Midnight Plateau Empire State of Mind

Okay, time for a real pack meeting! The deadline is February 20th. If you don't post in the meeting <i>at all</i> (unless you have an absence notice) then you will be dismissed from Midnight Plateau.

As the season of Winter began to wind down, the air felt less jagged, and though the snow still iced over on the mountain, it had stopped falling --at least in copious amounts-- from the sky. It was turning from gray to a clear blue as the morning moved on into the afternoon, and the icicles that hung from ledges would begin to drip. It was a lovely day to hold a meeting. They could all come together under the sunshine, rather than meet in the gloom. Alexander had settled himself, with a bit of climbing, on a low overhang above the small clearing of Midnight Plateau. After the numbers he'd encountered at the last gathering, he figured he'd find a higher perch this time.

Rolling his eyes up to the sun, he took in the crisp, early afternoon air, and let out the old, gray morning air. His muzzle shortly followed his gaze, and with a deep breath, he howled into the sky, the pale tendrils of air curling around from his muzzle before disappearing. He called to his pack, and hoped they would arrive with enthusiasm for there was much to share... <b style="color:#51b85f">"speech."

♥ ♥ ♥

Sensing the change in the air, Amélie could tell spring was near. She stood at the mouth of her den, sparkling under the light of the sun, when Alexander's call broke through the sunlight. He was calling for a pack union, Amé's first official meeting with the entire pack. Quickly she perched her head high above her shoulders, and moved forward in a thunderous air of grace and prestige. She was no longer a loner, aimlessly romping through the forest, simply waiting for what would come next. No, she was now a member of Midnight Plateu, where she needed claim her proper place, the one beside Alexander.

It did not take long for her to find her handsome mate, regally perched atop of an overhang. Amélie smiled at him as she continued to walk towards him, her steps still dignified and mighty. Moving onto the overhang where Alexander resided, the dove made her way beside her glowing mate, who she snuggled next to and nuzzled in a sweet greeting.

(This post was last modified: Feb 13, 2011, 12:09 AM by Amélie.)

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>A</font>donia was quietly sitting by herself, as sad as that seems at first glance, before you realize that she was thinking about the future of herself and where she should go next. Everyone is responsible, and you cannot push that thought on someone else, therefore she decided now was the time to truly think about where she was going to go. Would she move on, or would she find the one place she belonged? As in response, Alexander's howl burst through the serene quiet and startled Adonia from her reverie. As she figured out that it would be her first formal pack meeting, she stood up and trotted towards the sound of the howl, not wanting to be late.
<font style='margin-left:20px;'>T</font>he female wolf sighed heavily as she continued on her approach, heavy thoughts still on the mind. As she pushed them away for the moment so she could focus on the matters at hand, she finally reached the source of the howl. The she-wolf smiled in greeting to the two wolves already there, one clearly Alexander and the other she had not met before. Due to the status of where she sat next to Alexander, it was assumed that she was of high status. Slowing down her pace, she continued to a stop a little bit farther away and below the over hang, to show her level as a sub dominant, before finally sitting and resting.

(This post was last modified: Feb 13, 2011, 01:02 AM by Adonia.)

Deep in thought, Borden Lyall sat on his usual perch, high above the tree line of the Wildwood. The air felt different, lighter… warmer. He released a sigh; February had a rocky start it seemed and the path that had been set before him had started to fade away the more he thought of his life on the Mountain. His eyes closed and he placed his head between his paws, though it wasn’t long before he perked up again, alerted by his superior’s howl. One of his dark ears turned toward the sound of the voice high above him as the other remained relaxed, unfolded.

Raking his claws on the stony ledge, he stretched, arching his back into a low bow. He recomposed himself, shaking out his thick coat and letting a yawn escape his system. Then, as briskly as the icy path would allow him, he made his way up to the plateau. Lower the tail, relax the ears, crawl… He crept up onto the landing, rather surprised when he found Adonia already present. His eyes went to her figure before rising to find Alexander settled on a much higher roost... with her...

A respectful nod was given to the ivory-coated pair as he settled down in a spot opposite of the white wolf resting before the overhang. He simply gave her a hint of a smile as he lowered onto his haunches, remaining silent as he took in the afternoon sky. Every so often, he’d try and steal a glance at the alpha pair, unable to fully stave off his curiosity. Well, they match… he concluded after training his gaze to the horizon once three glimpses had been taken. He must have called us here to meet her, show our respects… perhaps reassemble the hierarchy. He threw out the idea of the latter upon bringing it up; just thinking of it made a pang of worry settle in his gut, and it was a ridiculous notion to begin with.

Waiting patiently, he reclined onto his stomach; might as well relax while everyone makes their way up. He shook his head briefly, ignoring an itch in his right ear. His muzzle wrinkled then smoothed out. Ah, hell… Curling his barrel-like body, he raised his right hind foot and scratched at the triangular-shaped fluff atop his skull. There… Exhaling in relief, he properly rearranged his body, becoming almost sphinx-like as he, too, anticipated the beginning of the meeting.

Well, what do you want from me?

In his den within the territory of Midnight Plateau Weldering was sleeping off his recent injuries that he had endured. His shoulder was healing however there was still a chuck of his lengthy silver fur missing which made the wound obvious until it grew back. Because of this he had been cautious to avoid contact with the various wolves in Midnight Plateau and so far only Atiris knew of his injury. He would have been happy skirting around the pack until he recovered enough if Alexander had not howled calling for the pack to gather. Immediately the usually quite excitable brute cringed.

Pulling his large muscular frame out from his burrow he begun the slow trek to where his Alpha had called, he knew the lands of his pack well enough to know exactly where this meeting was taking place. But he also did not want to rush there and allow his wound to reopen and start bleeding again - making it more noticeable. Quietly as Weldering emerged into the clearing he said or did nothing. Perhaps normally he would had chuffed a greeting but instead there was just an awkward expression. He did not even look around for Atiris or Adonia to sit near either of them as he sat at the back out of the way preparing to listen to the announcements.

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Atiris stretched luxuriously when she heard the call, rolling her shoulders underneath the soft cinnamon fur of her pelt and with a yawn she stood up. She was tired. It was the time of day that made her sleepy and now she had to go, sit and listen without drifting off. Biting her lip, Atiris stood up, shook some snow off her pelt and picked up a trot. She wasn't incredibly pleased that she would have to attend a meeting at the time of day that was the worst for her, but she hadn't exactly made her situation known to any wolves save Adonia who had experienced one of Atiris' episodes first-hand not so long ago. At least she'd likely have Adonia there to explain her case while she snoozed.

This time she was more careful with her route and speed and arrived without making any footstep miscalculations and in doing so, arrived in both a timely fashion and without injury. She glanced up, blinking with surprise, to see a posh female sitting with Alexander. Atiris didn't appear to be too phased by this- so their alpha had a missus, what was it to her? She moved in, giving a nod to Adonia, a smile to Borden and she sat close to Weldering who had become her closest friend around these parts.

He was healing, though he wasn't sitting with the others. Atiris didn't mind sitting at the back of the crowd, and figured that it was for the best anyway, should she have an episode. She reached over to gently touch her muzzle to her friend's shoulder in greeting and while in the proximity, murmured very silently into his ear. "If you see me startin' to nod off, give me a poke, will ya?" She asked, with an earnest though characteristic smirk and turned her attention to the alpha.

ooc;i hope this works. since jayse accidently pushed ozera off a cliff. this is after that, and i'm guessing jayse is the only one that knows or how i'm going about it. so everyone can assume Ozera left I guess? correct me if i'm wrong. Time was creeping by like a worm stuck in the sun. Inch by inch making no progress, only withering away. A cloud of guilt, and remorse hung over her head like a thick haze. Could they see it in her face? Did it fumble in her gait? The image of the light, kind face asking why in those yellow eyes then plummiting had not once left out of her mind. It was permantly etched on her brain. She kept having reaccuring dreams she as starting to become an insomniac to keep what sanity she was holding onto. Right away she had set looking for Ozera, the lone wolf who'd only joined, in earnest haste. She herself did not think it'd help to launch herself carelessly down the mountain (at first) did her best to chase after. All the ledges the wolf had fallen on Jayse had only managed to get to some. It had taken days to get to where she had fallen, and more to realize she had not killed the wolf...as far as she knew. But no doubt she was severly hurt. Since the ordeal, she had not ventured far from her den. She was actual fearful of hurting someone else, or throwing herself down the rocky clags. She pretty much lived in small burrow, scarcely eating or drinking. Stuck with pain and remorse for company. She refused to see anyone, and it was only when the call of a meeting did she wake from the dreary haze. Taking a large breath she exhaled it, stretching her muscles, and popping a few bones. She crawled from her hiding spot, and into the bright light. It blinded her momentarily, and she shielded her eyes. There was a dull ache in her head, and whatever was left of her heart. Huffing, she shook the dirt from her coat, and licked her lips. She only had to climb to the plateua, and that wasn't a huge distance from where she was now. Sighing, she hurried best she could despite the feeling she was having a hangover. When she arrived to the over hang she saw pretty much everyone had beat her there. Except for poor Ozera. She thought of herself. Eyes blinked against the sun, finding her surperior and the white lady. She smiled half-heartly, dipping her cran to the pair in quiet respect. With body posture submissve she crawled to an open space, and layed on her belly not letting her eyes wander from Alexander. lost your balance on a tight rope. lost your mind trying to get it back.

round two ends on the <b>twenty-seventh</b>.

One-by-one, the wolves of Midnight Plateau began to arrive. Amelie was first, finding her place beside him on the overhang, but he hadn't expected her to have gone too far. Then came Adonia, and Borden. While he was pleased to see the male, something felt off. Alexander tried to shake the feeling, shifting his gaze to Weldering as he arrived, and then Jaysyek. That was everyone. It felt rather odd to think that, but it was truth, and it pleased him. With a deep breath, he stepped forward, his toes curling then uncurling around the edge of the stone.

<b style="color:#51b85f">"Firstly, news. I have taken a mate." He bypassed such trivial formalities, like he'd done in the past. They all knew who he was, he knew who they were...What was the point? Turning his head slightly towards her, he smiled, <b style="color:#51b85f">"This is Amélie, I hope you will welcome and accept her." Looking back out at the crowd, he looked for reactions, but he'd probably already missed them. She'd been standing beside him from the beginning, they'd probably all just assumed.

For a moment, he scanned the group, until his eyes fell on Borden, and he tried to shake a feeling again <b style="color:#51b85f">"Next, I think a hunt is in order. Borden will be in charge of arranging that." With a slight smile, Alexander hoped he wouldn't mind throwing something together that could bring the pack closer together. <b style="color:#51b85f">"I also believe a bit of scouting and remarking is in order. Atiris, Adonia?" His pale eyes moved towards the two, and he nodded before moving on. <b style="color:#51b85f">"We should be constantly ready in case of attack," Alexander said, finding the words left a strange taste in his mouth.

He'd never had problems with Swift River before, but it never hurt to prepare, just in case a new threat came along. <b style="color:#51b85f">"Weldering, you and I will hold a sparring session. Anyone that believes they lack the skills to defend themselves or their pack should be apart of this." His tone was not accusing, just honest. He didn't want to see anyone get torn apart if the time ever rolled around. For a moment, he paused, wondering if there was much else to add, before stepping back, <b style="color:#51b85f">"If anyone has anything they'd like to add, go ahead." He eyed the group curiously, and patiently. <b style="color:#51b85f">"speech."

As he lurked around in the background of the meeting he was glad that the wolf that did take his side was the one that understood him perhaps the most. Atiris already knew about his wounds and therefore it was not as if he needed to hide them from her. The silent greeting was much appreciated, his silver frame leaning over toward her in an attempt to bump his body lightly against her own in his own sort of odd quiet way of saying hi. Lowering his head to make it easier for her to whisper into his ebony stained ears. 'If you see me startin' to nod off, give me a poke, will ya?' Weldering couldn't hold back a laugh, well until he realised that it had spilled out. Taking in a deep breath and looking over to see if anyone had heard him from back where he sat. He did not want to seem disrespectful. Back to the topic however he quirked a brow and turned to Atiris. <b style="color:#0d5b8c; font-family:geogia; font-size:13px">"You're joking right? Alex isn't that boring." he teased quietly with his usual comical toothy grin.

Finally the meeting had begun and the first piece of news to be announced cause Weldering to look straight over to the she-wolf at Alex's side. The simple smile he reflected back was enough to say that Weldering was pleased for them. As instructions were handed out and Atiris' name was mentioned he shunted lightly against her side again, whether she was awake or not Weldering found the opportunity too amusing too pass up. next came his duties however.

Perhaps Alex was not so foolish to think about defense of the pack from Swift River. Weldering had taken injures from them only the other day, not that he really wanted to drag Midnight Plateau into his own personal problems. The silver and black male nodded in agreement, he'd help teach, train and spar with anyone who needed assistance.

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O O C | …wasn’t sure if we stuck to posting order or not. x_x;

Borden watched as the rest of his pack members showed up, Weldering first followed by Atiris and then Jaysyek, whom he gave a warm smile to. All accounted for… well, maybe save for one – the yearling he had met one day down at Heartleaf Creek – Makita. His eyes flickered to the stone ledge in front of him but the sound of Alexander’s voice made him look up again. ”Firstly, news…” His ears, which had folded back sometime during the moments of silence, raised a little as the alpha began to speak.

As Amélie was introduced he attempted to beam at them, to congratulate them, but found he could not even look up for long; a simple smile was given to the ivory female, one that extended his greeting of welcome. They were perfect; an epitome of what alphas ought to be. Alexander looked and sounded more confident than he had when Borden first met him and, for that, the beta was glad. His tail gave a brief wag but more than likely Alexander had missed it as he glanced to his mate. ”Next, I think a hunt is in order,” Alexander then began. ”Borden will be in charge of arranging that.”

Looking now to his superior, he inhaled and his breath caught in his chest. It remained there as he clenched his teeth behind his tightly closed lips and he nodded his head once. He exhaled through his nose, remaining silent as Atiris and Adonia were assigned to scout and renovate the territory borders in case of an attack, and Weldering was instructed to help with a sparring session. Borden swallowed and the slight smile disappeared from his maw; behind his nearly unnatural, impassive mask, anxiety was starting to churn and bubble in his chest. Perhaps he and Jaysyek should have left.

Leaving the mountain had been one of his main priorities and the alpha had placed a new duty right above it. Great. He watched as the leader stepped back from the overhang, opening the meeting now to those who had anything else to share. Borden sat up and straightened his posture, as if the guilt already gathering about his shoulders would easily slide off. Now or never… ”Thank you, sir, it is quite an honor, but I am resigning from my role as Beta,” he solemnly stated. ”And I wanted to wish you all good tidings before I made my leave.”

(This post was last modified: Feb 24, 2011, 05:58 AM by Borden.)

Well, what do you want from me?