Shallows Edge distill my heart

all welcome, but cancer is shouting for @Askan, up to becca if @Hawthorne is still with him. takes place after this thread, dated 1/2.

Cancer had never been so excited to return home. Er, back to a pack. His long, coal-colored legs carried him quickly over the snow-drowned ferns and back to the Shallows. He burst past the thick of the markers and into the heart of the territory before he began to make noise. The most any of his pack mates had ever heard from him, surely.

"Askan! Askaaaaan!"

He was near, wasn't he? Cancer skidded to a stop, nearly dancing in his merriment. He was still snickering about it. Maybe it was because this group was just as antagonistic as he; perhaps it was magnifying his own annoying qualities, the ones that loved picking on and making fun of others. Or maybe he was just finally in a place where he was comfortable to be himself, even if that was loud and obnoxious at the moment.

All sorts of wolves called for Askan these days. Usually with a determined howl or a casual bark but nothing ever so....shrill. For a moment the Edge Lord assumed it was one of the kids, it didn't sound super important so he wasn't in any rush to meet him. He didn't even speed up into a trot, a walk would do just fine. But as he neared the source of the racket it dawned on him that it wasn't Hawthorne or Sachiel it was Cancer; their resident bird body and more than a bit of a loner. That was fine, Askan had no problem with that as long as he got shit done but...this was certainly a new development, one he hadn't seen coming.

If Cancer was kicking up such a fuss then it had to be important, right? Surely.

"I heard you, what's the matter?"Askan asked once they were face to face. He took in the sight of the gangly yearling, clumps of snow clinging to his coat from when he'd skidded to a stop.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

As expected, his leader showed up quick. Asking what was wrong. Yeah, Cancer could see that. He probably wasn't expecting to see him so lively. Cancer hadn't expected it, but this was just too good not to share.

"Nothing, dude," he spoke between irregular wheezes of laughter, "me and that Hawth girl just ran into this old guy. It was fuckin' hilarious he was all, 'you gotta show me some manners miss before I tell you my name' and was like calling us brats and shit and when we finally got it out of him, oh my god, his name was Snookums."

Maybe he'd be the only one to find it as hilarious as he did. Hawthorne certainly hadn't laughed about it, but he couldn't see why. Who the hell named their son that?

"Askan. His name was Snookums."

Dude? Askan couldn't help but snort- and squint a little- at that, it wasn't exactly appropriate but he wasn't a stickler for titles anyway. Nor did it really seem worth the effort to kick up a fuss. Instead, he merely quirked a brow and watched as Cancer wheezed and gasped his way through his sentences. The fact that this stranger thought they ought to have manners came as no surprise, people said that all the time to him so he sort of assumed it was the norm. That folk around here were more or less obsessed with being polite. Which wasn't to say Askan wasn't, he was nice enough-or so he thought- but that wasn't the point.

What was he getting at? The Edge Lord wasn't one for small talk and he hadn't Cancer for that sort either, so what the hell was- oh.

Snookums

Askan didn't laugh at much these days. The few times he did he was usually in the company of his nearest and dearest- but shit this was too much. It started off as as a mix between a spluttering noise and a snort but soon developed a huff, then an outright laugh. His sides shook as the absurdity slammed into him like a charging herd of bision. Snookums? It was so- an old man went by the name of Snookums? This was too much.

After a few deep breaths Askan managed to regain enough decorum to speak, even if a smile still lingered in his voice.

"Holy shit that's so fucking stupid. You tell him that?" Askan certainly would've.

This wasn't important at all but...shit, it was hard to be annoyed over something that actually turned out to be pretty damn funny. Nice one Cancer.

(This post was last modified: Jan 11, 2018, 09:20 PM by Askan.)

There was a moment where Cancer thought maybe he'd wasted his time, even made himself look like an idiot. Then Askan's unamused facade broke down brick by brick into laughter as hearty as his own. The boy joined in another round of noise, the hilarity amplified by another's enjoyment.

"Fuck yeah I did," he replied when the shaking of his chest finally subsided. "It was just about when I was gonna actually be nice to the guy too. He didn't stick around long after that," the laughter returned, as though this too was funny. It was, to him. It had been mean, sure, but the guy really shouldn't have given Cancer another chance to start with. Especially with a name like that.

"He shoulda stuck with dicknose, I would've respected him a bit more then."

(This post was last modified: Apr 02, 2018, 12:27 AM by Cancer.)

Being serious all the damn time was tiring. Askan liked to think that he was mature, above trivialities, but he was a man with a decent sense of humour. If he found something funny he was gonna laugh, unless even he realised that the timing was bad. Like half way through a relative's wake or something.

Still, it was nice to know that he wasn't the only one around here who was fine with speaking their mind, even if it came across as crass. There were too many timid types about these days, meek and mild folk who were boring beyond believe. The wolves of the Edge were not like that, it seemed as though Askan and Reyes attracted certain types of characters. Which was fine with him, the more the merrier.

"Likewise."He agreed with an amused slanted smile. "Snookums...God, that's the worst thing I've ever heard, and the fact they willingly went by it...Madness."He shook his head, his tail swishing behind him, slower this time as he came down from his laughing high.

"Is that all he wanted, to share his glorious name?"

"Hawth's the one that approached him actually, was askin' him why he was around and he got all offended she didn't introduce herself. That's why I stopped, make sure he didn't start shit with her. He was startin' up with that 'back in my day' shit," Cancer told him in his best old-man-yelling-at-cloud voice. That's when he took a moment to look around him, realizing that at some point Hawthorne had went a separate way.

"Don't know where she went off to, probably to tell her brother about it. Didn't get any answers but it was worth it. Decent use of my day."

He'd also caught some varmints this morning, but he didn't feel the need to detail that to Askan. If he was providing properly, he wouldn't ever have to tell his alpha about it at all. Anyways, the giggles were finally out of his system, and he shook out his spiky coat before bowing into a stretch. It was close to nap time.

(This post was last modified: Apr 03, 2018, 12:41 AM by Cancer.)

Askan couldn't say he was surprised. Hawthorne had the Edges' best interests at heart, she was always keeping an eye on the borders, snooping around to ensure that everything was at it should be. The Edge Lord always wondered if she'd always been like that, or whether she'd picked up a trait or two in Askan and Reyes' company. If that was the case... it was rather nice to know that she'd learned a thing or two in their care, that she'd developed habits and traits that would serve her well. It was just a shame the same couldn't be said for her Mother, foolish airhead.

Still, it pleased Askan to know that Cancer had her back, that despite his aloofness he still looked out for the other's with his pointed blue gaze. Askan nodded in approval, it was apparent that Cancer was indeed worth his time, a worthy Edge wolf if he'd ever seen one.

"Probably." Askan agreed, glancing at the forest behind Cancer's shoulder. It was thick and dense even in the depths of winter, perfectly capable of hiding those two little shits. "They're joined at the hip these days, keeps them busy, I suppose."

Better than them running around getting under everyone's paws, though at this point they were a bit too old for that. If they wanted to be treated like adults Askan expected them to act as such.

"Mmm,"Askan hummed, as he looked back at his subordinate once more. "Let me know if you see or hear anything else of value." Perhaps this could be a role Cancer could pursue, Askan's second set of eyes and ears. With a subtle tilt of his head he wondered if Cancer would even be interested in such a responsibility, he would have to mull it over some more.

Yeah, that was a good way to describe the two. Personally, he didn't understand it. Cancer knew of course that other wolves formed attachments to one another, actually had depth to their relationships, but those two were weird close in his experience. Ah well, it kept Sachiel out of his business well enough.

"Yeah, sure thing," Cancer replied casually after his stretching ended in a shudder and a few kicks of his paws. He'd even managed to crack his back with that one. Felt good.

The gravity of what Askan may or may not have been inching toward passed him by. Value was an odd word to go along with what they'd just gone over, but wasn't laughter important? Even bitter little Cancer knew that. Though of course, were more serious matters to transpire, he would make a point of coming to his alpha if the circumstances weren't abnormal. He'd been kicked in the ass for keeping his mouth shut before, thinking things didn't involve him.

"See ya around, boss."