Wapun Meadow I won't turn back anymore
Kunujâk
970 Posts
Ooc — Kuro
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#1
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This should be interesting @Nanook

Sometime during his travels—he couldn’t place exactly when—a curtain of fog had come down around him. It was not the boy’s first time being engulfed by an earth-bound cloud, and certainly wouldn’t be his last, yet the sensation was still quite odd to him. The reasoning behind the water vapor’s descent eluded him, yet deciphering the reasoning behind the natural phenomenon wasn’t his key priority at the moment. No, that spot was reserved for figuring out how he was supposed to navigate through it. The mist limited his vision and made his nose virtually useless, having covered everything around him in a layer of scentless liquid. Even so, the young Inuit did not seek shelter and wait for clear skies to return, but instead continued forward on a path he thought might carry him home. No matter how far along he ran, however, the mountains he needed to pass through did not appear before him. It was a troublesome situation he’d gotten himself into, thus he decided soon after that he would sit back and wait until he could see properly again.

Alexander was oblivious to the fact that, rather than heading South, he’d been wandering towards the North. His blind travels landed him within a meadow he couldn’t recall having ever seen before, which only served to further annoy him. The last two areas he’d explored hadn’t bothered him, for back then he’d known where he was and how to return home from those specific locations. That simply wasn’t the case when it came to Wapun. The fog had turned him this way and that, screwed with his inner compass, and then dumped him into a field of dead or dying flowers. It was an open space, too, which made him view the situation as being worse than what it probably was. And so, after a fit of rash thoughts, he’d traced back along the steps he believed himself to of taken in order to find refuge beneath the coverage of trees. Someway, somehow, though, Xan’s sense of direction had gotten jumbled up after only a few steps had been taken. After he’d spun around in a wide circle or two, he’d then been deposited in close proximity to a creek. With the sound of water trickling along so near to his position, he’d opted to just sit down directly where he was and wait. Wait for the fog to either ebb away some or disappear entirely, that way he could begin his journey home.
I can give it all to you, will you take it all from me
If love is a joke, then use me ruthlessly
Threads are titled after lyrics from Block B's “Toy”
you are loved, you are loved more than you know
354 Posts
Ooc — Jaclyn
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#2
Thanks for starting <3 And my apologies for taking longer to reply than expected!

Her whole body buzzed with the adrenaline she'd felt upon reaching the marsh, recognition thick. Mother had brought them this way after they'd left the Valley, she was sure of it. Most of the landmarks back to the Valley were hazy at best, but the marsh never lost clarity. It was where the Maplewood wolves had whisked her away to another life, one Nanook had never been able to take as her own. They had been kind to her, but they were not her family.

She hadn't stopped thinking about her father and Xan, and the more isolated she made herself, the more obsessed she became with finding them. They were out there somewhere, and the Valley was the first place she'd check. There had been a river that ran through the Valley, one that had flooded the day Leo came from the storm. There was a river here, too, one mother had made them rest beside on the way up. Nanook didn't take the time to think that those rivers might not be the same.

The skies were clear when Nanook left the Wetlands to trace the river South, but somewhere after leaving Otatso the world took on a filmy haze. The stubborn girl knew the fog would thicken, but she didn't turn back. She'd come too far, and she sped up her step. Yet the world grew murkier the further South she drew. Her blinking increased and her eyes simultaneously widened, though she knew full well she couldn't clear her vision. So Nanook pressed her ears tall to catch every distorted sound and kept her path tight along the edge of the creek. When she tried to probe into the veil, the heavy air rattled her lungs with a tickle and a grunt caught in her throat before she fell into a sharp bout of coughs that echoed through the cover of fog.
with every heartbeat I have left
I will defend your every breath, I promise
I'll do better
Kunujâk
970 Posts
Ooc — Kuro
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#3
It’s fine, no need to apologize! I assumed you were busy. c:

The longer he sat in wait, the more restless he became. A plan had been made prior to the start of his journey, but the fog had successfully ruined the entire thing. It was left in tatters, completely unsalvageable, which only served as fuel for the growing flame that was his anger. In that moment, more than anything else, he wanted to return home. He didn’t even care if he ran the risk of running into Burke, he just wanted to return to the shaded comfort of the darkened woods. Determination settled itself into his mind, urging him to stand and set out through the thickening fog once more, and he almost complied. Almost. In the last second, he’d managed to stop himself, forcing his rump to remain plastered to the cool ground. Though he’d won the internal battle with himself, he was still rather fidgety. It felt as if his paws were quite literally itching to start trekking across the haze-filled land once more. It was one of the few times since leaving the valley that he’d felt the full penalty that came with not giving in to his inherited wanderlust.

Suddenly, a coarse sound broke through the silence that surrounded him, causing his fur to prickle and ears to stand erect atop his crown. He recognized the sound as coughing, but whoever had decided to disturb him remained unknown. The boy rose his muzzle to the air and inhaled in an attempt to pluck a scent from the wind, but it was useless. All that he received was the scent of a dew-filled morning, which aggravated him even more. Knowing he had no other choice but to investigate, the pallid wolf stood and, with cautious steps, began walking through the fog. All the while his hackles were raised and his head lowered, knowing better than to leave his throat exposed. If it turned out that the owner of the coughing was a threat, he didn’t want to be the one to end up dead.

Alexander had to listen carefully, finding the idea of walking right past the other creature far too risky. With his line of visibility lessened, he was certain his reaction time wouldn’t be fast enough to save him if he made the mistake of turning his back to the unknown being. It took only a few steps, however, before his worries were cleared. Through the mist, he could just barely make out the form of another wolf. The size was similar to his own, informing him that they were either someone his age or fairly close. With the element of surprise on his side, he crouched down and started creeping forward, before launching himself towards the abstract shape with paws outstretched. Originally, his goal had been to pin the other down and demand to hear their intentions, but that all changed the second he was close enough to actually see who it was. Her coat was familiar to him and, even without seeing her face, he somehow knew exactly who she was. Something just clicked within the back of his mind, and before he knew it he was twisting his body mid-jump to avoid crashing into her.

His landing was anything but graceful, having been entirely improvised. He’d stumbled as his front paws connected with the earth once more, causing his feet to get a bit jumbled up as his hind legs touched down. As a result, Xan had fallen over, completing a full tumble before jumping back to his feet and settling his gaze on his sister. It’d been so long since he’d seen her last, he almost couldn’t believe she was right there in front of him. A part of him was happy to be reunited with her, but the more dominant side of his mind couldn’t help but wonder why she was there. A second-long war went on between his emotions, but in the end, his anger and sadness won. Quickly, he hardened his gaze and then brought it up to meet hers, reluctant to visibly share all that was running through his head. “Why are you here?” the Inuit asked, voice low and uncertain. While he’d somehow managed to keep his face neutral, he could not do the same with his voice. His tone alone betrayed all that he felt in that moment, as well as what he’d felt back when they’d chosen separate paths.
I can give it all to you, will you take it all from me
If love is a joke, then use me ruthlessly
Threads are titled after lyrics from Block B's “Toy”
you are loved, you are loved more than you know
354 Posts
Ooc — Jaclyn
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#4
Her fit lasted seconds, but the ghost of the tickle held to a dry area at back of her throat. She tried to rid herself of the phantom by swallowing, and when she couldn't reach the spot she turned her head with a scowl. The stream babbled not far from where she stood, and she took a hasty pace toward it. But a strange feeling passed through her spine just as she moved and she froze. With a new caution she lifted her muzzle to the air and flared her nostrils. Useless as her nose and eyes were to see through the murk of fog, she swivelled her ears in a final probe. She caught only silence, until the crunch of the frost-tipped grass sounded from behind.

A sudden burst of adrenaline forced her hackles to stand, and she leapt around just as a spectral form tumbled to the ground mere hairbreadths away. Her whole body burned to attack, but the ghostly figure spooked her into leaping backwards instead. It regained itself with a swift return and Nanook braced herself for another onslaught, head low and teeth bared. She had never heard of anyone fighting a ghost before, and didn't know if it could even be done, but she wasn't about to skitter away with her tail tucked low like a coward.

But Nanook only had to lock her gaze on him for a moment before her hackles fell and the intensity of her face shifted from anger to shock. Her voice came as a whisper. "Xan." He was an apparition, he had to be. The ice in his eyes stopped her from seeing past his shroud of neutrality. Only when he spoke did she take a step forward, her mouth no longer agape, but her fiery eyes still wide with unbelief. His tone reflected the constant war she felt herself, and that still simmered in her chest against both mother and papa for separating them.

"I - " She had been looking for Bearclaw, but her end had never been the Valley. Since the day she'd chased after mother and left Xan behind, her end had always been him. "I was looking for you." She took another pace forward with the added stress. With him being here, so close to the Maplewood, was he looking for her too? She didn't dwell on the sentiment, nor did she dare reach out to touch him, lest he truly be an apparition and he disappear from her sight once more.
with every heartbeat I have left
I will defend your every breath, I promise
I'll do better
Kunujâk
970 Posts
Ooc — Kuro
Offline
#5
He'd noticed her hackles rise and wondered, briefly, if she'd already forgotten him. If the life she'd chosen with their mother was so wonderful that she was able to forget the brother she'd left behind. The thought had his lips twitching, but he didn't dare bare his teeth at her. He couldn't bring himself to, even though a part of him wanted so desperately to punish her for leaving in the first place. Everything was pushed to the recesses of his mind once her fur had flattened back out, and she'd said something. That one word—that one name—had him at a loss when trying to figure out how he should act around her. The whisper of his name made it feel as if the wind had just been knocked out of him, for it showed she hadn't forgotten. She still remembered him just as he did her, something he had unknowingly feared would not be the case.

She took a step towards him, and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep himself from closing the distance. He forced himself to remain glued to his place, not wanting to get any closer to the sister who'd left him behind. The one sister he'd expected to always be there, to always be competing with him for their father's attention, but the fates had decided a different tune was meant to be played. She'd chosen that woman over their father. Their father... the only one who truly cared for them, as far as Xan was concerned. She had his eyes, the boy noted, unlike himself who'd been cursed to carry around the image of their mother. He was not identical to her, something he was grateful for, but the appearances were close enough to have him feeling disgusted. Nanook didn't deserve to share any similarities with Kove, her choice to leave them had taken that right away long ago.

There came the answer, but it was not what he'd been mentally preparing himself for. His own eyes grew wide as he stared at her, trying ever so desperately to figure out if she was lying or not. She had to be, though, he knew she couldn't have possibly been looking for him. When she attempted to get closer, he took an equal amount of steps back to match her own, gaze never leaving hers. "No." It was all he could say, the only word he could manage to form. "You... you're lying, I know you are." For her words to be honest was impossible, he was certain of it. "You left us. You chose that woman over us—over me! You weren't looking for me..." The hurt he was feeling was unable to be hidden from his voice. He had tried to keep everything bottled up nice and tight, but seeing Nanook again made things difficult. Alexander couldn't keep himself in check, he couldn't put on the mask of anger he'd always worn. Everything had been stripped from him, leaving nothing more than the hurt little boy in the place of what once was the big bad wolf.
I can give it all to you, will you take it all from me
If love is a joke, then use me ruthlessly
Threads are titled after lyrics from Block B's “Toy”
you are loved, you are loved more than you know
354 Posts
Ooc — Jaclyn
Offline
#6
She had fantasized this moment countless times in her head. It was how she kept her focus, and it was what assured her that her present isolation would pay off in the end. The end where they were together again, all of them, as it should have always been, where she would fix the sadness she was certain she'd caused them all.

But she hadn't imagined it like this. His frigidity she could take, the strange look in his eyes. That was when he was supposed to close the distance and embrace her in the way wolves could, and she would embrace him back, even though she knew he hadn't been one for touch. But Xan only pulled away and met her with words that fell on ringing ears. She heard the anger in his voice, but it was the hurt in his face that pushed her to edge.

"No!" Her fur bristled again as panic twisted in her chest, and her voice pierced a frequency she hadn't mustered since her days in the whelping den. "I'm not lying! I was looking for you, and papa, too! I didn't want to leave you, but I - I thought I could get mama to change her mind." Her lip quivered and she bit back the sob that burned in her throat. None of her cries had done anything to help. Mama hadn't turned around, and Nanook's plan sounded so stupid now. "I never wanted to leave you." She just wanted to fix the mess she'd thrown them all into, and Xan's hurt reminded her too much of Desna and the seam she'd torn between them. A rage of guilt seared her ears, and she shifted her eyes away from Xan, but even that could not hide the distress that etched across her face.
with every heartbeat I have left
I will defend your every breath, I promise
I'll do better
Kunujâk
970 Posts
Ooc — Kuro
Offline
#7
The boy's ears fell back against his crown, wary eyes never leaving his sister's face. He'd witnessed the bristling of her fur, mimicking his own, but caused by something else. She defended her case, insisting she was being honest, that she'd actually been searching for him and their father. A part of him wanted to believe her—a large part of him, at that—but he could allow himself to. It was a trick, he was sure of it. She was toying with him, trying to make him lower his guard so she could hurt him all over again. No, he wouldn't let that happen, he wouldn't fall victim to that type of betrayal again. "I don't believe you!" he insisted, but his tone wavered. It was a slight difference in the pitch of his voice, but noticeable enough for it to be obvious that he wasn't quite sure what to believe. Nanook was his sister, he'd recognized her as such from the very beginning, but she'd chosen someone else over him... that day, without him even realizing it, ties deep within his heart had been severed.


The words did not cease, but it was her final sentence that had the largest impact. Despite his desire to hold fast against her blatant lies, he could not refrain from breaking down at her last sentence. She hadn't wanted to leave. She hadn't wanted to go off with that woman, she hadn't wanted to abandon him or their father. Xan's legs began to shake, his body trembling as he fought an internal battle. Slowly, he took a step towards her, though his ears remained pinned against his head and his tail tucked itself between his thighs. He was scared. For seemingly the first time ever in his short life, he was terrified of both his own actions and those of another. "Then... then come with me!" the boy urged, closing the distance some, but not entirely. He didn't know if he could do that, if he could touch her without being hit with pain all over again.

"Dad misses you. He misses all of you. He's sad without you guys there—without you there." Though Alexander could not observe emotions as well as his father, he was certain the elder wasn't himself. He'd lost majority of his family, all the daughters he'd been meant to watch out for and protect. The young Inuit did not understand the emotional turmoil that came with that type of loss, but he didn't like seeing his dad without a smile on his face. "The pack we went to is nice, I promise. They're like a big family, they watch out for each other..." his voice trailed off towards the end. Never would he have suspected he'd accept the pack as a part of his family, but he had, and it felt nice. Still, an emptiness remained within him, a hole in his chest that could not be filled by anyone other than his siblings. "Nanook, please." His odd gaze met her's directly, showing a mess of emotions in their depths. "Come with me, come live with dad and me. He, I—we miss you."
I can give it all to you, will you take it all from me
If love is a joke, then use me ruthlessly
Threads are titled after lyrics from Block B's “Toy”
you are loved, you are loved more than you know
354 Posts
Ooc — Jaclyn
Offline
#8
She kept her gaze turned from him. For months she'd been able to hide herself behind walls of ice, but that had been easy when she had been alone. Desna had cracked those walls the moment she had tried to get near her. With her brother before her now, the fractures only grew. She couldn't run this time like she had from Desna. Nanook knew where Desna was. As long as her mother was in Maplewood, Desna would be there, too. But she had already lost Xan once, and she couldn't leave him now that she'd finally found him again.

Nanook caught his step in her peripheral, but she only turned when she heard his voice, much to her regret. His turbulent emotion swallowed her like a river flood, and she shied her eyes away from him so that her gaze fell to the side of his stricken face. Yet the show of his fear burned a seal in her memory, one that would long disturb her, and her own legs trembled.

She felt a tingle at his words, but the conflicting emotion twisted her heart with another sear of guilt. Papa missed her - which meant he had never wanted to leave her at all. Of course not. Mama had been the first to move away. For the first time since their split, Nanook worried that she really had abandoned them, like Xan believed. But she had little capacity to dwell further on her fear. Her thoughts swirled with her brother's proposition, and despite the war-drum beat of her heart, she settled her gaze on him again. He wanted her with him - wasn't that what she had wanted from the start? - yet somehow, everything still felt so wrong.

"I miss you so much." She could not keep contact with the sea in his eyes for more than a second before she shied away again. His pain radiated until it was her own, and she felt the fractures grow. "I miss everyone." Her words came with a quiet sob, one full of both sorrow and anger. "Why do I have to choose? Why can't we all be together again, like we were before? You, me, papa, mama, Sesi, and Desna. Why is our family like this?" She didn't know if Xan knew the answers, but they'd eaten away at her far too long, and in this moment, she was desperate for anything.
with every heartbeat I have left
I will defend your every breath, I promise
I'll do better
Kunujâk
970 Posts
Ooc — Kuro
Offline
#9
Sorry for the wait (and short post)!
edit; added an ending.

She missed them. She'd said so herself, so what was holding her back? they could leave right then and there, turn around and head for Blackfeather. "If you miss me, then come live with me." He took another step towards her, a pleading look having taken over his features. There was nothing stopping them, there was no one there to pull them away from one another. The siblings could stay together, they could return home with one another, and that would settle everything. Though he wanted Sesi and Desna, too, he knew that Desna would never leave their mother. He knew she would never come to the woods with him, and also that Sesi wouldn't go anywhere without her sister. Still, he had a chance to return with at least one of them. Nanook was there with him, she missed him, she could live with him. He was certain of it all, believing she might actually follow him home.

Instead of rushing to insist upon traveling back with him, however, there came only questions. Xan didn't have any real answers to give, but he also couldn't stay silent. "We can't all be together anymore," he said, uncertainty in his tone. "Mom and dad don't like each other anymore. They can't be together, so we all can't be together..." He didn't quite understand just why that was, but he could very well speak the words anyways. They had all been there the day the valley was abandoned, they'd all witnessed what had happened between their parents. The words spoken were cruel, there was no way they could ever be near one another again. "We don't need the others, though!" His voice came out quickly, almost as if he feared she'd leave if he didn't say something more. "You, dad, and me are all we need! We can live as a family again, Nanook. Just come with me."

The boy was confident in his sales pitch, certain she would follow him back to Blackfeather. Rather than doing so, however, she'd decided to take her leave after a few more words had been shared. He knew not where she was going, or why she was leaving, but hoped it meant she'd be giving the idea of joining him and Kove some thought. Little did he know that that would most likely never be the case. Still, he'd departed from the meadow with mixed feelings, not sure what to think or believe.
I can give it all to you, will you take it all from me
If love is a joke, then use me ruthlessly
Threads are titled after lyrics from Block B's “Toy”