american boy - joining

[imperious;]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 550px; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; color:; padding: 20px"]Every step he took was another paw away from the place he had once called home. He missed the dank caves, the noisy crickets, the smell and feel of his siblings lying against him as they all drifted off into a light slumber; but as was usual for his flighty choice of company, it was his time to come in to his pelt and thrive for independence in this great world. Find a new pack to call his home, or make one with a nice female that sought pups and a much simpler way of life.

Though yearning... that was entirely different. He was nostalgic, but not desperate, and in fact eager to meet new animals that he would not have previously. Their usual associates were of the same skin as they were, which translated to wolves and dogs, and only such. Anyone else was alienated and driven out. He had been too young to find fault in this flimsy way of communication, and now the slight grievance towards strangers costed him the open attitude that he so liked to pride himself in having. The reality was entirely different, however. He struggled to interact exceptionally, and when faced with a challenge he would leap-in head first, eager for the thrill of confrontation. The only difference between him and his family was that he was curious of the world and much preferred seeking adventure out. Whether it was him shedding his adolescent years or this random personality trait that had caused him to be driven out, it was unsure. It could very well be both.

The marshlands were soggy and stained the very bottom of his legs brown with muck. He did not favor this, especially when his empty stomach cornered him into a particularly sour mood. It was this irritability that caused him to be less focused on the stench of territory markers and more on walking, keeping a look out for anything to eat as he moved. To soothe this hunger, he would stop occasionally and gnaw on grass, even if it would give him the shits later. Jethro couldn't stomach rabbit food well, but the more energy he had the easier time he'd have in finding his next meal.

"This place is a fucking dump." he exclaimed in a fit of fury. Who would even live here? Not him. He liked trees over his head, not spots of wetness with water that wasn't even clean. The grey-colored wolf would emit a slight growl, tongue fleetingly passing over drawn-in lips.

[suvi.]

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kiira | tanglewood | chaser
AND SOMETHING NEW WILL BREAK THE DAY

"H-hey." All soft, stuttering tones and flickering unmatched hues, the petite vixen materialized.  The child did not particularly enjoy engaging the strangers on the border, much less the ones who crossed over the markers.  She never had.  Everyone, especially strangers, turned her steady heartbeat into a heart on a runaway fright train.  In most cases -- all of them so far -- they were creatures larger, and far meaner-looking than her.  The small, frail canine did not set a high bar.  Of course, at the end of it all, she simply didn't trust anyone -- hard to be frightened of injury when nobody could consistently hit her, who kept finding her body in flux between corporal and not.  Simple distrust.  Afraid of being mislead again.  Afraid of being left behind again.  For that, she regarded every stranger with wariness.

Moreso when their body language spoke of rage. A light frown dusted the arctic fox's maw.  "W-what do y-you want from Tanglewood?" Her inquiry is sharp, though her words falter, as always.  Her ears flick back.  Calm stance, though her paws want to shake.  She's worried her body might decide to suddenly disappear -- turn entirely ghost-like, or perhaps decide this is not where it wanted to stand, but that it belonged up in a tree or over on a nearby log... "Y-you're tres-trespassing on our ter-territory." Rather rudely too.

[imperious;]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 550px; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; color:; padding: 20px"]Leading a sheltered life, it was extremely, extremely rare that he ever got to see someone as unusually looking as the animal before him. He'd seen... fox? Foxes before; though they were kept at a measurable distance, due to how unsure his pack was of what they were. Dogs or cats? Cats or dogs? It made his head spin, and his brain hurt even worse when he was forced to lay eyes on the monstrosity before him. It was smaller, leaner, but so brightly colored... he didn't like it one bit. His aggressive nature was thrown in the stranger's direction almost immediately, skipping the hesitance he had treated it with initially. "Territory? Go figure weirdos like you would live in such a shit-hole." his stance grew more prideful, with his erect tail and well-rounded shoulders pulled in and tall to add height onto his slumped figure. His former snarl turned into a snappish tone, and he would move forward, aiming to close the distance in between him and the rather queer animal who had shown up.

"Are all of them as freakish looking as you are? Or are you just bluffing, shortie?" he leaned down, a grin teasing the edges of his mouth. He was entirely confident that this... thing wouldn't be able to hurt him, and he could play with it all he wanted. He was hungry, after all, and it would probably make a good meal... but it was also the first interaction he'd had in days, and he didn't want it to go away too quickly.

[Anubis.]

[align=center][div style="width: 450px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt;"]Jackal-like as he was, Anubis found it so very amusing he was a wolf.  Yet any pride he felt in his small body was limited.  He'd been around long enough to see the folly of pride.  He'd taken enough forms.  This one he liked best.  This one he knew best.  The African golden wolf, or golden jackal, was his animal.  The boy-god scowled as his trotting steps brought him to Kiira's side, cold brown eyes locked on the aggressive creature ahead of him.

I don't like him.  His lean body straightened.  A single step forward to communicate the other youth was under his protection.  Truth be told, he doesn't think she actually needs it.  Frightful as she always appeared, Kiira frightened him purely because he didn't know what to expect from her.  He knows she's only half a soul, and where that half comes from.  He knows the kind of person that soul belonged to and how different they were, but it still made him wary.  How much of her nature reflected that original soul?

He does at least, believes Kiira couldn't bluff to save her life.  Not convincingly.  Not with her eyes... Speaking of eyes... Anubis did not like the look in the other's eyes, not by a long shot, not in regards to one he felt loyalty to.  "I'll repeat the question once." He may be the smaller wolf, but he was confident.  Muscular and young, with the experience of thousands of years.  This one in front of him was not intimidating and he damn well wanted him to know it.  "What's your business here?"

[suvi.]

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kiira | tanglewood | chaser
AND SOMETHING NEW WILL BREAK THE DAY

When the wolf moved closer, Kiira remained where she was, stoic as a stone and ice.  Ir̡͘͢r͘͠ę̵͞le̶͜͝v̧̕an̵̵͞t̢̀,̷ ͘͜a͜͏r͜r͠҉͜o̵̧͠g͘a̧͢͝nt͝ ̨f̷o҉̕o͞l̨͘͠.  A reason to feel wary of the unknown faces.  Kiira frowns, irk growing as he did not answer her question.  Rather he spoke words of ridicule and insult.  Icy shadows danced in her eyes, the icy fire that lingered in the docile chaser from a life she did not recall.  No sooner than words began building on her tongue, a familiar canid arrived, taking his place at her side.  Something familiar in that tugs at her mind.  Who are you to feel so fiercely for me?  W̶͠h̀͢o̴̴ ͠à͏r͢͟e ̴̀͡y͟o͘͜u̧ ̴̶t̀͜͝o͏ ̶҉c̕a҉͞re͜?̕҉ W͏͠h͟y̶ ̴͠d̕͠͞o̧͟ ̴̢y̛o̴u̵̢ c͘a̛rę̵?̛͠͠

He asked her question, all threat and venom.  Anubis.  He was only a boy outwardly, but she saw then the truth in his own eyes.  For once, he unnerved her.  An old soul, she thinks, and one that choses his friends very selectively.  A god of death... A sheepish boy with a sweet smile the day they met, but now she saw the cool rage in his eyes.  She shifted her paws, conscious that her tail had lost it's physical form.  "I-If your t-trade is only in-insults, then you b-best be o-on your way."

[imperious;]

[align=center][div style=" background-color: transparent; border: 0px solid black; width: 550px; min-height: 9px; font-family:; line-height: 110%; text-align: justify; color:; padding: 20px"]The response to his antics came as a surprise to him. Another small animal joined the fray, and he was momentarily taken aback. "I guess you weren't bluffing, then." he was outnumbered by another freak, then; it would not be so easy for him to take them both down. The only fighting he'd done was with his siblings over a peace of prey, and even then it had been harmless, so tame as to trade nips on the ear instead of full-on bites. He stood no chance now. Achingly he would retreat, taking a small step back and setting his rump down on the clearest patch of ground he could find. His ear started to itch, so he scratched it with his leg like the mutt he was.

"I dunno. I'm hungry, mostly. Didn't realize some weird cult lived here." his stomach growled in affirmation, and he put his leg down. "How many more of you are there? Are you all as stupid looking? Also, how are you even alive? This water is messed. Up. I've drank dirt before, but this ain't it, chief."

[Anubis.]

[align=center][div style="width: 450px; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify; font-family: georgia; font-size: 8pt;"]The youth's frown did not disappear, but muscles began to loosen as the male backed away.  He let out a soft puff of air, remaining tall. Lightly, his brows creased.  Hungry.  Still arrogant though.  "Clearly you've never met a cult," Anubis replied dryly, unimpressed.  Cults were not his thing.  Arrogant though; just his kind of people.

"You shouldn't drink the water around here," he flicked an ear, brow rising.  "Good way to get very sick."  The mutated prey running about Tanglewood's lands were a testament to that fact.  The two-headed turkeys for one... Not the strangest thing he'd seen, but still uncomfortable to look at.  "There's cleaner waters elsewhere," though he felt loath to invite them to the wolf.

"We're a tribe, like a pack but if you can't appreciate a little diversity, you don't belong here." And clearly, you don't.  There were no two quite alike here, and he enjoyed that.  Unique creatures.  You're the stupid one from where I'm standing, wolf.  "If you can though, and you're actually interested in being a productive member, you could stick around.  There's shelter and food here, and water if you know where to and not to drink it."