Wolf RPG

He found himself backtracking, not quite retracing his steps (because fuck that weird forest and that weird guy he'd met there) but nonetheless returning the way he'd come. It was a first. He'd had a policy since leaving The Gilded Sea: never the same place twice. He meant to turn every stone, cross the whole world if it meant finding Ophelia.
Something about Moonglow was distracting him, though. He told himself it was Moonglow anyway; that Shikoba had left such an impression that the pack was burned into his mind. Yeah. It was definitely that. He trudged through the snowy field and wondered what he would do when he got there. Maybe he would bring a gift, ask if they'd heard or seen anything since his last visit. It hadn't been very long though; he didn't think they would have any information, and why ask if he knew the answer? Maybe he would ask about what's-his-face...
No. No, that was a bad idea.

kivaluk spent majority of his morning tracking a doe and her injured fawn; cast out of their herd with a savageness that surprised him a bit, thinking that if he could separate the fawn from it's mother that the soft spotted fur would be a nice addition to his bride price collection.

or bride dowry, as he decided since nasamik had told it to him, that he liked that term better.

kivaluk does not rush to follow them to their destination, keeping a keen nose to their scent; thus when he comes across a familiar scent upon the air he adjusts his course so that their paths cross.

last he knew, the golden hued man was searching for his sister.

when he comes into view, kivaluk lets out a low chuff.

What the fuck. Was that him?
It was him. Tybault cursed under his breath, but dude was already greeting him as if they were friends or something. They didn't even know each other's names. Why was this happening to him?
Hey, Tybault said, trying to play it cool. I was just... He blinked, remembering just how distracting this guy was. Passing through. Uh. What are you tracking this time? That sounded normal enough, didn't it? That sounded like something a guy who doesn't get weirdly distracted by other guys would say, for sure.

still looking for your sister? kivaluk asks conversationally. he won't pry if the other doesn't want to dive into how his search was going. it had been the other's driving force, even the last time kivaluk had seen him: at moonglow's borders despite that kivaluk had been a shadow to shikoba's presence. he hadn't really interefered: it had been a combination of patrol and his own curiousity.

he wants to say that he leaves moonglow for more than tracking but ...that wasn't entirely true, now that he thinks about it. for what it was worth: when he wasn't hunting he was pretty much a homebody.

an injured fawn and it's mother. kivaluk offers in response.

He brought up Ophelia, and Tybault had to resist the urge to bristle. It wasn't really any of his business, and if he thought that Tybault was giving up, he was wrong. They were all wrong.
But it was easier to let that slide and talk about tracking instead. Tybault laughed when he said he was after a fawn. Bit fucked up, isn't it? He said, picturing the reverse in his mind: a buck hunting an injured wolf pup and its mother. It was a ridiculous mental image, but he imagined it could be sad if one took it seriously. So it was a little fucked up. Not that I'm judging. Circle of life and all. You ever wonder what it would be like to be on the other side, though? He hadn't always thought of things like that, but Ophelia was gone now, and he sort of missed that kind of idle speculation. He wasn't very good at it, but the attempt made him feel less lonely.

at first, kivaluk does not follow the golden man's thought path, feeling his brow furrow in defensive confusion at the sudden question. before kivaluk can ask for clarification he receives it and takes a moment to process it.

in truth? no, he never put himself in the place of prey.

it feels like a lot to unpack and not something kivaluk was entirely interested in doing.

no. i am an apex predator and they are prey. he wonders if it comes across as close-minded but he sees no sense in playing devil's advocate nor in developing sympathies for his natural prey. but if it soothes your conscious any i'm sure taking down that injured fawn is a kindness. better me than another predator that might allow it to suffer. i ensure their deaths are quick, with no to minimal suffering. i have no interest in playing with my food.

Tybault had to resist the urge to laugh pretty much the whole time tracker dude was talking. He just stood there, looking vaguely amused as he watched him justify himself. He didn't consider himself particularly introspective; how could he, when he'd grown up surrounded by a bunch of moody self-absorbed artsy types? But damn, he thought, way to resist even the smallest hint of self-examination.
Sounds great. What's your name, anyway? He really needed something to call this guy. And he was trying not to laugh at him, honest.

i am kivaluk. the hunter offers at the question, feeling a building awkwardness again. though kivaluk had always considered himself more social — at least between himself and akkuma — he cannot quite wrap his mind around why, this second time too, he is met with a prolonging awkwardness.

well, kivaluk draws in a breath. i should get back to tracking. he doesn't mean to sound as dismissive as he assumes he does. but he wants to keep up with the herd before they get too far ahead of him.

with a sheepish grin, he leaves the goldkissed to his own devices to resume tracking.