Magnolia Glen O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Upon gaining acceptance into a pack, there were those who might be inclined to let themselves relax, to take it easy in their new-found refuge. Deneb Cygni knew he didn't have that luxury. Not if he wanted to accomplish anything. Already winter was being banished steadily from the landscape, and Deneb had not forgotten what the lord of this place, Phineas, had said about journeying over the mountain come spring. But, it wasn't exactly a sense of honorable loyalty that sent Den out so early this morning. As the smoky beast roamed the half-snowy landscape, he was driven instead by a mixture of ambition and a healthy dose of malice. Phineas had not stopped short of insulting him and his family name, and Deneb had had no choice but to smile sweetly and act like it didn't bother him in order to get what he wanted – in. And the white alpha male had accepted him. Deneb had been irritable, though - the stains upon the Cygni name had got under his skin, and stayed there, festering. What was worse, the alpha actually had reasons to say those things - it was all @Albireo's fault, really. Malcontent though he was, he chose to hide it for now. The main task Phineas had given him was one Deneb was rather inclined to do anyway, which made it a little easier to set out this morning. In fact there was almost a spring in his gliding steps as he roved the borders of Magnolia Glen. Every now and then he stopped, sniffing at this or that, but there was a particular scent he was seeking – he knew his brother was lurking around someplace. A smile crossed Deneb's maw at the thought of Al, probably trying to lie low and jumping out of his skin every time a twig snapped. “Albire-Ooooh,” he called out jovially, wondering if the other Cygni was anywhere nearby or not. If he was near enough to hear, hopefully the teasing tone would be enough to rile his brother into coming out to play. It didn't really matter in the end though, because Deneb would find him eventually. He always had.

(This post was last modified: May 08, 2014, 10:18 PM by Deneb.)

As soon as Albireo had realized that his damned brother had infiltrated the Glen, Al had been hunting for him. If Albireo couldn't get Deneb to leave for good, his placement within the pack would be compromised. He hadn't made many friends here, rather, quite the opposite. His brother knew some his secret, at least just the shadow of it. So easily Deneb could use a few well placed words to get Al kicked right out, or even killed if Phineas deemed appropriate.

Albireo's interrogation of one of the new members, Ace, had proved futile. The stupid male hadn't even heard of Deneb, and wasn't of much use in Albireo's search for him. A small semicircle of scabs still clung to Albireo's muzzle from the chastisement he'd gotten from Zia for that. Albireo wasn't much of a tracker, and many false starts and wrong turns lead him no closer to finding Deneb. He probably would have completely walked past Deneb had he not heard his own name called out in a sing-song manner that just grated what was left of his nerves. His head jerked in the direction of Deneb's voice, dark eyes narrowing as he peered through the trees.

"You little shit!" Albireo roared, turning on his heels and breaking into a run as he dashed through the trees to finish the last few yards that stood between him and his brother. He stopped just inches from Deneb's nose, with spumescent globs of saliva clinging to the corners of his lips, his mouth wrenched open in a toothy snarl. Al's pallid tail arched high over his back as he growled right in Deneb's face, not worrying about how well within striking distance he was. "I don't care if Phineas let you in, what the hell do you think you're doing here! Get OUT!" Albireo yelled into the other Cygni's face.

It seemed his taunting call had been a success - as the sound echoed and died, Deneb's ears danced upward in interest, catching the response as it rang angrily through the trees. "You little shit!". Yes, very good... he would know that voice anywhere; it belonged to just the wolf he wanted to see. If those words had not been enough to convey Albireo's current state of mind, the sounds of careless smashing and crashing through the underbrush that heralded his arrival would have been. "Ah, there you are. I've been looking for you..." Deneb replied smoothly. "Is that any way to talk to the only family you've got left?" He didn't step back, despite the fact that Al was in very close quarters now, practically foaming at the mouth. His own tail began to rise lazily behind him, instinctively reaching for higher altitudes than Albireo's banner, but the smile that flitted across his jaws was forgiving - even if it had a bit of a condescending twist to it. "You don't care? You know it's funny you should say that, because that's exactly what happened." Unlike his brother, Deneb sought to keep his cool. This time it was easier to cage his anger because he had information, and a plan. But it was still there, twisting around in his gut and glinting in his eyes. As he gazed back at his counterpart, he couldn't help but smile, wondering what exactly Al planned to do when it became clear that Deneb wasn't going to leave just because he had asked oh-so-nicely. Actually, he was almost starting to like it here in Magnolia Glen, but that was beside the point. Den was here for his brother.

Al's growls died down as a look of confusion bloomed in his dull eyes. Not only was Deneb not leaving, he hadn't even budged! Furthermore, Albireo couldn't see any sign that he had even shaken his brother. He had been sure that his ferocious display would have sent any wolf running for the hills. His irritation mounted as he didn't even get a rise out of Deneb, just levelheaded regard and calm words. It was true that Deneb was all the family he had left, but what good was family when he was the one who chased him out.

With a final snap of his jaws, yielding an audible clack, Albireo pulled his head back, turning abruptly and beginning to walk at a brisk pace. It looked almost as if he were about to walk away, but before he reached the next tree he quickly looped back, walking in front of his brother before repeating the same loop. Back and forth he went, like a tiger in a cage too small. His tail swayed an irritable banner over his back and he snorted repeatedly as if something had lodged itself in his nostrils.

Finally his pacing stopped as he was again in front of Deneb. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized his brother. Those bright yellow eyes, that obnoxious pleasant look that marked his perfect maw, Al couldn't stand it! "Well then," He gruffly snapped. "You've found me. What more do you want?" He asked with the tone of his mere presence already being such a monumental errand for him.

Irritation flared in Deneb's gazed as his brother paced away, but the flicker changed to satisfaction as he studied Albireo, recognizing confusion and frustration in the other Cygni. Rocking forward onto his toes for a moment, he flattened his ears and narrowed his gaze upon Al. What did he want‽ He almost laughed, but swallowed the bitter sound before it could surface. He wanted his sons back, his mate back, his kingdom back. He wanted Albireo's wretched form to rot beneath the ground, or at least cower upon it before him. "I know life is long Al, but please don't waste my time with rhetorical questions." His teeth clicked on the last word, hinting at his true feelings, but for now he restrained himself, and the cloud seemed to pass as he rocked back on his heels again. "This isn't about what I want. It's about what our leader wants," he growled quietly. "Did it ever occur to you that not everyone might be as tolerant of your lazy attitude as I was?" Tossing his head, Deneb looked away disappointedly, tutting to himself. Albireo had never exactly been dutiful or reliable, but Deneb would have hoped he'd at least be clever enough to keep up the appearance of being a contributing member of the pack better than this. Phineas's words echoed again in his mind, and seemed to have taken on a mocking tone in his memories. Luckily for Al, Deneb had showed up to straighten things out before they decided to feed his dingy hide to their hungry whelps or something. Not that Deneb had particularly kinder intentions, but for now at least his brother might still serve a purpose. Plus, Deneb would be damned if anyone else got to kill Albireo. "You've done nothing at all deserve this refuge they've given you," he muttered, turning his gaze back to his sibling and swinging his frame to face him dead on once more.

Al stared dully at Deneb, trying to figure out what his brother was hassling him about. The irritation directed towards him was clear, and Albireo tried his best to reflect it right back. It was like they were cubs again, except instead of quarreling over who got the best sleeping spot or the first bite of a carcass, it was a convoluted play between power and not yet buried hatchets. However, Albireo was surprised that, of all things, Deneb decided to bring up his 'lazy attitude'

A low snarl left Albireo's throat as Deneb looked away from him, not submissive but defiant. Al narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what Deneb was playing at. What did it matter to him that he wasn't doing his fair share of the work? It wasn't like it was his pack anymore, and Al couldn't see why what he did in his own time concerned his brother anymore. Even more puzzling was why Deneb wasn't shredding his hide, given there was worse issues between them beside Al's work ethic.

"But it's not a rhetorical question. Either tell me what you want or get out of my face." Albireo rumbled with increasing volume. So very slowly the cogs of his mind turned, practically visible in his frustrated glare. "I don't see why what I do concerns you anymore." Albireo smirked, tossing his head upwards, "Especially when I can just scrape by with the bare minimum and no one will even say a peep about it. A bunch of cowards! What, they couldn't tell me themselves so they sent you to do it?" His teeth flashed with a weaselly grin, satisfied that he'd found an ego stroking solution to the puzzle.

I'm so sorry for taking forever D:

As Albireo raised his voice, the anger within Deneb rose to a boil in response. His tail, already lifted stiffly behind him, bristled up like a bottle brush, and the smoky hairs all along his spine stood tall in silent threat. His brother really had developed quite the pompous attitude since leaving home, hadn't he? - calling his a brother, his former king, a 'little shit', and questioning what he had to say? It was as if he had forgotten everything Deneb had ever done for him, all the debts he owed that could never be repaid. When a grin broke across Al's features, a foreboding snarl rose up from Deneb's throat. "You are my brother, and a stain upon our family name. Phineas seems to think I ought to be your keeper." As soon as the words had left him, Deneb jumped forward abruptly, fangs flashing bright for a split second in warning as they clacked on the last syllable. He wanted to knock his sibling back, to knock him down a peg or two. It was clear to him that his brother wasn't going to listen to him until he was cured of all that misplaced arrogance. Aiming his strike for his brother's shoulder, he sought to topple him off his high-horse, to knock him into the dirt, or at least off balance. As he leaped toward Al, Deneb loosened the tight grip he kept on his rage, letting it shine through the usual mask. Perhaps Albireo would see it and realize what thin ice he was treading upon. My sons! the thought rang angrily though Deneb's mind. Perhaps he wouldn't stop with reminding Albireo of the proper (in Den's opinion) pecking order. Perhaps he'd get his revenge now, messy rather than meticulous, but still satisfying. He'd probably have to leave behind the Glen... go over the mountain, find some new place to try and carve out a slice of power. But it really would be easier if he had someone to do his dirty work. It was Al's choice, really. He could put off his punishment for another day, if only he would come to his senses and listen to his brother, to help in his exploits once more.

"My Keep-" Was all Albireo managed to say before his words were cut short. There was something in the glint of his brothers fangs and the light- no, the burning in those yellow eyes that served as a warning. If Albireo had thought Deneb forgot his wrongs, he was sorely mistaken. A startled yelp squeaked from Albireo's vocal chords as the other Cygni shoved into him. Though they were similar in size, Deneb's charge had enough force behind it to knock Albireo back several paces. He stumbled at first, before digging his hind limbs into the ground as his forelegs braced wide to retain his lost balance.

He wouldn't put it past Deneb to fight dirty, and with so much bottled rage Albireo wasn't sure he'd make it out alive if he didn't bend to his brother's will. He suspected vengeance swirled about somewhere in Deneb's head, even if he waffled on about working together or appeasing Phineas or whatever else. Albireo was still having trouble figuring out just exactly Deneb's end goal was, but Albireo intended to see at least another day. Hopefully going along with whatever Deneb had planned would pacify him enough to not be murdered in his sleep.

Growling as if to signify he wasn't willingly doing so, Albireo lowered his head and tucked his tail in an admission of obedience. Al had gotten so used to having it his way, stomping around the place as if he owned it as long as he minded his manners around Phineas, it was irritating and uncomfortable to again bow under his brother.

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

Deneb's growls ebbed a measure as Al yelped and stumbled back, but the sound did not die out entirely. He watched his brother warily, a cold snarl still curling from his lips. Molten gold eyes remained fixated, boring into Al's gaze in an assertion of dominance. The other wolf seemed to be thinking things over, but after a moment he bowed his head and tucked his tail beneath him, taking on a more submissive pose. It seemed he had shaken his brother up a bit... good! He could still feel the rage squirming in his gut, lighting his veins on fire, and silently he tried to quiet it. Deneb had always strived to be in control of his emotions, not the other way around. It had been easy once, before he'd lost everything... nowadays Albireo seemed to have a special talent for making him seethe with rage. Someday, he would make his brother feel all the pain he had caused him... but revenge was a dish best served when the recipient was comfortable and complacent, and when the benefits outweighed the risks. Someday... not today. There was still so much to do. As the moments passed his stiff posture relaxed bit by bit, but the tension was slow to leave the air, and he wasn't entirely satisfied with Albireo yet - the quiet growl his brother issued lent and undertone of defiance to his submission. Taking a step forward, Deneb opened his jaws, meaning to clamp them over the top of Albireo's muzzle. Not to injure him this time, but simply to rub it in. That's right, brother. Remember your place.