right of the pack?"
"Mmhmm," he lent without even peeking at her.
"I'd like to take y'up on that offer sir."
His brow furrowed at the thought, partially amused as he continued to listen.
"Y'see, I would need someone willing to spar with, d'think y'could arrange that Angier?"

The Lyall's head canted to one side and his eyes opened slowly as he took in the rest of what she had wanted to say. Ah, to be young again with all the time in the world to prove oneself... He looked to her now with a warm smile, clearly touched by her words. "Of course," he said slowly, wanting his words to smooth over her ears. "An' Elettra an' I both appreciate ya in all that ya hafta offer. Though, I'm afraid that whole killin' stuff was just theoretical an' all. Willow Ridge--" When he cleared his throat once more, there seemed to be a sense of determination behind it. "Th'pack 'as 'ad a lil' too much experience with... those sorta things."

He scoffed rather than shrugged due to the ache in his bones. "We do not 'ave a Guardian anymore though," he explained. "Elettra's sister's been gone fer quite some time. She was prob'ly yer best bet. I, myself, would offer my tactics but I'm not much practice if I can't move wit'ya like I used to."

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Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

Here comes the hurricane- She's finally turning sour!

hecate liar


I hate this car that I'm driving
There's no hiding for me
I'm forced to deal with what I feel
There is no distraction to mask what is real
I could pull the steering wheel



Hecate was relaxed enough to smile, a soft sigh of relief squeezed out of her lungs. It felt better being apart of something. Her beaming mouth slowly faded into a fine line. It was only theoretical? She could have sworn he meant something more by... thoughts slowly trickled into her head while her face remained unfazed. It wasn't alarming that she mistook her, but the fact that she had become obsessed with the fact of killing someone for the "good of the pack". In the very back of her mind, a small epiphany began to grow. Maybe I'm not that good of a person? Hecate blinked hard and then turned to Angier, trying frantically to get rid of the thought.

"O'course, I'll ask 'er tomorrow." She assured him, flicking her tail with unnoticeable agitation. "I 'eard tha y'got a few sons an daughters tha fight too?" She inquired politely.

I ponder of something terrifying
'Cause this time there's no sound to hide behind
I find over the course of our human existence
One thing consists of consistence
And it's that we're all battling fear
Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here
Oh my,
Too deep
Please stop thinking
I liked it better when my car had sound

(This post was last modified: Oct 14, 2015, 11:49 PM by Hecate.)

the armed queen

...slowly tries to draw lines from this thread to the #Skate thread(s)...

Upon being prompted about sons and daughters, specifically ones that fought, Angier froze. Maybe @Elettra had something to do with that one and he realized now that he possibly had to catch up with it all to keep on the same page as his mate. Additionally, given that Hecate had so courteously inquired, he figured he might as well come clean. "Not plural," he corrected, "but if ya really wanna try an' give tusslin' a go, ya might wanna try Sköll." "Try" was supposed to be the keyword here; granted that his step-son was not a very sociable creature, being nocturnal and all.

"I'd jus' be careful though," he warned, hoping that she would also take this bit of advice with her when she did decide to seek out their pack mates for company. "With Sköll... Don't try anythin' sudden or abrupt. He'll take ya fer a spin if yer not careful." As a pack Leader he knew it was his responsibility and duty to maintain order within the Ridge and just for good measure, he added quietly, "Y'can heed mah words er not, but I'd suggest ya don't get too close to him. There're days when ya can't even read 'im an' he's more unpredictable than 'is sister. So take caution in all that."

"I'd say to go to Elettra or Nicolò, but it's up ta you... If ya do end up somethin' of a fighter after all that, I'd like ta think Willow Ridge would greatly appreciate yer service..."

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Taekwondo (M, W, F) | Rapid-Response Day (Tu) | WoW Nights (F, Sat, Sun)

Next post wrap up? I could do another if he has something to say :)

hecate liar


I hate this car that I'm driving
There's no hiding for me
I'm forced to deal with what I feel
There is no distraction to mask what is real
I could pull the steering wheel



Hecate raised a brow curiously, listening intently. She knew the mention was one of his stepsons or sons. The young lady drew a fine line across her lips, he defined the word 'try' roughly. He gave her a run through of what to expect and regulations of going to the man for help. He warned her to be careful, seeding an amused smile on her muzzle- she wasn't afraid of the bat in the night. This might turn out well for her, she needed to learn when to be polite and when to be assertive, he was prompted her with a challenge.

She nodded, understanding the situation's burdens. She would need to space herself from her instructor if she was to go to him for help- as if it would be difficult. She wasn't one to attach to someone without reason, and he didn't seem to hold one from what she had heard. Angier said something along the lines of grateful, placing a dazzling smile upon her. "I'll do ya proud, you an th'pack." She smiled and gave a short nod, sitting up to leave. Hecate had her information and she knew where to take it, with the help of Angier; she was already on her way. "Thank y'fer yer time, I'll update y'soon alrigh'?"





I ponder of something terrifying
'Cause this time there's no sound to hide behind
I find over the course of our human existence
One thing consists of consistence
And it's that we're all battling fear
Oh dear, I don't know if we know why we're here
Oh my,
Too deep
Please stop thinking
I liked it better when my car had sound

the armed queen