Wolf RPG

since his visit with Rowan, she'd been on his mind. Donnelaith was a place of shelter, as his father had intended, and Casmir did not realize how closely his thoughts aligned with those of Deirdre. nor could he know that a day prior to his visit, his own brother and Aria had thrown Rowan out on her pregnant ass. and so, with another nod to Laika and Spring, he set off for home yet again, this time not pausing at the Fen like before.

he arrived at the borders with a low croon for the leaders and Rowan too, if she was there. she'd found an ally in him, and he could not help the excitement in his tones as he waited for a response, his golden eyes aglow. good food had brought a blueish sheen to his dark fur, and his body was strong, losing its last lankiness to give way to a tall musculature.

Aria arrived promptly and he grinned his usual smile at her. "hey, Aria," he murmured, plume waving behind his hips. "i hope everyone is doing okay." deciding just to cut to the chase, Cas met the eyes of his former girlfriend briefly before beginning. "so i was 'round these parts not too long ago and i met some chick called Rowan? apparently she's fam, and apparently my dear old dad knocked her up before he passed." Cas spoke crudely to stave off the pain and guilt he still felt over Lasher's passing, not pausing to see if Aria appreciated his humour.

"anyway as those are my broskis and sisters, and she was pretty scared she was gonna lose her place here, i decided to come talk to the head honcho herself," he went on, tipping a wink at Aria. boy was he in for a goddam surprise. "like yeah, she fucked up, this Rowan, but like ... those are Lasher's kids? and Lasher founded this place and you know, i'm sure he meant to stick around to help raise them. anyway i assured her you weren't gonna kick her out but i wanted to come ask. and see everyone."

his monologue finished, Casmir cupped his one remaining ear forward to catch Aria's response.

The more that Casmir spoke-- the more Aria grew wary. Not only did the boy look more like a man than last time, but he spoke with more confidence than last time. He was still strange and goofy in his own ways, but he'd grown. But, on top of that strange character change, he was concerned for Rowan. She stared at him with a weak smile as he spoke, her ears lowering considerably the more she listened. But, even further, he seemed to think that she would've just let Rowan walk all over her-- and that angered her. Perhaps she was, originally, going to let her stay, but did the whole Mayfair crew have enough confidence in their bloodline to convince a stranger that she was fine? Except Constantine, perhaps, who she valued among all of her pack mates-- currently. Although, after the previous events, she wondered if he cared for her as the leader anymore. Perhaps shed made a mistake. She would fix it.

but this? She couldn't fix this.

her head shook, tail lowering. "Rowan is gone, Casmir..." She said quietly.

Aria was acting weird, Casmir noticed as he rambled, her ears flattening against her skull briefly. her answer was not what he was expecting, either, and he peered quizzically at her for a long moment. what did she even mean? Rowan had thought the world of Donnelaith; she wouldn't just run away, he didn't think.

there was one another explanation, but the boy didn't even want to go that route. "so," he began, hope edging his voice, "she left? maybe i can get her to come back. this is her home, after all." his eyes met hers; surely she hadn't done what Rowan had feared?

She shook her head sadly-- Casmir knew what she meant, she could tell, he was trying to convince himself otherwise. Should she have just lied? Would that have made this better? Probably not, she thought bitterly, she was up to her nose in shit already. 

"Yesterday Constantine and I asked her to leave," she replied, taking in a breathe. "I'm sorry, Cas, I.." She trails off, she has no excuses to give to him.

nope. it was the other thing. the Bad Thing. and what was more, Connie was in on it too. 

"um," Cas rejoined elegantly, suddenly awash in all kinds of emotions. his voice was no longer hopeful, but held a masculine coldness. she was a jealous bitch? "so you kicked out a chick carrying my brothers and sisters? and, as for Connie, those are his sibs too. and Dee's. and Em's. and this pack? this pack was started by my dad, in case you forgot."

he fought to keep his hackles down. "i don't get it. what sort of ... what possible threat could she be to you? do you think she was going to beat you over the head with her kids or something, Aria?"

Her ears flattened to her skull, her tail pressing to her rump. "N-no... I just..." She hesitates to come up with an actual answer. "Does.. Does it not bother you that your own father cheated on your mother with someone who... Who he didn't even want in the pack?" She asks, her head shaking in disbelief that he was so Pro-Rowan. 

"I know Lasher started the pack here but... he left me in charge... And... And I thought it'd be for the best," she said, not feeling comfortable telling Casmir that she simply felt walked all over by the Mayfairs-- and how Deirdre was already ready to lead. With her, the pup had said, but Aria knew better. As she aged she'd find a man to lead with. Aria would be forced to give up what she'd worked so hard for.

--so sorry for bad formatting I'm on mobile and it's a pain :/ --

she hit a sore point, which angered Cas further, but a good dose of adulthood allowed him the ability to keep control. "my mom has been gone for months, Aria. am i happy about it? no. but let's not pretend that my dad like ... fucked Rowan in front of her or something." he lifted his chin and let out a frustrated breath.

"for the best? kicking out my dad's kids? forget Rowan; now they might die, because who has time to take in a pregnant wolf who won't be able to contribute in a few months, Aria? like ... did you even think about that? if you were gonna kick her out, you coulda let her have them at least and then kicked her out when they could walk."

the memory of Milo and how he'd starved to death haunted Cas often, and now coloured his anger toward Aria's actions. "i like ... i just," he stumbled, sitting down heavily in front of her. "i dont get it. and what does Constantine have to do with anything? the dude's gone for like a thousand years and then comes back and makes decisions like that?" his brow furrowed. what was even going on.

"are you like, jealous of Rowan or something?"

A new anger is suddenly sparked in her-- the same anger that only Casmir can seem to bring about. "There are plenty of packs that would take her in. Hell, Casmir why don't you go find her. She left yesterday, she's not far, you take her in," she says her tail lashing behind her. "Lasher doesn't lead here anymore, I do."

"And what the Fuck, Cas? She left now-- at least she has a better chance of finding a home. If I kicked her and the pups out when they were old enough to walk it'd be cold and there wouldn't be any prey. They'd die of starvation," she continues, her tongue swiping across her muzzle. 

Aria lets out a snarl, the fur on her shoulders bristling. "Constantine is my gamma, I confide in him for advice," she reveals, seeing nothing wrong with that. "He simply aided me, it's not like he fucking hyped me up to go ask someone to leave," she adds. And, as he adds one more snarky comment, she lets out another growl. "Why would I be jealous of her, of all wolves?"

Aria rejoined with a sudden anger that had Cas scrambling back to his feet. he stared at her as she went off. this wasn't the girl he knew. this was some power-hungry asshole. his own hackles raised but he did not move toward her. after all, this wasn't about a fight. "Lasher wouldn't have given you the pack if he thought you were gonna act like this, and you know it," he hissed.

"why the fuck would you kick her out then? you haven't even given me a good reason. 'oh, i thought it was for the best,'" he mimicked, knowing he was out of line but way too angry to care. "i think you are. i think you're jealous because she was gonna have the first kids here since you became alpha, not you. and you couldn't very well kick Osprey out, could you? no. you took it out on Rowan."

he scoffed. "who gives a flying fuck who Connie is to you? he's a Mayfair. he should know better than to throw out his family, his own fucking blood." his eyes hardened. "maybe i will go get her. Donnelaith obviously isn't a great place anymore, and she'd be better off with me anyway. i'm glad i didn't come back," Casmir declared.

"What??" She practically screeched, her teeth bared. "Why the fuck... You know what? Fine. You want to know why she's gone, Casmir?" She snarls, stepping towards him. Maybe he wasn't about a fight, but she couldn't keep yelling at him from far away. She wanted his ears to bleed from her yells. She wanted him to know she meant what she was saying. 

"Because I have no one. This whole fucking pack is filled with Mayfairs and, don't get me wrong, you're all wonderful, but I have no one." Her pupils are dilated to tiny slits, her white eyes blazing. "Deirdre already wants to lead, to take my spot, and you know what? It's rightfully hers. But how the fuck am I supposed to be any sort of leader with any sort of authority if I let everyone walk all over me?" She asks, her shoulders bristling. "Maybe I am a selfish bitch, and maybe I'll never be half the leader your father was, but I'm fucking trying. It's not my fault he left me with no one," she growls.

"go find her then, Cas."

he listened, his face inches from hers, eyes blazing into her own. "he didn't leave you with no one. there's Dante and Oss and now Dee. sorry you inherited a pack of Lasher's relatives, Aria January. hm. a dead Mayfair leaves behind a pack of ... Mayfairs. hm. FUCKING INTERESTING!" Cas shouted back at her. "i'm not sure how Rowan's pregnant ass was 'walking all over you.' that's some sort of insecure bullshit right there. and sure, Connie is on your side, for whatever stupid fucking reason. but i bet Dee isn't, and if Em was here, she wouldn't be either."

he turned to step away then, but something occurred in his mind, and he whirled back to face her. "you know what's really fuckin' hilarious? you could have been a Mayfair too," Cas snapped, feeling a twinge of pain over the desperate fling they'd once had, and he glared at Aria, sides heaving with the force of his anger. "kicking Mayfairs out, especially ones carrying the kids of Lasher, isn't trying. it's you being an ass because you're threatened by the family. marry Connie. maybe then you'll see," he spat.

"That's not what I meant, Casmir!" She yells but doesn't bother explaining. It's useless, he never fucking listens. He yells something else, but it's drown out by his next, petty comment. She quiets, her teeth clenching with force as she tries her hardest not to rip his other ear off. When he finally shuts up, Aria speaks. 

"Why the fuck do you always have to bring that up? Like why do you have to pretend like you didn't love me too-- like somehow it was one sided and everything that happened was solely my fault?" She snaps, her tail lashing. 

"And fuck off. If you care so little about our past why does it bug you so much that I'm with other guys? Its not like I've been romantically involved with anyone since you," she adds. The conversation had turned away from the original topic-- as always-- but at least she's turned it against him.

"are you fucking kidding me!" the boy snarled. "how many times did I beg you? how many times did we talk and go back and forth and back and forth. i'm full fucking aware of what went on, thanks." he could not help but roll his eyes at her next words. "i couldn't give a shit less who on earth you fuck, Aria," he laughed mirthlessly -- only that was a lie, because he certainly would have cared to know who her very first lover was -- "and this isn't even about that."

he was surprised to know she hadn't been in a relationship since him, but wasn't about to let her psych him out. "this is about you being an asshole to Rowan. why can't you be happy for her? you all loved Lasher, right? everyone did. why not be happy she's gonna have his kids? more people for your pack? shit, i am. goody for Donnelaith. yay," he mutters coldly. "you're in this alone because you're determined to be alone. let Dee rule. fucking promote Connie. don't play the victim card and stop kicking people out of this pack for no goddamn good reason."

He turned it back, and she grumbled something beneath her breathe. Tired of arguing-- as always-- she just shook her head. "Fine Casmir. Whatever. I'm a selfish bitch with no talent in the leadership position. I fucking got it, okay? Constantine went with Rowan. He's trying to find her somewhere to live-- I didn't send her out to fend for herself completely," she says, muttering the last part. 

"If you're done yelling at me, you're welcome to call for whatever other family member you wanted to visit," she adds, shooting him a glare. She wants to tell him how he abandoned Donnelaith-- that he has no right coming her and telling her what she's done wrong. She knows what she's done, she doesn't need some asshole of an ex repeating it to her. "I'm sick of yelling At you," she adds.

"i never even said that -- god!" he snarled, exasperated to no end by her seeming insistence on being dense as hell. "i've been done talking to you. you kept it going," he added coolly. he was surprised and not surprised Constantine had gone with Rowan; he seemed like the type to be all gentlemanly like that when in reality he was a dickhead. it's not like helping the chick find another home would make up for the fact she'd been kicked out of her home for no good fucking reason.

"thanks for permission. i won't come to your borders again. the only person i really want to see is Dee, and i can call to her from a distance." Casmir met Aria's eyes with a cold expression, though, as always following their fights, regret had begun to seep into his spirit. "good luck."

with that he set off, back stiff with anger, to go beyond the redwoods where he would call for his sister.

and maybe take her home to the Creek too.

"Fine, Cas," Aria muttered, and watches as he moves past her into the territory. She had nothing more to say, but felt even worse than she had the hour prior. Leave it to Casmir. With a wounded pride, donnelaiths Queen began back towards the heart of the territory, taking a different route than the Mayfair boy had.