Shallows Edge not gonna get us

Backdated to May 11th, two days after this thread. For @Risaela and @Askan.

It had been difficult to make it home in the same time that they had taken to journey to Hearthwood, but the constant threat of another coyote attack keep them both moving quickly despite the aches and pains plaguing their battered bodies. Cancer's mind, while always filled with thoughts, was unusually chaotic as it tried wrap itself around the repercussions of what had happened. There was anger and guilt and regret and indignation all through him and he couldn't grab hold of any specific one, instead riding them all like a wave. At times, he was overprotective of Risaela, even curling around her the few hours they had taken to rest. At others, he was agitated and aggressive, his nerves thoroughly frayed.

Now, as they crossed into the Shallows' territory, his heart beat hard and his synapses shook with adrenaline. They were finally safe, but the dangers of being without a pack were ones he'd been used to. It was what they would face from their fellow wolves that had him on edge.

"C'mon, let's get to that Peter guy," he urged Ris, having no intention of immediately seeking out Askan or @Reyes.

i'm a rebel just for kicks now

She felt so stupid. Of course, she had had to protect her sister. It had been absolitely necessary. Though why the woman was pregnant and alone, she had no idea. Alone, yes. Pregnant? Again? The thought that her older sibling would make the same mistake two years in a row was mind-blowing to the young wolf.

Ris was never having puppies.

The girl had been oddly quiet for the trip back to Shallow’s Edge. She wasn’t angry or anything, but she was having a hard time reading Cancer’s moods and she figured it would be best to not risk getting yelled at. So she remained quiet, not complaining of the pains plaguing her body and not trying to lighten the mood at all.

Pawsteps were uneven as she padded along after him, nodding her head tiredly when he mentioned going to Pietro - or, Peter, incorrectly. But she didn’t want to correct him on it, so she kept her mouth shut.

This was her fault, after all.

There was very little that slipped past Askan's attention these days. That wasn't to say he went around shoving his nose in everyone's business, for the most part he left them to their own devices. But if something happened he was usually the first to notice it. Vigilance had been drilled into him from a young age, so those Selwyn yellow eyes of his missed little. Call it chance or intuition, but Askan just so happened to be patrolling a section of the borders when the familiar form Cancer and Risaela came into view. At first he thought nothing of it, he knew they'd been away, so he merely assumed they were returning from their journey north. But no, since when was anything ever that simple?

His nostrils flared at the scents that clung to their coats, he wasn't even that close but he could smell it as clear as day. The days of travel had done little to decrease it's intensity. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he drew ever closer, his tail arching high as a fierce scowl settled onto his features. The way they moved, their footfalls light and their glances shifty- he had no trouble coming to a conclusion. They didn't want to be seen, or rather caught.

Stomping ahead, Askan cut them off and stood his ground, forcing the duo to come to a stop. To face the consequences of their actions. He wasn't quite sure what had happened but his sight and sense of smell told him something had happened, and he had very interest in letting them explain in their own time.

"Explain. Now." Was all he said, his teeth gnashing together as he shot them both mighty glare. The sort he reserved for when he was truly pissed off.

Askan & Reyes

Of course their luck would continue to be shit. The moment Askan made his appearance, Cancer's fears were pretty much confirmed. The only thing he could be thankful for was that the alpha didn't immediately lunge at either of them. The boy flinched at the older man's sharp tone, but even as his ears planed backwards his blue eyes glared ahead, communicating that he wasn't going to be cowed so easily.

"We got fucking attacked," he answered dryly. Their wounds were evident and far from healed, not even scabbed as their determined travel had constantly worked open the injuries, causing them to bleed anew. They had tried to clean themselves before entering the territory, not wanting to cause alarm, but wasn't it still clear? Cancer didn't try to understand, or hold out hope. All packs were the same.

i'm a rebel just for kicks now

Ris was much less... confrontational than Cancer was in this situation. The littler wolf took a step back at Askan’s sudden aggression toward them, silver eyes widening and posture lowering a little bit.

”M-m-my sister,” she stammered, more out of fear this time than anything else. Stepping between Askan and Cancer was a highly difficult thing to accomplish, with shaking legs and her tail tucking between her legs. ”Sh-she was having her p-p-puppies, and... and th-there were coyotes. I-it was m-my fault. I c-couldn’t let the c-coyote in h-her den - c-couldn’t let her d-die...” Her voice wobbled a bit, but she raised her head up to meet Askan’s yellow eyes.

”So p-please don’t get m-mad at C-Cancer, b-because I st-started the fight,” she finished up, trembling a bit as she waited on Askan’s judgment.

Askan was in no mood for attitude. He was well aware that Cancer was less than friendly, even at the best of times, but this bullshit would not be tolerated. The Edge Lord snapped his teeth in warning, this was the only one he'd get. Askan wasn't one for repeating himself. He took a moment to process his subordinates snapped words. They were attacked. Did he take Askan as a fool, did he really think he hadn't figured that out for himself? The Selwyn bristled all the more, his tail lashing behind him in blatant frustration. Snide fucker, who the fuck did he think-

It was then that Risaela interjected her words shaky and her gaze averted. She was submitting to him, cowed by his display of dominace. The primitive part of Askan's mind appreciated her response, knew it was what he deserved. But despite his role as leader he had never been...particularly demanding of these sorts of displays. He didn't want anyone to kiss his ass because they thought that's what he wanted. If anything, he wanted respect, but felt as though he had to earn it the old fashioned way.

So he listened to her words, allowed his ears to tilt forward and his glower to lessen just a little as she explained what had happened. Fucking hell. Askan's expression deteriorated into disgust, his nose wrinkled as his tongue flicked against the roof of his mouth. It wasn't hard to imagine who she was speaking of: @Inna, the whore who couldn't learn.

It wasn't as if Askan expected them to leave Inna to her fate, even he wasn't that cruel. But it all left a foul taste in his mouth, it did little to help settle his mood. He'd likely be like this, all bitter and frayed, for a while, but for now Cancer and Risaela would have to bare the brunt of it or face even more ire.

"Yeah, fine. Whatever, I don't give a shit about that." His tail brashly flicked the matter aside. Then his expression hardened once more, he was insulted, it was written upon his face as clear as day. "But I'm not fucking blind, or stupid. I don't want to know what you ate for breakfast, or what time you went to bed last night but do not try and sneak shit past me.I have done nothing to warrant this, I give you all I can and this is the fucking thanks I get? Elkshit."

Askan & Reyes

Cancer gritted his fangs and did his best not to excacerbate the situation, but it was damned hard when Askan kept up his aggressive demeanor and, even worse, Risaela crumbled. She even moved between them, like she had to protect him, and his blood boiled. Her explanation was dismissed sharply, and Askan went on about how they were being unfair to him.

Again, the youth wasn't able to take a breath and consider where his alpha was coming from. He had only his past experiences and the assumptions they fueled.

He should have shut his mouth and stalked away, but he didn't.

"How the fuck is this about you? We got mauled and still did our best not to bleed on your precious land and not bother anyone other than the healer and suddenly we're ungrateful to his majesty?"

Cancer was beyond pissed, and it showed in his clouded thinking. He realized he'd expected more from Askan, maybe for the guy to actually care about him, and that was what made him angrier than anything. He'd been a damn fool.

i'm a rebel just for kicks now

(This post was last modified: Jun 03, 2018, 09:49 PM by Cancer.)

This was an absolute nightmare.

Ris shifted uncomfortably between the two angry wolves, silver eyes flickering back and forth from furious yellow to pissed off blue. Why were they so upset...? Why were they cursing so much? What was even going on?! She hadn’t thought they were sneaking, and she didn’t like being accused of doing such a bad thing. Ris had never really snuck in her entire life - she didn’t like secrets, and she wouldn’t have tried to hide this from anyone.

”St-stop yelling!” she cried - nearly a yell of her own, really. But she couldn’t stand this aggression. Her fur was spiked up like a hedgehog and her eyes were round as she regarded the both of them. This was so stupid to be angry over, and it was even stupider to get angry in return.

A hiccup escaped her as she tried to suppress a sort-of sob, eyes growing watery and breath stuttering in her chest. ”We w-weren’t sneakin’!” she whimpered, ears and tail lowering and her fur laying a little more flat. She was tired and shaken up and just as miserable as Cancer was, and she wanted this to stop. ”W-we didn’t want t-to bother you... I d-didn’t think you would b-be so m-mad...”

She was hurt emotionally now as well, and she just wanted to leave this place... she didn’t want to be around all of this aggression.

Askan had never been all that good at controlling his emotions or hiding his tells. More than ever, they were written plainly on his face, a bitter amalgamation of frustration and anger. Never, ever in his life had anyone ever spoken to him like that. He'd received pointed words and barbed insults, but the words that Cancer flung in his direction were leagues above that. They were personal, accusing- and more than that, damning. Cancer was walking on real thin ice, it cracked proverbially underfoot as Askan took a thudding step forward. It wouldn't take much to make this situation worse, for it to end badly. Perhaps, in a sense Askan wanted it to. He'd already been pushed far enough today, what was one more shove?

Besides, what sort of leader would Askan be if he shrugged this off? If he went, 'oh I'm sorry you feel that way bird-boy, want to insult me some more?' Not only would that be gratuitously out of character but it would make him a shit show of a leader too.

Though the situation was different in many ways, it briefly reminded Askan of Wild Rye Field. Of the fact that-knowingly or otherwise- Drestig had allowed several of his subordinates to walk all over his authority and make him out to be a fool. History would not repeat itself here, Askan had sworn that on the day of Shallows Edge founding and the rule still applied. For now and forever.

The Edge Lord didn't even bat an eyelid at Risaela's words. In that moment he didn't care what she thought, perhaps that might change when he'd simmered down, but then her words were nothing more than background noise, like the wind toying with long strands of grass.

"Listen here you conceited fuck."

He reached forward and none to gently clamped his teeth around Cancer's snout. Not hard enough to break skin or shed blood, but his intent was clear: that Cancer really ought to stop talking. Askan inched back to speak, but remained close, his imposing, furious presence known.

"If you hate it here so fucking much then leave." He snapped at the air, his teeth merely millimetres away from Cancer's nose.

He'd been about to grab his muzzle again, shake some sense into him, but the tawny movement in the corner of his eye led him to shoot Riseala a similar scathing look. Wherever Cancer went she seemed to follow. If she took issue with the way the Shallows were ran she was welcome to leave as well. He wouldn't beg either one to stay. Behind him, Askan's tail lashed , stirring the heavy air around them as though he was trying to summon a storm- as if things weren't thunderous enough.

"So. What will it be?"

TW: ptsd/childhood trauma.

Cancer's blue eyes flashed at the insult, Askan's own anger visibly mounting instead of abating out of any sort of care for his subordinates. Had the boy still been holding out hope for that? Why? His own fury was fueled not just by sudden hatred for the Edge's leadership, but his own naivety. There were a flurry of things more that the surnameless wolf could have shouted back, about how just because the Selwyn had been the first to piss on the land didn't mean he was the only one owed anything for keeping the pack going, how Cancer had wanted him to be different but he was just as selfish as any other dominant male in the young wolf's life, how he could've at least given a fuck about Risaela who least of all had deserved to be disparaged for being hurt. Their leader should have been angry with the coyotes, maybe even the wolves that the two had been protecting, but not his subordinates. He should've given some inkling of a fuck that they were beat to hell and exhausted, just trying to get to safety and a healer.

Maybe he would've been brash enough to start in on any of this, had Askan not lashed out. Cancer reactively flinched away but the reflex wasn't quick enough, and a pained sound gurgled within his throat, unable to escape the hold the alpha had on him. All at once it was sudden, painful, and threatening enough to ignite a too familiar chain reaction within the scathed youth. His heart rate spiked and adrenaline dumped into his system, cascading along every nerve. When he opened his sky-colored eyes again, he couldn't tell Askan's face from those of his childhood torturers. It had only been days since his last relapse, and now the symptoms compounded once again.

His tail swept between his legs and all but fused against his stomach, ears flattened and lips pulled back in a fearful grimace. There was no mistaking the tremendous amount of terror present within his widened eyes as he shrank back from Askan.

Leave. Go. Leave. Run. Faster, whelp. Run, you little shit!

He hadn't wanted to. For once, Cancer really had wanted to stay.

i'm a rebel just for kicks now