Wolf RPG

@Fox — Set an indefinite amount of time after the meeting.

Though Jinx longed to get back to the monotony of prowling the creek's edge in search of wolves to vent her frustrations on, she didn't head outward yet. Her mind was consumed in a whirlwind of thoughts, some of which made no sense even to her. She was replaying memories of her past and begging Sos and Atka to make sense of it for once. They had shown her a vision that tore her away from home, and since then, They had done nothing but throw pitfall after pitfall in her way.

She was furious that Lethe had allowed her life to become forfeit. It was Atka's will, but that didn't make it any less frustrating for the young adult. The one semblance she had had of Shearwater Bay in this wretched wild had been snatched from her the minute she became involved... And, as seemed to be the trend, that one beacon of hope had been replaced with a heathen. She was of a mind to flay every single heathen in the land and string them all up. However...

Jinx respected Fox well enough. To see Lethe's vision taken over by a non-believer hurt her core, but when given the chance to fight for what she believed in and to carry on Lethe's legacy, she faltered and let the pack fall into the yearling's hands. Any regrets she had were between her, Sos, and Atka, for there was nothing she could do now but wait and see what happened. It suited her well enough. The mambo had always been good at biding her time.

She found herself at the creek, the hub of social activity within the pack's expansive territory. Though she wasn't in a particular mood to socialize, she nonetheless seated herself at the interface of woodland and bank, awaiting some sign that she had done the right thing by allowing Fox this one chance.

Fox had just finished up her western border urine expedition, and she was eager to find Jinx. Being a leader was going to be some hard shit, and she respected Jinx far more than most. Fox saw strength and maturity in her, two things that the Alpha lacked. It was for that reason that she hoped to use the older wolf in her own way. She was not quite sure how, but she was certain that it would come to her one way or another. Fox was a slow thinker, taking days or even weeks to formulate a simple plan.

Following the Delta's trail was easy enough, and Fox soon found her underling sitting on the bank of their home's namesake. But there was something... different about Jinx. Something off-putting that caused Fox's nostrils to flare. She had to choke back a growl when she realized what it was that looked so different about Jinx. Having seen her aunt this same way back home, Fox immediately recognized it.

Silently, Fox drew up beside Jinx and sat facing the same way. “You have to get rid of them.” She said this with little emotion. If she did not respect Jinx as much as she did, she would have chased her out. No matter how much respect she had for the sea-wolf, she could not allow such insubordination. It would make her look weak, foolish, and pathetic. Three things that Fox did not believe herself to be.

Though she waited patiently, no sign came to her. She had half-expected Atka's hulking form to round the bend and give her the answers, but She was nowhere to be found. Similarly, Sos was silent of late. It was Fish Moon, though, and so His waning presence was expected by the mambo. Still, Jinx felt discomfort creep through her in response to the silence of her Gods. Where once They had been so present and so strong, They had faded. Even their young priestess could not reach out to them and summon them back.

The sound of someone approaching made her lift her head and stiffen, but she relaxed when she realized it was only Fox. Though a small, primal part of her still yearned to claim the creek for herself, she knew it was more important that she remain where she was and not cause conflict, and Fox was respectable. Fox was also a heathen, like all the other non-believers in the Wilds, so it was Jinx's job to make sure that the foundation of Shearwater upon which Lethe built the pack did not crumble. She had not risen her head in outright challenge, so she had to accept this lot in life, even if a small part of her, the part that had led Shearwater Bay proudly, regretted not standing up for it.

When Fox spoke, it was cryptic to Jinx, who was oblivious to whatever her Alpha had picked up on. Had anyone mentioned the changes in her body of late, particularly the weight gain and the extension of her teats, the sick feeling in her stomach, she would have written it off as sexual maturity. She had only just come of age nearly a year past, and at that time had shown no signs of sexuality. Hormones awakened by Lecter were to blame for her gain in weight and other evidences... Nothing more. She lacked the proper education to know better what was going on.

So in response to Fox's command, Jinx could only assume she meant somebody. "Who?" the mambo queried, curious to know what service the new Alpha required of her. She was more than happy (and capable) to ambush or poison someone in the name of Swiftcurrent Creek. Fox need only point the finger, and Jinx would obey.

When Jinx responded, Fox looked to her with an eyebrow raised. So she did not even know what was happening. This was one of the few times Fox had caught onto something before an older wolf had. “Your children,” she replied, not missing a beat. “It simply won't do to have them around. It will make me look weak.” Fox was paranoid that somebody would challenge her new throne, and she would like to make that as difficult as possible. If she was of age, she would have already coerced a male to be by her side, purely for looks and children. As it was, she did not care for males anymore than females.

But Fox had not come here to talk of the abominations that grew within her trusted counsel. “May I confide in you, Jinx?” she asked. Her bones were wary, and her heart heavy with the loss of Lethe. Fox may have put on a tough face for the position she had been thrown into, but in reality she was exhausted and was beginning to wish she could go back to her carefree life of being on the border patrol committee.

Her brow creased into a furrowed collection of wrinkles when Fox spoke next. At first, Jinx assumed she meant Ira, who was the furthest thing from Jinx's child. However, she refuted that possibility by remembering that the Alpha had said children. Plural. "I don't have any," she began to protest, but paused.

Realization was slow to dawn, but after some time it did. She had never been taught the ins and outs of reproduction, and had never been interested in it anyway. But as her memory zipped back to that day in the woods with Lecter, she figured out what Fox was referring to. Feelings flooded Jinx in that moment, most of them sexual in nature with the recollection of the things Lecter had done to her, but there was also some inherent understanding.

She would know. That was what Sos had said, if she recalled it right. Perhaps Sos had intended all along for Fox to approach her about this and command her to get rid of them. She thought about it a moment more, and then conceded. "When the time comes," she assured the Alpha. She was unwilling to do any harm to herself in order to comply with the woman's demand. She would wait until they were born, and decide what needed to be done at that time.

Fox then asked if she could confide in her. Jinx turned her head to regard the smaller wolf, curious what service she could do in the department of listening. She had never been very good at giving advice, but she would do her best. "What troubles you?"

Jinx's answer was satisfactory enough, and Fox let the subject go. There was no need to berate or scold her, for Fox believed the incident would have happened before Jinx was even a part of the creek. Which only led to more questions about who the father was, why Jinx had left Horizon Ridge, and what she was doing here. But those were questions that did not seem terribly important right now. Jinx was here, and she would not keep her children. As long as that was the case, she would remain a valuable member of the pack. They had more pressing things to speak of.

“Throwing myself into this position was the right thing to do, but it was also the hard thing to do,” Fox began, “I don’t believe I’ve had any real sleep since the day Lethe died. I have more of an ego than you could ever imagine, but I think I need help.” Strangely enough, even with all that ego, Fox was able to see that she had one. It was perhaps only because it had been pointed out to her again and again back home. She did not want to be hasty, though. Choosing somebody to help her with the creek was not something to be taken lightly. Jinx had practically only just gotten here, but she had known Lethe, from what Fox understood. She had connections with others here, too.

Fox was not quite asking Jinx to step up to the plate, but perhaps the older girl had something to say about how Fox could keep from working herself into a stupor.

Jinx would be lying if she said she had expected the Alpha to spill her soul about needing help. In the Kesuk's recent encounters with Alphas, she had come to understand that most of them were haughty and thought themselves capable of anything and everything. They admitted no fault, or when they did they covered up those faults with remarks about their intentions of improving. Akhlut was such an Alpha, in Jinx's singular opinion, and she might have thought the same of Lethe if she had much time to get to know her better. Alas, she lost the opportunity to better understand the former herbalist when Atka summoned Lethe into the river.

This revelation on Fox's part therefore put Jinx into a brief state of shock. She didn't know how to respond, aside from claiming that needing help meant it wasn't, in fact, the right thing to do. To say that would have revealed Jinx's own flawed sense of superiority, which hadn't died with Horizon Ridge nor with Lethe. It was in remission at the moment, but with certainty one could conclude that the bold Kesuk's sense of entitlement would one day rear its head again. Today, however, was not that day.

"It is an adjustment," she agreed, spotting an opportunity to (once again) tell someone of her own trying past. "I once led a pack when I was even younger than you. My mother abandoned it, and the Oracle named my sister and I its successors. It was very difficult to take on those responsibilities so young." One might have expected the obligatory, "I could never have done it without my sister," that would segue into Jinx attempting to claim herself as a suitable co-leader, but the fact was that Jinx owed nothing to Kaskae. She was arrogant enough to think that, without Kaskae's meddling in her spiritual affairs, she might be at home still, leading her wolves where she belonged. She was arrogant enough still to think that Kaskae should never have had a hand in the Bay's leadership. Jinx alone had been sufficient.

Still, though the sneaky mambo harboured an intense desire to campaign for co-leadership of the creek, the spark of ambition she had exhibited with Akhlut didn't burn as bright now. "It does become easier," she offered instead, feeling the ambitious soul within recoil at her hesitation to act. "You come to know your followers better, and they come to know you. Through your actions you reinforce their faith in you, and their demands for demonstration become less. Your duties become routine. It's hard now, but as you become more comfortable in your role, the pack will become more comfortable with you. In time, they will know your will before you speak it, and you will have some respite."

Fox listened with open ears, though she was careful not to simply believe in every word that her Delta spoke. While Fox trusted her, she was also paranoid that the strong Kesuk would one day attempt to overthrow her. Still, Jinx's words were calming to her, and she drank in every single word. To hear of Jinx's past was strange, but also pleasant. She found it nice to know where Jinx had come from and what trials and tribulations she had overcome. The story of the orange-eyed female's foray into leadership so young caused Fox to wonder how many were thrown into such a position. With such a small sample size, it would be difficult to tell.

When Jinx had finished speaking, Fox felt far more at peace than she had when she had sat beside the white lady. Simple reassurance was a blessed thing, and the Alpha would remember it should she ever need advice in the future. The only other wolf she would consider going to was Perry, but that seemed absurd considering they were not pack-mates. In fact, they were basically enemies now, fighting for their own packs. Before they had only been indirect frenemies, but Fox doubted that she would see him (or he, her) as kindly as they had before. It was a shame, considering she actually enjoyed his company.

“Thank you,” she replied after a moment, and let a few moments of pause pass between them. “Unrelated, but I met your little charge the other day. He’s all piss and vinegar.” Her lips curled into a smile, remembering their little duck-chasing adventure. “How did you come across him?”

The only acknowledgement of the thanks was a minute lowering of her head, as though to tip a hat. Fox didn't linger long on the topic, which was both a relief and a shame. Part of her would have liked the woman to admit she wasn't ready. Though she had no designs of usurping the rank, having reserved that honour in the past for Alphas that didn't deserve their ranks, she would not have objected to recognition herself. Oft she forgot that she was newer to the pack, and her deeds as Horizon Ridge's Gamma meant nothing here.

She was delighted to speak of Ira, and delighted Fox thought of him in the same way: piss and vinegar, but with a fond undertone. "He came to me in a dream," she half-lied, unwilling to explain the nature of religious visions to Fox at the present time. "I woke up from my dream, walked in the direction I recalled from it, and found him on the pack's borders with a dying old wolf." Maybe the Alpha was superstitious or wouldn't believe it, but it was easier than explaining that Atka and Sos, two Bear Gods, had a hand in it.

"He apparently is a prince from some pack whose parents were murrrdered. He has quite an attitude. I think he will make an excellent spy, so I've been training him." There was the matter of one day releasing the youth upon the world and hoping to see him burn it all to hell with his wrathful conquest, but that was a private thought, not for anyone else's ears.

Fox did not have an ounce of spirituality in her at all, so when Jinx explained that she had found Aethon "in a dream," the girl had to use whatever willpower she had to keep her face straight (which she managed to do quite well). That kind of thing was just ridiculous to the tiny yearling. It was like saying there were unicorns hanging around... you just had to go to the right spot to find them. Although there were an abundance of bear-worshipping wolves in the creek, Fox had somehow failed to pick up on it. If anything, the girl just thought there were a bunch of weirdos hanging out here. Nobody had taken the time to explain to her what principles this pack had been founded upon.

The way that Jinx said "murdered," made the fireball quirk a brow. Fox wondered if Jinx somehow thought this was amusing. Not that Fox had any opinion one way or another. Death was just another part of life that everybody had to encounter at some point in their lives. Just because Aethon had experienced it earlier did not mean he was special (at least to Fox). “Life’s weird, yo,” she replied once Jinx had finished explaining that bit of backstory.

Looking upward to the sky, Fox deemed it time to finally allow herself to get some rest. “I should get going,” she said, “Can’t have me wandering around all delirious.” Using her nose to bump Jinx's shoulder in a friendly goodbye, Fox turned and headed toward her den, eager to fall into a deep slumber.