Wash the Sorrow From Off My Skin

Gent

I'm only a crack, In this castle of glass The weather was getting warmer, no new snow had fallen for a few days and the wind wasn't biting quite as hard. Dutiful to her new home, Evann was up with the sun, patrolling the borders in search of any threads or, more importantly, any food. After a few days of rest in a warm den, the sinewy lady felt strengthened, and she was eager to show her gratitude; I will NOT let you down! She was swiftly growing accustomed to the rocky woodlands of The Keep, paws gripping smoothly on the uneven ground as her legs pumped in a steady rhythm; now that she was no longer forced to be running all the time, it actually felt nice to move her body. Soft-brown eyes scanning every stone, every snowcapped bush, every small movement of the rusty leafs, she weaved in and out between the thick trunks, breath forming small clouds in the chilly air. The speckled lass had still not met many of her new kin, their very nature allusive, the shadows of Hollowheart Keep adding to their need for seclusion, and everyone, Evann assumed, out working for the pack, there hadn't exactly been much opportunity for chit chat. She'd seen many of them sure, talked to a few... But she still felt lonely, her main reason for abandoning her family yet to be proved; Did I do the right thing? Or was I just selfish..?! She still felt like scum most of the time, betraying her own blood like she had, and out of purely egotistical reasons. How could she claim to be loyal, when she had already deserted a pack once? Maybe she should never have opted for admittance here, what could she truly offer them that they didn't already have? But if she hadn't sought the shelter of Hollowheart, she would have been dead by now, was that any better? Her death wouldn't serve anyone, the question was if her life could. She would have to wait and see, and if she wasn't of any true service to this pack, to her new leaders, she would leave; Maybe I am just destined to be alone... Word count: 359 "Speech." Thought

(This post was last modified: Jan 17, 2014, 03:43 PM by Evann.)

PLOT WITH ME!

It was only on very rare occasions that Gent found himself home. Perhaps he should say it was never, for the stone fortress his alphas had laid claim to felt nothing like a home. Neither had the pass, nor even the pack before this that had adopted him after his father's death. For multiple reasons, the attachment had never been formed. Instead, he felt more at peace in his scouting, though even that practice was tainted by the futility of it all in the face of such a hostile winter. However, this did not bother the boy. When you were bred to be a nomad, you found comfort in the lifestyle. It did not mean that he did not feel a sense of belonging to the pack; it simply meant nothing to him to approach that recycled ancient den site. Still, it was necessary to touch base every now and then with the pack. To see if anyone else was having any better luck than he was. To seek out opportunities of collaboration. Searching like this on your own, to face the hopelessness of their situation, solitary on a canvas so white, could be maddening. He needed the company. At a slow but purposeful lope, he approached the natural division of the woods and the mountain's base, the tumultuous change that marked his pack's claim in perfect reflection of the nature of their forced exodus. There was little activity around him, and he wondered if perhaps he would find no one; if they were all out doing what they could to keep each other alive. Then, Gent picked up sound and scent, something darting through the area and nearing his location. The smell of her was foreign in itself, but carried that of Mapplethorpe, and the light swiftly returned to Gent's eyes; he was no longer their newest member. With a bark and a grin, he took off, bulleting in her direction. He needed to see this girl, to figure her out and to immediately establish that he would be above her. Gent had been raised to understand that one started from the bottom and had to earn their way higher, but he was sick and tired of counting up losses. If the season hadn't put them in such a dire situation, he would find such a thing petty, but as things were, he absolutely needed this small win.

Ooc: Sorry for the wait, and the shortness - still getting used to her ^^

I'm only a crack, In this castle of glass She heard his approach only moments before he appeared before her, dark form dislodging from the shadows, as if one of them had suddenly decided to come to live and spring towards her at high speed. With the wind carrying from her towards the stranger, it was with her eyes she made the first deductions, not her nose; his fur was black as night, explaining how he so easily blended with the shadows of Ghastly Woods, his stature was clearly masculine, broad shoulders and solid muscles over dense bones and large paws, though he seemed to the lighter side - even discounting for the weight he would have lost to the harsh winter. Only a slight lankiness revealed his youth, paradoxically pared with a dominating attitude, head held high, tail lifted, stunning, ice-blue eyes determined in their gaze, as it landed on Evann; who topped dead in her tracks, for a moment dumbfounded by the prancing yearlings appearance. His scent reached her shortly after, baring the characteristics of the pack; the distinct mark of Mapplethorpe, along with the aroma left by moving among the trees and up the mountainside. The brown girl raised one ear curiously at the boy, tail waving tentatively; Another pack-mate... Possibly another friend. With a tiny, forthcoming smile Evann addressed the lad, her tone marked only by friendly curiosity - after talking with a few of the resident wolves, she was gaining a little confidence in making new acquaintances; "G... G... Good afternoon, c-comrade." She opened cautiously, showing her interest in the young man, and her lag of any ill intent, but otherwise leaving it to him to do the talking; as she preferred it. Word count:279 "Speech." Thought

Gent eased up once she was within view, and easily slipped into dominant posture. Her reaction to such an attitude would determine the weather of their meeting; if she was resistant, he would attempt to bully her into submission. However, her reception was mild and cool, even possibly happy. Gent visibly slipped into ease, but continued to hold his chin and tail aloft, enjoying finally being able to posses such a demeanor. His baby blues took a moment to scan over her figure, taking in her soft natural colors and compact physique. Everything about her appearance was... calming. The boy decided that so far, he very much liked this new addition. And then she opened her mouth, and he wondered, had he made her nervous after all? The stutter in her speech clashed with the ease of her posture and it puzzled him, as he'd never met a wolf with a speech impediment before, rather only those that were unnerved or shy. Assuming this was a thing of emotion, he strove to quickly put his pack mate at ease. "Comrade? Are you a serious girl then?" he teased her lightly. Finally lowering his skull, his tail maintained its height, giving his posture a more playful message to deliver. He was peering up at her, ears back, before he took a slow swipe at one of her forelegs. It was clear what he was trying to accomplish. "Hopefully not so serious as to refuse a Gent his fun?"

I'm only a crack, In this castle of glass The dark boy's posture changed and Evann responded to his apparent calm by widening her smile a little, one ear flipping back while the other stayed straight; a clear vision of curiosity. The longer she spend looking at him, the more evident his youth became, and the more at ease she felt; He's just a boy... The high hold of his tail and skull still confused her however, it didn't seem at all fitting, even for a pack-born approaching a stranger. She didn't like being confused, not in the least! Her brows furrowed slightly even as the lad made a move towards her, his attitude changing again, and she couldn't resist the impulse to lean back slightly, away from the unknown. His words, and especially their tone, only added to her bewilderment, the taunting glimpse in his eyes making her mentally recoil, yet there seemed to be only friendliness in his voice; reinforced by the playful position he then took. The smile had frozen on her face as she stood stiffly before him, unable to make enough sense of the situation to work out a response; her thoughts were scattering in all directions, dumbfounded by the rapid changes in the boy's body language. So when he swatted at her, she took a few moments to realize what he was doing, only too late pushing her front paws off the ground so, instead of clearing under her as she reared, his paw hooked the lower part of her leg, pushing her off balance. She waddled when her paws landed, struggling to regain her feet without taking a tumble in the snow. Thanks to the relative slowness and lack of strength in his blow, she succeeded in the effort, turning back to look at him wide eyed, and slightly breathless. The whole situation took several moments to fully register with the brown lass, resulting in a long period of her blankly staring at the dark wolf. When she finally got her thoughts together, heat flushed her cheeks, weather in anger or embarrassment she wasn't sure, and the only thing she managed to say was: "I... I'm... Sorry." Uttered in a weak voice. Then she looked away from him, head and ears falling, not knowing what to do with herself. She wasn't used to playing around, at least not with wolves old enough to no longer be considered pups, and the idea of good-humored teasing was completely new to her. She glanced back over the young man, registering his open, playful posture, furrowing her brows further; What do you want..? Finally she shook her head, deciding to try and push through the confusion; I just hope he'll start making sense... And, mustering a halfhearted smile she tried; "I... I'm afraid I'm n-not m... Much f-fun..." The statement seemed to hang in the air, thick and clumsy, after she'd spoken it - she felt altogether awkward and wrong. I'm really not good at this.! Word count:490 "Speech." Thought

No, she was just odd. Gent stared at her for a moment, utterly unsure of how to handle communicating with her. She seemed somewhat willing to engage him, but without confidence in her ability to do so. The overall awkwardness of her demeanor matched with the fact that she was older than him only served to point Gent in the direction of abandonment. Had she been someone he could claim seniority over, it would have been easier to slip into a caring personality and be willing to work with and coach her. As it was, he seriously considered letting the conversation end there and returning to his duties. Yet, she was still a pack mate, and he needed to lay down roots. As uncomfortable as it may be for him, if he were able to break through this awkward shell of hers, perhaps it would prove useful in the future. Gent wasn't looking forward to putting such an amount of effort into any stranger, but if he viewed it as another challenge, the resistance in his mind eased and he could warm up to the idea. He had been frozen in that puppish position that begged play, considering the options. When his mental decision was made, he once more became animated, though his demeanor shifted the slightest amount from innocent to predatory. If she wasn't going to freely join his game, he would have to give her a push. "Anyone can have fun. What are you so worried about?" There was something holding her back, and he needed to figure it out. There was something about that sheepish look of hers that told him her response wasn't for lack of a personality. "If you don't tell me, I will tickle you."

ooc: Yahi, she realized being awkward was stupid! XP

I'm only a crack, In this castle of glass Though her paws were securely planted in the snow, she felt wobbly; like her legs could give in any minute. But she wasn't tired, it wasn't exhaustion that made her body shake; What are you thinking? What should I do?! Her dark gaze was caught in deep, azure eyes, like lakes of melted ice, slowly sinking... Suddenly, the ice that seemed to have caught them both broke, and the ebony boy once again moved - his playful position gaining more dominant traits - and speak did he too, voice a bit more commanding than before. Her ears, which had been laid back in her apprehension flicked a few times, one of them flipping forwards. Worried about... Was she worried? I AM! She was worried he would misjudge her, take her stammer as a picture of her whole identity, mistreat her... And what has he done to make you think that? Been friendly?! She was paranoid! So caught up in her past that she couldn't even see the present for what it truly was. His behavior had confused her, made her recoil. And why? Because he treated her as an equal? Because he didn't do what she feared he would! A sudden smile blossomed on the mottled lady's face, eyes glowing as they again sought the young gent's; So show him who you are! As their eyes met, he made his threat, and this time, instead of making her retract, Evann felt a small giggle roll over her tongue. She shuffled her paws nervously, glancing away, but then looked back, laughing in honest. Here was a boy, seemingly ready to take her for all she was, not just a broken fragment, and she would offer him it all, wholeheartedly! Letting her light laughter die out, she parted her jowls, and spoke this time with confidence, though a hint of embarrassment made her cheeks feel warm; "S-Sorry. I... I-I'm not so g...g-good at t-talking to others." Then she blinked once and cocked her head to the side, smile growing; "But e... if you r-really plan to ti... tickle me, you better be... be r-ready for the consequences!" A playful glimmer went through her eyes, playing was not foreign to the lass, though she hadn't been sparring with a partner so close to her own size since she was, herself, a pup; Before... She shook her head lightly, no more! No more dwelling in the past! It was time to seize the opportunity she had come here to get! To be myself, to be happy... In the very back of her head, there was a small part that was still anxious, still paranoid - a little voice, wondering why this lad wanted to play with her in the first place; was it even play at all? But she ignored it, she was done with being lonely! Word count:473 "Speech." Thought