Poison Path Shiny Things

Scouting was not his favourite thing in the world to do, not at all. The grumbling wolf had not been in the best of moods, but he moved out with some intention to get a feel for the area. Most assuredly there would be those who would be present to consume, there would be those with taste buds that would come out of the wood working. It was why there was a strict want to be able to find the look that was shining in his features, and the motion could not be stopped. There was a need to start scouting out potential hits, though. There was a need to understand what was in the area and what he could harness if that was about to be what was most needed. The mere notion startled him into wanting some excitement, wanting the contention and even better yet - the pain. There had not been much of an outlet since the attack he had done on their former pack; the rage he had lapsed into that had caused them to realize their mistake. Hurting @Nico, as it was to be learned, would not make Rico more vulnerable. It would make him more reckless, and often times, violent it ways that could be proved that there would be no control won. No one would be taking him, no one would be making things all the better. Such was why he was still so wary of others, intent to find the devil in them. Someone had hurt the most precious thing in the world to him, and that warranted the death and the bloodshed. His bones might have been his own, but his soul was Nico's. Such was the way that he made sure of things, and that was why he eased himself forward with light steps. Head raising, his ears swung forward as he attempted to make sense of things that were going through his mind. Over and over again, she found herself unable to stop the half smile that had been playing on his lips. This was a choice that had to be met, and this would be the time when there would be those that would have their most previous things stolen from them. While he would never be as flawless as Des, he would be the keen hunter that would make those suffer their valuables... their shiny things. "This is speech."

Angele needed some time to herself.  She enjoyed spending time at the heart of the territory on the lakeshore, but today she wanted to wander.  She was still growing used to the presence of Nathaniel, though she didn’t know why.  Was this how Anthem had felt when she’d arrived?  Was he still unsure of her?  What if Nathaniel’s arrival had made him even more suspicious?  She had nothing to hide; she was completely honest with her brothers.  Never had she lied to them, and never did she intend to.  Even so, she wasn’t sure if their loyalty to her was as strong.

She decided to head towards the border.  She stayed along the lake, enjoying the scent of the water, though she didn’t care to be found at the moment.  She wanted to wander.  She wanted to be out.  But most of all she wanted to be alone, without her brothers looking over her shoulders.

She was still recovering from her injury, but she could move pretty well now.  She barely limped, and she didn’t have to worry about her ability to defend herself, which was why she was willing to leave the territory for a short while.  She wouldn’t go far, but then she didn’t need to.  She didn’t even want to.  Just far enough to avoid running into any pack mates.

Angele hesitated, her nose noticing something odd.  A new scent.  For a moment she thought about going around and ignoring it, but then what kind of a pack member would she be, if she let an unknown wolf roam along their borders unchecked?

So much for being alone. She sighed, turning to slowly walk towards the scent.  She made no effort to hide her presence to try to be quiet; she was too tired for sneaking.  Besides, she didn’t feel that the offender would be much of a threat.  His scent indicated he was young.

Finally, she found him.  She’d been right; he was a young one.  Younger than her, anyway.  She stopped and looked at him, giving him his space in case he should try something.  “I’m Angele.” She introduced, shifting her stance to put less weight on her sore shoulder.  “I don’t know if you’re aware, but you’re dangerously close to Fallen Tree Cove borders.  Who might you be, and what business might you have with our pack?” 

As always, she would give him the chance, assume that he wasn’t trouble until he caused some.  Justice wouldn’t be justice if she judged prematurely.  This young wanderer would have the opportunity to explain himself.  If any bells went off, Angele would chase him off herself, and make sure he would never return to endanger her new pack again.

"Speech"  Thought 

My brother is the Anthem we sing,
 
I am the Angele we follow,
   
My brother, Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.

Never one to doubt his honest capabilities, the male knew that he could be someone to mesh worlds together. A rebel, an outcast - it was a wonder he had been given any sort of opportunity recently to give his skills but a dance for a serenade. He was still wary, knowing that Nico had been harmed by those who might otherwise seek to infect him with their nonsense. But every step was a careful one, and every moment was something to be treasured so long as he had all four legs and a beating heart. He was, well, somewhat aware that there was borders about. Not that he was concerned, quietly scoping them out would be enough to make him feel like he was doing something useful. Keeping his brother safe was the utmost priority, and no one - not even some pretty little treasure - was going to keep him from doing what he needed to do. Stubborn, he knew there was always risks to be taken, but be damned if things had not both tightened Rico up, and made him all the more impulsive at the same time. Coming upon a woman, who was already on a stance to send him running with his tail between his handsomely shaped legs was not what he expected. Twisting, widening eyes found themselves all but looking on with a hint of shock to them. Why, he had not been hiding, but for her to so boldly approach? It made him back up a step or two, but he turned to her with a bright wolfish grin, delighted to have a name given without needing to ask for it. Well, this was already a step in the right direction, was it not! Moving forward, his head dipped in acknowledgement, careful not to overstep something that might have been laid out. "A pleasure, Angele; are you really an angel? Can I take the chance to find out?" Blunt voice was soft, amused with himself for a moment. What did he want with the pack; why, it was a good question. To be honest, he had no clue who they were - what they were like. But he did enjoy someone who would come waltzing in with that kind of question. Now there was a woman who knew how to take charge - oh, if only Nico was nearby. He was always the one better at sweet talking, diffusing a situation before it could become troublesome. "I was not looking to intrude; bit of a wary fella, you'll learn quick - don't want to be stepping on toes, but best know if some other walker's body might be dropped if myself and my twin pass by without meaning any ill intent." "This is speech."

If his goal was to surprise her, it worked.  At first he seemed shocked by her appearance and had skittered away, but quickly decided to hold his ground and grinned at her.  That was something she was unused to.   

Are you really an Angele? Can I take the chance to find out?

Did he just… flirt with her? Her first instinct was to snarl at the child, but she hadn’t spent years training herself to remain emotionless for no reason.  There was no implication of her impulse on her face or stance.  She simply… remained.

The mention of a twin, however, had Angele on alert.  There was a second one? Where was he?  She swiveled one ear back to keep a lookout behind her.  Should she call for help?  It might be good for her to request some back up.

Yet something kept her from doing so.  He still didn’t seem to be asking for a fight.  He didn’t appear hostile, and he did seem cautious.  But he didn’t fully answer her question.

 “I understand.  But you didn’t answer me; what is your name?  And your brother’s, if I might have that as well.  From where do you hail?  What brings you out this way?  Crossing the mountain is no small feat.”  She managed to hide her irritation with the younger man, instead swishing her tail back and forth a few times to let him know she didn’t intend to cause him harm.  Her pre-assessment was complete; he didn’t seem to have done any harm.  So long as he didn’t attempt to attack her, she felt this meeting could end peacefully.

"Speech"  Thought

My brother is the Anthem we sing,
 
I am the Angele we follow,
   
My brother, Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.

Rico knew that there was always a game to play with meeting someone new. However, not everyone was always so apt to play the games without a bit of extra convincing. It was for that reason he seemed to keep the wolfish grin on his features, but was not quite sure what to do with the blunt stare that was beckoned back at him in response. Still, her look was enough to have him stop from closing in on her, keeping himself as respectful as could be. "Ricardo Valdez." The words seemed to come off his tongue easily enough, for it was a name he had found himself using time and time again. It was the alias he went under every time he found himself needing to be wary, and his head cocked to the side. "Ric, in preference - the only mouthful I like is a heavenly calling." The shine in his eyes seemed to be twinkling with the mirth that seemed to beckon him, but he shook his head briskly on the matter. "Nich, Nicholas is my twin... although you wouldn't know it, he's really more like a mini-me... literally." He was cheeky enough about it, tail wagging as his ears remained erect and leaning forward, attempting to make sense of what was presented to him. His head tipped though with the rest of the rash of questions, and his nose wrinkled from. "We're fairly new to the area - we come from the deep South. We were looking for a home, until our last one attempted to kill my brother." Blunt truth was not about to be dismissive, but his eyes suddenly came to rest on her face. Bold as he was, his head bowed respectfully toward her, though his hungry eyes never left her features. "Now we're just trying to survive... what else can you do in this world with no one at your back besides your brother?" "This is speech."

Angele understood.  She truly, truly, understood.  She had been forced to live several years without her brothers to back her up, and here she was again, with them not far, out on her own.  Hadn’t she spent all that time working to find them?  Hadn’t she longed to be beside Anthem again?  And then Nathaniel comes along as well, making their trio complete, and she felt odd.  Maybe it was just the crowd.  She would get used to it, as she’d been telling herself for these past months.

She felt her gaze soften, though she knew that was showing a weakness.  Her stance, however, didn’t change.  She could show kindness without being vulnerable, and she really wanted to avoid a fight.  Help wasn’t far, should she need it, but the best way to win a duel was to avoid it.

 “It sounds like you two are close.  I have two brothers myself; I can understand that relationship.  Where is he?”  Angele knew he couldn’t be far, particularly if he’d been hurt.  A relationship between siblings like that wouldn’t allow Ric to go too far from his brother’s side.  Anthem had refused to leave her for the first little while after her injury, and they had a pack to take care of them.  These two were alone.

Perhaps I should call for Namid. Angele thought.  Though the Queen was preoccupied with her growing pups, Angele felt that she might feel a little more kindly towards this young wolf than Vespertio, who was very defensive of his home at the moment.  If he needs my help, I should offer it, even if the alphas grow angry.  These two can’t be that much of a threat.  

Angele knew that line of thought was dangerous, but she thought it all the same.  She wouldn’t let her guard down, of course, but her devotion to justice maintained that the needy must be helped.

If he says anything, I’ll offer my assistance. She decided.  Unless this man should decide to threaten her, she wouldn’t give him cause to fear her.

"Speech"  Thought

My brother is the Anthem we sing,
 
I am the Angele we follow,
   
My brother, Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.

One would have thought that the Barreda would have been adverse to lying, on some level, about his identity and what he wanted. The truth of the matter was, while he craved a spot more than anything to leave Nico safely while he went out - the trust in the packs had been rendered a hard hit. It had been a sorrowful day to stand over his brother's vomiting, feverish body and know that no matter what you believed, you were the most hopeless wolf in the world as poison seeped in. The half smile appeared on his features, a bit more sincere this time when the female finally offered him something of value - a connection. Far be it for Rico to underestimate it, he found himself bowing his head, wanting to try and make sense of the things that were moving around in his brain. When he finally let things come out of his mouth, he knew he was always on a shaken ground. He had to be honest, but he also had to stay in the game. Gesturing back toward the mountain, he offered a slight grimace, "We took one of the overhangs on the mountain side, about twenty feet off the ground. He's... well, hopefully still there." The frown played on his features, looking back in the direction that he had clearly traveled. It was not an easy place to walk through, but it made sense that he would have been willing to try at any cost. After all, small paws were always an added benefit to goal setting. When he had a moment of clarity, his eyes turned back to the female that was assessing and observing him. Poised like a stronghold, like someone who would defend until the bitter end. It was a morbid fascination on his part as he studied her, approvingly. "You look well after your home, Angele." Comment was soft on his tongue as he finally admitted it. "Failing those who you give everything to... s'not easy." His words were dry, without the emotion that very well could have been behind them. But his head cocked, and he managed some look on his features that promised he was hopeful on the matter that something would strike a chord. "This is speech."

OOC: Yeah, I'm not even sure what's going on anymore... Angele is new to this

Angele should have been getting suspicious.  She still suspected her brother had ulterior motives for coming after her.  Her own brother.  There was something about this young man that drew Angele’s attention.  She struggled not to let her guard down; something she’d never had a problem with.  She was a suspicious, paranoid, defensive thing.  But, for some reason, this kid didn’t make her want to run.

She followed his gaze as he looked back the way he’d come.  She could see something, in his eyes.  In the way he spoke about his twin.  And the way he told her she did well.  She knew that, of course, but nobody had ever said it.

 “Yes.  And when they fail you.” She replied, thinking back to Anthem’s flight all those years ago.  And she had done the same to Nathaniel, and now here he was again and she didn’t trust him.  What kind of a sister was she?

She glanced back towards the pack border.  She knew she shouldn’t be gone long, but… She had a nagging hunch.  “Is he alright? Your brother? I know there’s no reason for you to trust me, but I promise you that I won’t hurt either of you.”  She paused.  “I know asking for help isn’t always the easiest, but sometimes it’s for the best.”

She tried to think what some of her pack mates would do in this situation.  Tagg would probably invite them in, or call Vespertio.  She wasn’t sure about him.  Anthem… well, he would deal with it on his own, but ask the alphas before doing anything that might affect the pack.  Desideria would likely try to help.  She wasn’t sure about her either.  The smaller woman was so unpredictable; but she had a good heart.  That much Angele was sure of.  She tried a smile; it felt strange and foreign on her face and probably didn’t help her case, but it was worth a shot.  And, despite her wish to remain strong, Angele relaxed her stance as a symbol of goodwill.  “You’ve done nothing to draw my ire,” She told him, “And I never go first.”

"Speech"  Thought

My brother is the Anthem we sing,
 
I am the Angele we follow,
   
My brother, Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.

ooc: But you'd never know it. ehehe.

It seemed he had come across a woman who had a softer side, a side that was not really supposed to be leaking out. It was enough to make him hesitate, although he found himself debating the choices. No, it would always be a discussion with his brother. If they were going to make a move, it would be made together - and thus, he found his ears leaning back against his head as she asked about Nico. There was a question that, perhaps, the humorous male did not actually know the answer to. "Physically, fit as a peach." Words were quiet as he offered her a look of understanding, trying not to find himself too lost on what was going through his mind. There was no need for him to be so open, but he felt... perhaps it was fair. She seemed to be giving, so he would give back. Besides, there was an absolute chance that he would never see her again unless it was in midst of a raid. A venting session was not what he had been hoping to find, but the male offered a frustrated growl. His eyes skimmed over the soft white features, and he snorted softly, "Inside though, where no one can help? He's more afraid, less confident - the vomiting, the weight loss. All stuff I could help with, some..." He paused, looking for the words. Why, he spoke like he was a bit of a pansy in these moments. It was definitely something that was going to have to be rectified, and with that thought in mind - he shook himself briskly as he eased himself to a seated position at her tension reduction."Dunno how to fix something that's messed with his mind and inner self, or some crap like that, you know? Ain't my strength." He was always just a silent standing statue with Nico around, always trying to push him into the limelight so he might blossom again. Even now, he noticed when there was drag marks, pure resistance at the thought he might be harmed again. How did one fix that, how did one save his brother from demons that he could not understand, and would merely fight until his own death without questioning why they existed? "Help would be good, Angele, but I just dunno what that would look like. For now, until he's settled, I will allow him to want us to stay isolated... but it's way too long since we had a breather." "This is speech."

Angele was pleased by Ric’s honesty.  She didn’t know why.  As he spoke, she tilted her head a bit and her ears twitched.  She was no healer – and certainly no therapist – but she understood inner demons.  Perhaps more than this passerby could understand.  She’d had her share of them, and beaten them. But she didn’t know enough about the boy to know if she would be able to help or not.  She didn’t know if she would be able to help him feel better. She didn’t know what could have done, and she didn’t feel that it would be fair to offer a solution that she wasn’t sure would turn out to be one.  She wasn’t one for advice, either.  Even so…

 “I don’t often give advice.  It varies too much to be sure of it, however, in this case… Let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of demons to combat.  I don’t know much about your brother, or even why he might be like this.  All I can suggest is that you help him to face his fears head on.  Let him know you’re always there, and maybe he will grow out of it.  Maybe he’ll grow out of it anyway.” Her ears twitched again as she reluctantly spoke the words.  Advice given in a hurry seemed to have a way of turning like a viper to bite the giver.

She didn’t even know this kid well enough to trust he wouldn’t somehow turn her words against her.  She wasn’t sure how her alpha would feel about her conversation without him anyway.  An idea struck her.  “If I might suggest you try to find Desideria, she might be able to help. She has a way with words.” She offered. “She’s usually somewhere in the territory, of course, but you could try calling her if you want someone who is likely to have better advice than myself.”

She didn’t particularly like the young she-wolf, but she didn’t dislike her either.  She felt neutral towards her; unsure what to think of the girl, but drawn in all the same.  She eyed Ricardo, wondering what he would do with the information she’d given him, or if he would do anything at all.

"Speech"  Thought

My brother is the Anthem we sing,
 
I am the Angele we follow,
   
My brother, Nathaniel, our guide

Together we shall not stray.