The Take Over, The Break's Over

For MP members only, though if your wolf is interesting joining you're more than welcome to post. (there is currently an OOC joining thing going on to promote activity in the packs, but if you prefer the IC way, then go for it! :D) You will have five days to post, which I think is enough, seeing as there are only three other members in Midnight Plateau. If you don't post in the first round, you will not be removed, but try to hop in the second round or you may be removed.

The sun was beginning to rise, marking the beginning of a new day. Alexander had awoken early on this day to watch the sunrise and to make a few announcements. There was to be a meeting today. Things had to be put in order and organized. Things were going to function properly. While it wasn't absolutely visible on the outside, Alexander was quite worried. He'd hardly been here for very long, though the longest now, aside from Honijo if he ever returned. Was he right for this job? The wolves that joined seemed to think so, but...

Alexander sighed, and dropped his head for a moment to calm his nerves. There was no need to fret. Things would turn out well and he knew it. In a fluid movement, he pointed his muzzle at the sky and howled. It wasn't too loud as it would echo off the cold stone points of the mountain, allowing wolves for miles around to hear him. It was early enough as well, that he almost assumed that they'd all be asleep, but, of course, everyone had their own habits.

(This post was last modified: Nov 28, 2010, 03:11 PM by Alexander.)

<blockquote>There was no need for the dark she-wolf to voyage far in order to meet her Leader's howl, for she remained in close quarters to the central den site of the Plateau. While it had been <span class='word'>whilom</span> for her to have always remained in paramount distance to wolves who were deemed the strongest leaders of the pack (for they were the essence of a Subordinate's protection), it merely took several fleeting paw falls before graced in the presence of Alexander before her.

Reputedly, the Subordinate was the first among the rest of the Plateau (of what other members there were) to arrive on such short notice out of the wood work. Molten amber eyes casted this way and that, noting of her singular presence at the moment, yet swelling with duly made self-worth how she had been able to respond to her Leader's command on a quick basis. Smiling inwardly, Elvira crept forward until she was at comfortable distance from Alexander. Bowing her head, lowering her ears, tucking her tail neatly between her hind legs, she assumed her rightly earned submissive stance typical of a Subordinate. Not only as a Subordinate, but one that respected her superior, and of his sheer competence as a male in his position.

<b>"Alexander, sir."</b> Spoken simply, but with warmed gratitude.</blockquote>

The young female, given all the commotion of the past behind her, has retreated into the mountainside - was just beginning to explore the area surrounding Midnight Plateau in her journey to find a pack to join as she trudged through the snow. The companionship and security of her family was now gone. She was on her own.

Light snow was beginning to make its way down through the spindly forest, falling from a gray winter sky of the early morning. She pauses to survey the area with her amber eyes, looking for an indicator of life in this seemingly desolate place. As the sun begins its ascension into the sky surrounding the mountain, an intense chill from the frigid winds of winter rush against her frame, spurring her onwards to find something to satiate her hunger. As she journeys on, an oddly faint musky odor of dried grasses surprises the tawny wolf's senses. Her eyes examine the landscape for the source of the hay she smelled, hoping to find a small varmint in the vicinity.

She notes the direction of the wind and looks slightly to the right, spotting a small formation of rocks jutting out above the snow about six yards away. Moments later, a small potbellied rodent with round ears and a stub of a tail appears from the rocks with a mouth full of dried vegetation and scurries to the rear of the pile of stones. Instinctively, Aubrey lowers her slender frame with her ears upright, intent on getting a morsel. The mountain pika reappears, this time the she-wolf is merely a few feet away, and it spots a leaf it dropped earlier in transit. Another rodent pokes its body above the rocks and runs over to squabble with the other for it's find. Surely enough, the female's patience pays off and she is able to nab one of the arguing rodents, and walks off in a slightly more jovial mood now that her stomach isn't complaining as much.

Before continuing her trek, the sleek wolf tends to her aching paws marred with various scrapes from the terrain she endured on her way up the mountain. She looks about her, finding a nice view of the valley nestled at the base of the mountain where she had begun. Then her ears perk to the resounding howl of a wolf not too far off. She turns her sights toward the source of the call and responds with a howl of her own to inform the other of her approach.

Upon her arrival to the Plateau, Aubrey notices a large gray and white male and a smaller, black female. With her ears in a slightly laid back, posture and forehead smooth, her eyes relaxed, and tail carried low, the tawny wolf nods to the ebony female as she passes by to greet the larger wolf; being sure not to gaze directly into his eyes in a kind of mutual non-threatening manner before nuzzling and licking at his chin as a display of respect. She then finds a spot nearby to sit and introduce herself:

<b>"Nice to meet you both, I'm Aubrey Teuivae."</b> She says with a warm tone, glad to be amongst others of her kind after journeying so long on her own.<b>"And who might you be?"</b> She asks with a kind curiosity to the duo before her.

(This post was last modified: Nov 18, 2010, 07:44 AM by Aubrey.)

<blockquote>Here came Borden, answering an unknown wolf’s call and probably rushing headlong into unintended trouble. He had been trailing the edges of the Midnight Plateau pack’s territory since yesterday, rather unsure of what to make of the marked borders. The leader’s call to his pack rang through the air, clear and bold. The hair along his back bristled apprehensively and his ears swiveled forward to take in its singular tune. His head turned in the direction from which the howl emitted from and his golden eyes peered into the uncharted land before him. <i>Now or never…</i>

He swallowed hard, thinking of the possibilities of scenarios once he appeared on the scene. He didn’t seem to think himself as a threat; his moderately sized frame would surely collapse in submission if it meant that he had other eyes to look out for him or, at the very least, someone he could prove himself to. Even if his display of humility and understanding of superiority wasn’t enough, he was sure he’d dash for the borders, never to return. Months of traveling has left his coat an unsightly mass of coarse fur and patches of a dense partially grown-in Winter coat. Even his once plume-like tail had been reduced to likeliness of a bottlebrush. Sparse morsels of whatever he could hunt down (these days the menu seemed to only offer woodchuck or a small selection of rodents since rabbits, he discovered, were something he could not successfully pursue) left his figure slim and anything but intimidating.

Hesitating, he placed one forepaw in front of him and then the other. His heart pulsed nervously, skipping a few beats when the sound of another pierced the early morning air. <i>Cripes.</i> He froze. <i>What if they were a large pack? Perhaps they tore him to shreds?</i> He shook his head, not wanting to consider the idea. <i>Think positive.</i> After so many aimless days and restless nights, this morning seemed to offer him an opportunity; he’d be a fool to pass it up. Gathering what he had left of his courage, he leapt over the invisible line that had kept him “on the outside” and slowly crept towards the mountainside. Once the scent of others reached his senses, he shakily continued on his way, anxious, to say the least. One rock and then another, up, up, up he went, with his body practically pressed against the cold surfaces in attempts to make himself seem smaller than he truly was. Sooner than he expected, the sound of voices drifted across the Plateau, the only words he could make out were those of a young female’s. His soul rejoiced for a split-second. <i>Both,</i> she had stated. There were only three wolves present. Perfect. Only so many eyes would be laid upon him when he finally caught sight of them.

Holding his breath, he approached with a staggered pace, stopping within a respectable amount of space – not too distant and not too close as to invade the space strictly reserved for the pack – just within range to be properly addressed. His eyes remained focused on the ground for a few moments before he fully glanced at the trio of canines then back at his paws. His ears flattened against his skull and, in a courteous manner, his tail ducked between his hind legs. Taking only a few moments to steal a glimpse at the large male (to make certain he had his attention), a whimper radiated from his throat, then a whine. Afraid to speak a simple greeting, he remained in his considerate display, silently counting the seconds until he was acknowledged or merely chased off. All he seemed to ask was for permission to <i>join</i> them.</blockquote>

OoC: Haha… Ooookay, I’ll admit, I’m nervous and it shows in Borden’s mannerisms. I’ve been in a few forums with semi-realistic wolf packs, but this is the <i>first</i> I’ve seen with beautifully detailed plots, realistic timetables, and distinct canine mannerisms. I’m an “IC” person, so, well, eh-heh… “Hi!” I hope my first post didn’t step on anyone’s tails. :x

(This post was last modified: Nov 20, 2010, 12:28 AM by Borden.)

Well, what do you want from me?

Wolves will have to work out ranks among themselves <s>fightfightfight!</s>. and it's totally fine, Grey. =3 good post! aaand, mine is absurdly long. apologies. This round will end next Sunday, the 28th, since Thanksgiving is next week, and...Well, I'll be busy.

He had not long to stand alone, for mere seconds after his call seemed to fade into the wind, the black, fiery-eyed female, Elvira arrived. A pleased smile traveled up his muzzle, glad that his assumption had been partly right, and that the first member had arrived. So far so good. He tried to remember what the alpha of his old pack used to do when meetings were called, but he wasn't quite able to recall them. He was a bit surprised, at first, to see the stance that the female held before him, but he had to get it back into his mind that he was alpha now. This was what happened. He held himself higher before him, though almost felt a bit silly doing so. While being leader now, he almost didn't feel like he was above them.

In response to the female, he nodded, his smile only increasing, despite his posture that only seemed to be growing. After a moment of that, he tired and sat, choosing to just puff his chest out slightly. He didn't feel as if it was really necessary either. As Elvira knew her place as a subordinate, so did the second female, who displayed her own form. Alexander had proven himself worthy, and these wolves barely knew him. The thought was almost frightening. Having powers over wolves that barely knew you, let alone your name. The tawny she-wolf seemed to lack that information, yet somehow simply knew. That was good, and at least saved her the embarrassment. "Alexander Dieudonne, and this is Elvira." He nodded his head towards the black female, his smile faltering slightly, not out of frustration, but slight nervousness.

But that was the last thing that he needed to show. So quickly had he earned his rank, only to have it taken from him by a wolf that caught the gleam of nerves in his eye. Honijo would be ashamed of him. He wouldn't have it. He allowed the smile back onto his muzzle, and took another breath of air, trying to find a bit of power within him. "I don't believe I've seen you before, Aubrey. Do you have intentions of joining Midnight Plateau?" His brows rose as he glanced over her, but his attention was taken by the arrival of yet another wolf. He'd been expecting to see Finch, but there was no sign of her. It unsettled him a bit, but at least Elvira was here. One wolf he'd been acquainted with. He just hoped she would arrive eventually.

The previous arrival of a male first had Alexander a little surprised. A few emotional motions drifted through him at an alarming pace, as his mind reasoned each of them away. Anger was first, immediately seeing the male as a threat, but the flare only lasted for minor seconds, as the male's posture was obviously beggar-like. Then anger, strangely, came upon him, appalled that the wolf would intrude, but then it cooled down finally into acceptance. Clearly the male had heard the call, and the mountainscape had caught his eye. He was asking for acceptance, and that was what Alexander intended to give him. Rising to his paws, he approached the male. His posture now was that of one who truly was an alpha. His tail curved over his back, and as he came upon the male, he seemed to stare down at him without moving his eyes.

Then the smile reappeared, and it was honest and kind. Give to the poor. "No need to cower in such a fashion. Join us." He said rather frankly, and turned away from the brute, returning to his previous spot before the crowd to address them all now. "I'm pleased to see you all here, those I know and those I don't." His eyes glanced over Elvira first, then towards Aubrey and the nameless male. "I am Alexander, for those of you who are unaware, leader of Midnight Plateau." He went through the basics, probably only truly informing the male of things that he didn't know. He was reminded of Honijo and the first time he'd went to a meeting. There was to be a scuffle over ranks, but such a thing hadn't occurred. If they wished to fight about that, then so be it, but he would move onto other, more important things for the time being.

"I'm sure you all will be able to work out ranks among yourselves, but for now, I'd like to assign each of you duties. There are things to be done around here!" With a grin, he scanned the wolves again, hoping that he would see approval in their eyes. "Obviously, I can't just send you off willy-nilly to do random things, so I'll ask you, what is it that you do best? Oh and perhaps throw in your name." After that, he fell silent, looking upon each of them with expectant eyes, especially the newly arrived male. He settled upon the ground, chest puffed slightly again, and waited.

With Alexander keeping his presiding stance of Leadership, the smile of gratification from the Leader of the Plateau didn't make her lessen her submissive stance any more so. It did, however, give her contentment that her first impression was one of a good-natured note. Flicking the dark peaks of her ears, Elvira heard paw steps come astray from the Leader and the Subordinate. Before them was a female who was tawny and young. She too knew of the protocols of submission before a male Leader, and was kind enough to introduce herself and also ask of Elvira's name. Before she could even say a word, however, Alexander quickly notified her of the dark Subordinate's name. Elvira wasn't displeased this was so, and offered a silent nod of greeting to Aubrey. If anything, a male announcing a female's name for them was customary in her birth pack.

What wasn't customary in her past was the approach of a male who's coat was alive with several melded colors of gray, white, and brown. It wasn't the beautiful patterns etched into his coat, but of the submission he displayed before Alexander. Elvira couldn't recall if she ever seen a male of all wolves in submission, so her ears slightly raised more, and her amber eyes watched with attention, even tilting her head when there was a whine to come from him. Males were always dominant in her eyes, even the ones that looked ragged and drained of themselves. There had never been an outsider male to join her birth pack, so she never witnessed such a thing before. It seemed like Alexander didn't need (or Elvira assumed he might have been embarrassed maybe?) for the male to cower like he did, and told him to raise up.

Going through the protocols of introducing himself and his title to their small group, Elvira glanced at Aubrey and the nameless male. So, this was the start of it all, huh? Alexander proceeded then to explain how the ranking system would work in the Plateau, into which she was further intrigued to know ranks would be worked out among the three of them. Well, that's something I wasn't expecting? Furthermore, Alexander wanted to know what they each did best as far as duties went. This made Elvira nervous right off the bat, just because there was nothing useful she was taught to do really except watch puppies, and apparently there was a good lack of puppies around. Feeling under self peer pressure to go first, she took in a deep breath. My name is Elvira Vielle. Elvira introduced to both Aubrey and the nameless male. As far as what I could contribute, I, ah... am tolerant of puppies. I used to be a caretaker, you know, with puppies, in my old pack. Her molten amber eyes glanced down to the ground, feeling a forepaw trace itself around in the ground. She felt like she needed to explain more, but that was all she could muster at the moment.

"<b>Nice to meet you Alexander,</b>" she turns her head to the sable female, "<b>and you Elvira</b>." The sleek wolf notes the male's odd smile and nods when he asks about her joining the pack. As the eyes of the stormy grey and white wolf wander past her, she turns to see another arrival; a tri-colored male wolf with an unkempt coat.

As the nameless wolf approaches, she finds his gait rather odd, and his nervous gestures in front of Alexander confirm that he was just that - nervous. She swivels her ears to the side, as his whining is a bit excessive, but she understands he doesn't want to start a ruckus. Alexander accepts the newcomer into the pack and reiterates his status for all to hear. Aubrey nods at the old news and remains sitting in her calm yet alert position. When Alex mentions duties, she smiles, knowing that she's good in a couple things.

She has had previous experience in her family pack as a scout and enjoys flushing herds of elk to pick out the weakest ones for a hunt. She was equally well on her own, as her trek from her family's lands to this one was possibly the longest she'd been through. After hearing Elvira talk of puppies, the tip of her tail wags slightly as she recalls memories of helping out with her younger siblings. Following in turn, she introduces herself to the scruffy male. "<b>I'm Aubrey Teuivae,</b>" she smiles scanning her amber eyes across each individual as she continues, "<b>and I enjoy helping out where it is needed; scouting territory and driving out weak prey for a hunt to name a few,</b>" her eyes pause at the Alpha's muzzle for a moment, turning to gaze upon the tri-colored male soon after; Curious to hear his name and what he is good at.

<blockquote>Borden sensed Alexander's anger and sunk a little further once the large Alpha approached. The sight of Alexander was rather familiar: the tall stance, the tail held high and over his back, the way his eyes stared down at him... It was exactly the way his father had always paraded around, and it demanded for respect. The ex-Delta didn't even dare to look up. Then the words from the leader caught him by surprise. <i>Join us,</i> he had said. Borden watched as he returned back to his spot amongst his pack. Now or never... A first impression is a first impression, shouldn't be anything to it. He smiled in gratitude as he straightened up and walked over to the group, sizing them up now that he was able to fully assess the situation - the pack meeting - at hand. The image of "Borden the Beggar" seemed to be pushed aside and the ideal representation of a pack member strode rather confidently - and evenly - forward. It finally occurred to him that, perhaps, he didn’t have anything to fear after all. Honestly, he thought Elvira's curiosity and Aubrey's keen interest in his posture all the more inviting.

Both of the females in leader's presence, he noted, held themselves respectfully before him; and, for a moment, Borden wondered if the pack had just been formed. This thought had been confirmed once the Alexander introduced himself and confided the group of them would align themselves in rank. Borden took a moment to glance over the duo: Elvira - <i>a svelte, dark-pelted, Tundra wolf</i> - and Aubrey - <i>a tawny, medium built Timber probably about his age</i>. He then slowly seated himself before looking up to the Alpha, giving a brief nod to show that he understood.

Then came the assignment of duties. <i>Great.</i> He thought hard as both Elvira and Aubrey introduced themselves and stated what their best asset was. All he had ever known was to, well, <i>lead</i>; other than that, there really wasn’t much else for him to expand on. A little bit of everything – when to relocate the pack, how to track prey and other resources, how to survive and always stay one step ahead – had been crammed into the folds of his memory in hopes that he would pass on this knowledge to his offspring. His gaze sank to his paws; it seemed to sound very… <i>vain</i>.

When his turn finally came, he bit his tongue for a few brief moments as he mentally assembled his sentences carefully. <b>"I-I’m pleased to be here this morning and it is a pleasure to meet you all; I’m Borden Lyall."</b> He paused and swallowed quickly before continuing, glancing from one individual to the next around him, <b>"Not to be arrogant and in all due respect to you, Alexander, sir, I was raised to become the next Beta, and eventually an Alpha, among my fam—my original pack."</b> His eyes flickered to Alexander for a split second before averting his gaze; he had hoped the statement wasn’t too bold. <b>"I was strictly taught to scout; I am capable of maintaining borders and, every now and then, order when needed to. I’m not much of an herbalist or a lone hunter or a seeker of the perfect <span class='word'>mithridate</span> but I’m willing to learn just about anything, any skill, really."</b> He cast his golden eyes upon each of the trio's faces as if attempting to read their expressions as they absorbed his response. He then turned to Alexander and gave a another nod and a sincere smile, <b>"Wherever you need me or whatever you need me for, sir, I am at your service."</b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2010, 09:47 AM by Borden.)

Well, what do you want from me?

This is the last round. There is no deadline, so once everyone posts, I'll just reply. =3 I don't think there's much need to stick to any sort of post order, so, yeah.

Alexander waited in momentary silence while the wolves around him took in his words, and pondered their duties. No one seemed to make a move to make themselves the better in rank, but he was sure that would happen eventually. For the time being, they seemed fairly focused on his question of duties. Elvira spoke first, and he took in her words, unsure of why she seemed to be acting like she did. When she finished, he nodded, turning his eyes towards Aubrey.

Her response seemed less strained than Elvira's and again, he nodded, compiling the information in his mind. It wasn't hard, really. They were small still, so there was little to decide. "Borden." Alexander smiled, happy to know the stranger's name now. It seemed he'd gotten up courage quite quickly after Alexander had allowed him to stay. Alexander listened steadily, not finding Borden's words to be all that bold, although, admittedly, Alexander hadn't been trained in much of anything at all, so hearing that this stranger wolf, Borden, had been trained to lead made him a bit worried. Of course, Borden didn't seem to be threatening him at all, so it was easy enough for Alexander to shrug it off.

For the last time, he nodded, then took a moment before he spoke, "This should be easy enough. We're small still, which can always imply weakness, so Borden, you'll be taking on the job as scout. The mountain is a big place, so just...Be careful." Alexander gave the male a rather serious look, then turned to Elvira, "Winter is coming, so...We may just need a caretaker. Until that time, perhaps Borden could teach you something about scouting. It's best to move in pairs on the mountain anyway." He hoped she wouldn't mind that, and gave her a checking glance, just to be sure, before moving on to Aubrey, "I, myself, am a hunter, and as I said, it's best to work in pairs. So, you'll be taking up hunting along with me." When that was done, he looked between them all just in case someone wanted to chime in. Opinions mattered to the male, keeping his members happy certainly couldn't be a bad thing.

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2010, 02:05 AM by Alexander.)

<blockquote>The newly initiated pack member's smile broadened as he was acknowledged by name {with a welcoming tone}. He had expected Alexander to cast him out, wary of any possibility that Borden might have wanted to take pack matters into his own paws or jowls; to be accepted into a pack, albeit a small one, was more than he could ask for. His tail gave a subtle wag as his ears eagerly awaiting instructions. <i>A scout of Mightnight Plateau.</i> Borden bowed his head, dipping his muzzle slightly as he noted that he would be helping his charcoal-pelted partner if needed to, <b>"Yes, sir."</b> As the leader addressed his pack mates and mentioned going about the mountain in pairs, the subordinate gave a slight nod and his smile turned into a solemn one.

Getting up the mountain itself was a bit of a challenge, he had to admit, but that in itself, he figured was a rather good thing. It would probably be best to start his exploring as soon as he - and Elvira - were dismissed; perhaps she knew the place very well, where to find a good spot for a night vigil or maybe an easier way to ascend and depart the rocky slopes. Already his mind was ticking... He needed to memorize a few ways to get to and from the den, find his own convenient place to make a shelter (preferably one that overlooked a slope that was easily approached so he could still watch over part of the territory during his 'off-duty' moments), and, of course, scout - learn the land just enough to become a <i>resourceful</i> addition to his new family. First things first, though, and his priorities bluntly stated that he needed to seek out a water source.

Borden glanced over his shoulder to Elvira for a few seconds before eyeing the view above the den, as if seeking a suitable path that would take him further up along the mountain side. He pondered if it would be necessary to climb and how quickly he would adapt to the stony pathways and cold, hard surfaces. It then occurred to him that his assigned partner might want to go her own way; he hoped either way, together or not, his first experience as a wolf of the mountain would be a pleasant and enlightening one. Resisting the temptation to fully read Elvira's face after being assigned as a pair, he returned his gaze to the Alpha before him. When Alexander looked expectantly at his pack, Borden thought for a moment, searching his whirlpool of thoughts for any questions that he might have thought up while thinking of what to do next after the meeting. Then it struck him, <b>"Are there any points of interest that I - we - need to be aware of? Any... current issues at hand?"</b> He added the latter question as an afterthought, instincts reminded him that there were indeed other creatures - bears, foxes, coyotes, lynxes, cougars - besides wolves and every now and then, they at least share a habitat if not settle nearby. <b>"Were there any areas in mind that we ought to check out first?"</b></blockquote>

Ooc: Heh, I totally read over the "no need to stick to post order" statement...

Well, what do you want from me?