Wolf RPG

In finding her sister, there was plenty more to do. Like, figure out who it was she was, now. For months she had introduced herself as "Quill". Even to this lot of wolves, that was who she was in name... but, it was never, she supposed, who she had been at heart. She was Eshe. The woman simply did not want to be known as the woman whose past conquered her; she wanted to conquer her past. It still caught up to her in the form of Bhreac... which, wasn't a bad thing. She departed from Bhreac to return to the new homeland and investigate it while Bhreac herself got to know the Valley she now would live in. She didn't get to explore it fully yet... but, intended on it.

Her snout rustled the earth and then she moved to press the whole of her body into it. The Endore tried to think differently of everything now. I am Eshe again. It was strange, to align herself with the past like this... but, Bhreac was alive. While she refused to think or hope that any others survived the ordeal—an avid hater of feeding on false hope—one had... living, too. Spirited and much the same. It was she herself who had changed to some degrees... subtle but, still significant. Could she ever go back to the optimist she had once been instead of the realist she had become? Could she find her old spirit?

The glade had been a refreshing place to linger, even in passing. It reminded him of his once-home, where his parents lived, and his siblings. Riordan often wondered about his family, but he knew he could never go back to them; it was not their way. Once dispersed, it was rare for a wolf to reconnect with their father and their kin - at least in his world - and so that made thoughts of home and of family, ultimately, a moot point. Perhaps that was why Rio had pledged himself to Mordecai and the others so readily. He had been alone for a year now (maybe longer, it wasn't like he had a calendar), and the camaraderie presented by a pack - and pack life in general - was appealing.

Still, as he sulked across Overture Downs and made his way towards home, all he could think about was the past. It was maddening, in a way. Riordan was not the kind of person to dwell on things like this, and doing so was truly making his mood sour with each passing moment. Soon enough the edge of the hollow presented itself upon the horizon - so he picked up his pace, ignorant of the other wolf even as he came careening by her.

Quill heard the other running, and her ears perked. Whatever thoughts she had were lost completely, and her ears melted on her head as she looked doe-eyed into the distance. Perhaps it was a wolf coming to attack her, assuming she was not in the pack due to her new scent...? God, she was not sure, but just in case she made herself as unassuming as possible–

And they went careening past her. This made her assume they were running from something else, and so she kicked off into a sprint. She followed the other, diving into her stride and not looking back. She trusted only in that the other ran; it did not occur to her that like she herself, he ran from the intangible.

With his mind wrapped up in things he should have let go, Riordan was oblivious to his pursuer. He thought the thumping sounds were his own paws at first; then, his heart. But eventually he did slow down - and the beating of steps did not abate. He turned sharply, then came to a sudden halt in time to see the other wolf race by him - playing leap frog, although he wasn't aware that he had started the trend. As the wolf shot by him he took a swift breath, and started running again; this time, he tried to catch up to her, and then overtake her speeding figure. When they were neck-and-neck, he called out, "What'ya runnin' from?"

For one reason or another he slowed. It was her turn, however, to fall into a self-absorbed thought of her past. The trauma of running had her remembering in brief little flashes that caused her to believe she was running from the pursuers now. When the tawny wolf caught up to her and they were neck and neck, she veered left and snapped at empty air to ward him off... before he spoke, and his question was heard, and she remembered where the hell she was. Past is in the past.

"Sorry, sorry!" She approached him, tail wagging and head relatively low to display she was harmless. What was she running from? "Well, at first, I thought you were running from something... then I got caught up in... in nothing... and then I realized..." Eshe rambled, shaking her head. She was able to get a good look at him now and realize he was actually quite handsome in appearance; she always did enjoy those of his stature... but really, all she had known in life was her own family. Her father hadn't let lone males in for the obvious reasons, and she had never looked at a man beyond her relatives. "Sorry," she repeated, all the more flustered.

Halfway through the question, she turned and snapped. It took some quick movement on his part to avoid those teeth, but the surprise kicked his adrenaline in to gear. Rio's fur spiked along his back, and his tail lifted, puffing almost like a cat's, initially offended by the sudden aggressive response. When the girl shirked back, he got a glimpse of the confusion on her face - and his heart went out to her. For whatever reason, she wasn't totally in control. Riordan's face creased with concern as he listened to her apologize.

"Nah, lass, it isn't your fault," well, that was sort-of a lie, but he didn't want her to feel worse than she already did. "I didn't see you there." But he saw her now, and he was kind of unnerved by her shift in moods. Clearly Rio had never been scarred for life; he surely hadn't been through anything more drastic than a botched hunt. "You headin' my way?" If she was heading towards the hollow, then this would be yet another ally he had awkwardly met along the way.

The heavy accent did little to help her situation. She internally swooned, and took a moment to compose herself from all that had happened. Him, the past, herself... her brain was one gnarled jungle but she cut through it gracelessly. His question was met with a tilt of her head and a glance toward the Hollow. That was the direction they'd been sprinting... deeper into its depths, or to the place in general? She mentally brought herself back, and nodded.

"Yeah. Goin' back to the Hollow," she informed, tail waving. Actually, she had seen him before, hadn't she...? Yes, one of the many that had greeted her. "I'm Eshe—but some people call me Quill." The latter of which was her own doing. Because of it, she had no preference... but it was time to be honest and thrust the first bit out there into the world. She thought it fit to remind him, but she had also met so many that day... how she had forgotten his name she wasn't sure. "I'll never forget a face... but I can't say the same for names," she let out a little heh. Then, "No, I'm pretty good with names too. 'less I get a bunch at once. Then, less so..."

Wow. Wow, she was not good at this.

 

She knew the name of their home, which was a good sign. It didn't take much to earn Riordan's trust, apparently - one just had to be pretty, and somewhat charming. And he was sort of charmed by her awkwardness, although he didn't say anything. When she continued, he gave a small nod; two names wasn't so strange to him, he'd dealt with far stranger back at home. Er, his old home. That place he couldn't stop thinking about as much as he needed to.

"Well, which is it? Miss Eshe," he almost pronounced it as 'aye-sh", thanks to the slurring of his accent, "Or Miss Quill? Ah," before she could answer properly, he chuckled to himself and shrugged his shoulders. "Don't matter really. I can call ya both."  Oh, but he hadn't given his yet - and he hadn't really been around the other pack members that much, so they likely would not know him in a collective sense. Only Mordecai had met him thus far, from what his poor memory could surmise.

"And I'm Riordan - just Riordan. No pretty second names 'fer me," he gave his own little heh at this, planting a smile across his round face as if to say, yep this is totally normal. Evidently, not many wolves in these wilds followed his parent's traditions. "Come on, I'll walk with ya. Nice to have a travel buddy fer a change."

He was nice. Very nice. This in of itself surprised Eshe. Hell, they were all nice, here. It was a bit of a relief that not all wolves treated her so aggressively as the wolves that had taken their home from her family. She did not know what to think of it all; she was only slightly suspicious, but she reasoned with herself there was no motive behind it. Ulterior, negative ones anyway. Some were out to get you–others weren't. How to tell them apart? Well this far along all she knew of the baddies was they came in running and didn't stop til you were running, too. Kind of how this meeting started... But obviously, his intent was different.

Which, made her think. “Hey- why were you runnin'?” and then there was that accent again. What had he even asked her again? Which was it? I'll be whoever you want me to be, came her nonexistent vixen side. Reality was, “Ah, erm, Eshe,” Here she grinned and waved her tail. Even if it made no difference for him, since she was trying to identify with the past some... She supposed it'd be better that way. She liked that he didn't ask questions about it... But all the same, adopted Quill as a middle name. You make your own name in life anyway and all that, right?

His name had a ring to it, too. As for no pretty second names, Quill presumed he meant like her own, not surname. “We can think of one,” she suggested, “Nicknames have to be earned. So you can figure out a third one for me, too,” she invited, to make the prospect more appealing. She smiled, ears falling in his direction before swiveling backward.

And as for him walking with her? Eshe smiled. She had been alone for a while–she felt his sentiments exactly. “Coolsome– oh, man, I meant... I thought cool, and awesome, and that's never happened, where I've mixed my words,” she looked away, stricken by her tongue, betrayed even! She looked back to him, a panicked "lol???" etched on her face.

Quill was not cool. Or awesome. She had no way at all with the opposite sex, particularly when they were... Riordan. Strapping, exotic with that accent, and nice! So nice!

[ooc] I blush 4 her. She is just .... Sigh [/i]

Eshe it was then. He gave a small wag of his tail when she decided on one name over the other, but said nothing - too busy listening to her sweet little voice. Plus, well, Quill didn't suit her at all. Thus far she wasn't even a little bit prickly. His ears gave a little twitch when he realized he had missed her question, being too busy thinking about names and whatnot - but before he answered, Eshe went on to talk about nicknames and things. Having never had a nickname (aside from shorthand of his own name, Rio, or his father's lame nickname for him, Danny Boy,) Riordan didn't know what to say.

"Coolsome - oh, man, I meant..." while Eshe fumbled over her words, Riordan was distracted from his thoughts on names and gave a hearty laugh; it wasn't until a moment later that he realized he was probably being really rude. "- that's never happened, where I've mixed my words." She said in her defense, and he gave another low chuckle - but caught himself this time so it didn't last too long.

"Tempted to call ya 'Muddle' now, but that inn't any better than Quill." He was kidding, of course. It kind of felt like he was home again, talking to her. Like talking to one of his little sisters. Pleasant, at the very least. "How did ya end up with Quill anyhow? You aren't a ball o' spikes like those porcupines, and ya can't have earned that name, bein' as sweet as you are." The question was so genuine that Riordan totally glossed over the fact he called her sweet; it was like stating that water was wet.

His laugh was lovely, too. So lovely that she forgot that he was laughing at her, and she even joined in for a moment before realizing that they laughed at her expense. Even then she didn't frown, relieved he didn't think she was some sort of moron who couldn't figure out one word from the next. The nickname she'd inadvertently earned wasn't the cutest of names, but then, one didn't choose their own nicknames, did they? It wasn't the way of things.

The question, though, warranted a nervous jump in her belly. The whole of the story was probably something he didn't want to hear, it was longwinded. She had just recited it to her sister, and then had decided the name was pointless to have. Since people knew her by it though, they had their choice. She simply had a preference. As he continued on, and spoke of her being sweet...

Oh. She grinned at him, bashful by the statement, and further taken by him thanks to his kind words. Eshe had wondered if all wolves of the wild were savage and cruel due to her circumstances but it appeared that was not the case. "Sweet?" She echoed, tail thwapping against the earth. He truly was handsome, and again, that accent... Eshe offered him a honeyed look, before adverting her gaze. He had asked her something, right?

Quill's... names... how... "It sounded cool," she laughed, shaking her head. "I didn't even think of the prickly names..." She noted she divulged the fact that she had made it up, and grinned. "I had some problems with the name Eshe." She realized now more than ever how that didn't make sense, and felt like a moron for it for the umpteenth time.

She just.. Made it up? Gave herself a nickname and stuck by it, like a superhero? While he didn't entirely understand that, he didn't comment on it either. Nicknames were to be earned, she had said. Maybe Eshe just didn't want to tell him where the nickname really came from - and he wouldn't pry, as interested as he was in the truth. Actually, no, Riordan was more interested in having fun, and even if he didn't know her intentions, they didn't matter in the long run. A game of mystery and intrigue was just as good.

"I had some problems with the name Eshe," she added, and Riordan gave her a side-eyed look while they walked. He wasn't about to judge her, or pry too deeply; being asked questions about his own life in such a way would drive him crazy, and he wasn't going to subject her to the same rigmarole. So he took that comment with a grain of salt, and let the conversation fade a little.

"Well whatever," he shrugged his shoulders, giving his walk a little hop, "I'm still just jealous you have more'n one name. I guess I could have more'n one, but it wouldn't really be mine -" oh, now it was his turn to ramble? Evidently rambling was contagious. "I mean, in my family... We take our father's first names as a surname, sort of. I'd be Riordan, son of Berach," saying the name of his father gave his chest a little flutter; he hadn't spoken of his family in a very long time, not like this.

"So I guess I have two names, but one isn't entirely mine." 'Plus I didn't really want it to begin with,' he thought, with a derisive snort.

As he explained a bit about his family, Eshe listened with ample interest. She was more than happy to learn about anyones past that was not her own... and he had opened a door, slightly. The way he put it, and as she thought of it, if that were the case she wouldn't really be Eshe, would she? She was named after a great relative she had never known (and never would, given that she was dead), but she had been taught all about her. The surname bit was cool, she thought, but he seemed not at all invested in that second name for whatever reason. Like him, she wouldn't pry.

"Well, we'll get you that second-name. It could be anything!" He was right, it did have to be made up; Quill had broken her own rule, but wasn't too hypocritical otherwise. Besides, it wasn't a nickname... it was a name to her. Quill was Eshe and Eshe was Quill. "And it will be all yours." She grinned, hoping to excite him with the prospect. "Maybe Dash, like, dashing," she prompted, looking to him. It fit him in more ways than one... and when she realized that, the all-muddled-EsheQuill was quick to say, "Because you were dashing... dashing by me!"

What a world she lived in.

What a world she created for herself.

She looked away quickly, continuing to walk and acting as though all was well as she dealt with how mortified she was with herself. And also, of how dashing he actually was.

Gosh, she was so cute. Fumbling over herself like a kid meeting someone at summer camp for the first time - really, he was reminded of his sister over and over again with her. That wasn't the best comparison; he had many siblings by now, with the youngest always tripping over themselves physically or verbally. It really appealed to Riordan though as he felt like he had finally found what he had been looking for. The wolves of the hollow would be his new family, and they'd all be happy together.

"I like that, Dash. Has a nice ring to it." He grinned, tail fanning the air behind him. He gave a playful shoulder-bump to Eshe and chuckled. "Quill and Dash, we sound like a couple o' adventurers now." Codenames aside, it was a good idea to have at least one nickname to give out to strangers; and knowing Riordan, he'd be just as keen to give his actual name, and maybe even his address, just for shits and giggles. At least this way if he became an outrider, he could spread Dash throughout the wilds - maybe even become the infamous Dash: adventurer extraordinaire.

Eshe was the definition of that. It was the third time she had conversed and gotten on with someone so well outside of Dry Canyon... and she ran with it. If she knew he was reminded of his younger sister, she'd probably die a little inside and be mortified... Eshe was the comely girl next door, but the one who didn't know what the hell to do with herself. As his shoulder bumped into hers, her heart exploded into tens of billions of butterflies and she smiled giddily, her own tail waving.

Especially as he paired their names together.

"Well, we better get to adventuring," she invited, inconspicuously moving to brush-shoulders against him and dash ahead of him, tail waving behind her as she took the lead and snickered. "Will Dash be outdashed," she narrated, "by the quickfooted Quill?!"

It was only natural that she topple over herself immediately after, oooooooooooo fuuuuuu, legs tangled together. "I meant to do that. Dash can't be outdashed, 'twouldn't be right," grumble grumble.

She gave him a little bump, then dashed on ahead - saying something downright witty which made him laugh, up until she tumbled and fell in to a pile of flailing limbs. He rushed up behind her, looming for a moment as he inspected for damage, and then he pulled back. "I meant to do that," she claimed,  "Dash can't be outdashed, 'twouldn't be right."

"No, 'twouldn't, aye!" Riordan struggled a bit with the word she had made up, and then fell in to a deep giggle, which he quickly curtailed. He assumed a very serious expression next, and waited for her to right herself. Just before she got to her paws again, he bumped his nose against her cheek and flounced away, dashing beyond her position with a thundering beat. "Tag! You're it, lass!" They could go adventuring, or they could play a stupid game like children - or, maybe, both! He was quite a ways ahead of her when he called out, "Well come on then! If'n you cannae catch me, how can we possibly be a good adventuring duo!"

Eshe stewed on the ground for a moment, beet soup. Because she had been beaten... by herself... (stop)

She pawed at his face when he laughed, emitting an embarrassed "Hey! 'was doin' you a favor," she teased, because like Hell she tripped intentionally, and they both knew that. As she did manage to right herself, his nose was against her cheek, and Eshe felt her eyes grow wide and her body grow stock still. But he was long gone then, and her slender muzzle turned in the direction he had run.

He was well ahead of her at that point and Eshe was on her feet, hollering, "Oh! I'll catch you, alright!" And she was off, exhibiting her legitimate swiftness. She wasn't made for fighting, but for running. While she wasn't the best at being witty and running all at once, if she could truly concentrate on the task at hand...! Quill gained on him, but had yet to fully catch up, her eyes smiling for her as she panted in the heat of the day. Her tail whirred behind her as she crashed through the Hollow, letting out an excited laugh as she ran.

His lead was short-lived, because soon enough Eshe was on her feet and galloping through the hollow; her body was smaller than his and far more nimble, so she quickly overtook his position. He dodged around bushes and logs, which gave him a bit of an advantage. While this was all for fun, Riordan was not exactly pleased to be beaten by a girl - and he came up behind her through the grass with his tongue lolling out, out of breath and wheezing. "Okay, okay, you..." pant, pant, pant, "You are fast," wheeze, pant, sigh, "Maybe we should switch nicknames, aye?" He smiled, and slurped his tongue back in to his mouth. If she took the bait and doubled back, great. He was out of breath, but Rio knew how to play it up for the game; hopefully he was a convincing actor, because as soon as she got close enough, he suddenly launched himself in to a run and zoomed away from her, twisting his path around a copse of young trees.

He slowed down sooner than she had thought, and he seemed exhausted, too... Quill slowed, herself, to draw nearer to him. Eshe needed to be fast, she had been running for a damn long time. She was panting herself and about to respond when... he was off! Wh-?

Quill kicked off again into a run. And this time she wouldn't slow down! She rounded the copse herself and grinned, hoping to do more than just tag him. Quill continued to bound, her weight flying toward him in her carefree sprint before she attempted to pounce him. His own weight was far greater and the average sized woman wasn't made for the takedown, but her spirit at the least could be commended. Eshe had the best of intentions, of course; to get as close to him as she possibly could.

He thought he was home free. He thought the trick had worked wonders, leaving Eshe in the dust, so he could vanish like some sort of casanova in to the forest; however, as stunned as she was, her recovery time was much better than he anticipated. That, and she was indeed the faster of the pair (which was ironic). He rounded the copse of trees, and was instantly assailed by her flying mass. Riordan was pretty quick on his feet but the added weight of another body was too much, too quick. He let out a hearty laugh as he was pounced upon, and rolled over, falling in to the grass with Eshe practically pinning him sideways. For a moment he just lay there laughing - but he tried to grapple at her with his forelimbs, and reached with his head to land tiny, playful nips to her fur.

"PINNED YOU," she squealed, her tail waving above her hindquarters doing its own victory dance. For a moment she had forgotten why she so badly wanted to do that, pin him, but as his fangs gently combed at her chest she remembered. Eshe could think of nothing else she wanted to do but this, and so, she attempted to swipe her pink tongue right over the bridge of his muzzle before bounding off, measurably slower than she had been when she had chased after him but still swift enough to be chased at all.

Eshe grinned, quite wanting to be caught, and not knowing what she had gained on him but, to remind him, she said through a smile, "You're it!" Before continuing her dash.

Had they been any older, maybe the two of them would've realized what was going on. They weren't little kids obviously, but they weren't true adults either; the playful behavior was fine between siblings, but they weren't siblings. They were strangers to one another biologically, and any true adult would have identified the courting ritual swiftly enough. It didn't matter that they had joined up with Mordecai - the pack was still so new, they were both still (essentially) dispersal wolves.

And all Riordan knew was that he was having fun, and that was his entire purpose for being.

Eshe had him pinned down for a minute or two, and he struggled against her, until she planted a lick to the bridge of his nose and released him. Not to be outdone by a girl (again), Rio rolled to his belly, jumped to his paws, and cavorted through the shadows after her. Again, she was far faster than him - so any hope he had of finding her and winning this game vanished as soon as she started running.

"I'll get you!" he called out through the trees, "I will not be out-dashed!"

Except he had been thoroughly beaten, and as his speed tapered off, he was left to wander the hollow on his own - at least until she returned to him.

It took her a short while to realize he couldn't keep up. But when she did, she slowed her literal roll and turned to retreat back to find him. Eshe kept quiet, slinking through the territory in case he was devising a plan to trick her again... this time, she wouldn't be played so easily...

The foliage rustled as she moved, drawing nearer and nearer to him. Her tail waved uneasily behind her, as she thought of achieving a double-whammy and tagging him again. But then, a larger part of her wanted to be caught by him. The female had even tried to make it easier for him, but that hadn't been enough; she got carried away, too excited with the chase and even the anticipation of being caught. It wasn't so easy after all... and as she tried to silently approach, she managed in the process to break a large stick in the process. Not so sneaky, was she?

Riordan wasn't going to give up, but he felt his spirit wane as time passed. How was she so quick, so light? How was he so bad at these silly games? But then he heard it - the twig snapping, perhaps on purpose but he wouldn't have minded, and then he was reacting. Turning with a sharp pivot and launching himself in the direction of the sound, he made it a few feet before his own bulk caught up to him. Riordan lost his footing and stumbled, nearly shoulder-checking Eshe in the process, the bumbling fool. In the knick of time, he caught himself from falling flat on his face and careened towards her, bursting with a deep laugh. 

"Ah, there you are! I knew I'd get ya!"