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+--- Thread: King Elk Forest oh, i just can't wait to be king! (/showthread.php?tid=25041)
oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - January 22, 2018
The morning was moving much too slowly for Queenie's taste. She'd decided to take a break from marking for the day, though with all of this newfound free time, she had no idea how to occupy herself. There was little left to be seen or to explore and no one else in the pack who she really cared to know (or who cared to know her, either). After a few lazy naps and boredom walks, Queenie finally found herself wandering back to the border as the last resort.
So much for a day off.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - January 24, 2018
thank you for starting! :3
he's worried, what else is new, with their fluctuating headcounts. he can't do much about it so after bringing @Mato a fresh rabbit to share amongst the rochester vigil (and a lucky sprig of mint he found, remembering that the taste was good when anatha taught him about it -- agh, anatha, come back to us) he makes his way to the borders for a restless patrol. with queenie and troy (and nathaniel, come to think of it), he knows he isn't needed for patrols much these days but frankly there's a limited amount of things for him to do right now. in the heart of winter it feels as if a heavy blanket has been pressed over them, keeping things still until ... he doesn't know. until mato comes back to the fore. until burke dies - but that feels too callous to think.
he misses sunflower, a bit. she was good at not doing anything. maybe he should look for those mushrooms she talked about.
delight doesn't dwell on that line of thought, spotting queenie on the same path as he. "hey," the morwinyon greets as he makes his way to her. "how are you?"
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - January 25, 2018
Queenie looked over her shoulder to see who had called out to her, finding none other than Delight. She hadn't spoken to him much (if at all) since joining Tindómë, nor had she really wanted to; she didn't have any intentions of building relationships with folks she didn't care to know longer than she needed to. Nonetheless, she put on a grin and stopped for a moment to call back,
She started moving again, figuring he would catch up to her if he really wanted to pursue a conversation, before stopping to mark a large stone half-draped in white.
Hey.
She started moving again, figuring he would catch up to her if he really wanted to pursue a conversation, before stopping to mark a large stone half-draped in white.
I guess I'm alright, she answered,
I've just been doing my work.There was nothing else that she was interested in doing; while she was a member of this pack, she didn't want to be seen a freeloader, but she also wasn't jumping on her heels to feel like a part of some family. Queenie had stayed to herself and been pleased when others did the same.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - January 26, 2018
he catches up and falls into step alongside her, expression interested. their conversation at the border when she'd joined had been pretty short (he wonders if he should be more... interrogative or something, but really, he doesn't have the patience), and he guess he can't complain that she's still fairly businesslike about the whole thing. she is doing her work, after all -- finally filling the absence of trajan, which makes it easier to let go of that sting.
"cool," delight says, "i appreciate it." he looks away for a moment, thinking, and then says, "so where'd you come from, anyway?" with his usual degree of irreverency.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - January 26, 2018
It might not have seemed like it, but Delight's question was a loaded one. Queenie continued trotting on in silence, her mind running through each of the different responses she could give, before finally settling on,
But maybe pleasing Daddy Bruce was exactly what she needed to get out of the habit of doing, especially considering that he was nowhere near earshot. A long way from here, Queenie had said, but that seemed like an understatement.
East, a long way from here.Daddy Bruce wouldn't have wanted her going any further, and that (paired with her general uninterest in doing so) was enough motivation to stop her while she was ahead.
But maybe pleasing Daddy Bruce was exactly what she needed to get out of the habit of doing, especially considering that he was nowhere near earshot. A long way from here, Queenie had said, but that seemed like an understatement.
I had a big family. My dad was involved in some unsavory business so I left.Not quite the full story, but enough to make her feel proud of herself.
Where d'you come from?An eye for an eye, she figured.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - January 31, 2018
her answer is vague at first, and he wonders if she doesn't want to be pushed -- but then she adds more and it begins to make more sense. though what unsavory business entails delight can only guess at. he wants to know more immediately but has the barest minimum tact and so keeps his mouth shut until she questions him in return.
well, fair enough. "very far north," he says, "by a set of mountains. but the place is long gone now. avalanche." only months ago the story was impossible to share, lodged in his throat, but time has eased the sting of his losses. "s'why i took up being a historian for tindómë," he adds absently, glancing at her.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - February 02, 2018
Queenie took in the information with a sound of interest, then paused to sniff at a nearby tree trunk. There was another scent there, one that she didn't quite like, so she marked on top of it, wondering just who it had belonged to. Assuming Delight had stopped to wait for her, Queenie walked back over to where she'd left him and motioned for the him to start walking again.
I never liked the winter but I've always hated the snow, personally, she added, wondering if he would be able to relate,
I like springtime. Everyone's happy, there's new babies everywhere, and most of the time, it isn't nearly as cold as it is now.Thanks to her plush coat, Queenie's body wasn't too affected by the wind chill, but her nose was constantly numb!
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - February 05, 2018
"i was born in the snow," delight tells her with a faint grin, "i mean -- not literally, but i've always liked it." it occurs to him that his birthday must be soon, though of course he can't discern the exact date. two years old and look at him, the most miserable, mismatched morwinyon. and a year ago he was still in his family's pack, oblivious to everything about to go down.
ugh, but, anyway. "spring is nice enough," he agrees. "too bad we won't have any babies around here this time." delight always thought tindómë's first spring would herald the arrival of brienne and mato's kids, but since that's gone, and there's no other mated pairs.. unless someone has a surprise for him (or decides to throw themselves at his feet - though, uh, that's a can of worms he's not ready to deal with), he's pretty sure there'll be no new puppies for him to pass on their legacy to. oh, well. it's a little bit of a disappointment, he has to admit, but he's tentatively hopeful that they'll get to have some next year.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - February 05, 2018
There was a short lapse in conversation while Queenie thought, her lips pursed and eyes wide. Babies were great, sure, but a part of her was glad they wouldn't be expecting any this close to home. After all, for the first few weeks, all that they did was cry and crawl and make cranky sons-of-bitches out of their parents.
Motherhood had never looked particularly appetizing to the young girl; all of the mothers she had ever known had become too overwhelmed by the lifestyle to ever stay long enough for Queenie to know what their love would have been like.
It's still early in the season, Queenie decided,
Maybe something'll come up, or someone will get knocked up. Life is a little unpredictable like that, y'know?This year would be her first year cycling through her heat and oh, how she prayed she wouldn't be trapped with any unwanted pups.
Back in the day, Queenie would joke with her friends about being moms and how they planned to raise their children, but now that it could actually happen, she found it to be a lot less humorous.
You don't want any?
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - February 06, 2018
this is definitely not the direction he anticipated this conversation going, and he can't help but squirm slightly. she's not wrong at least. it is early enough in the season that someone can surprise him, though he hadn't really thought about it beyond his own love triangle. (actually, more pressingly: does mato want kids? not that they're dating - ha, no, of course not, they're nothing and will never be anything even if delight feels dangerously close to the precipice -- but it's something to obsess over think about.)
"maybe," he says, looking away self consciously. "i think i - i mean i'm mostly not into women, but i know - alternative arrangements, and all of that." ahem. he looks back at her with a small sigh, and admits, "i hadn't really thought about it in regards to myself, honestly." it isn't such a bad thought, he has to admit, but ... there's so many other variables, he has no idea how to feel about it at all. "what about you?" he lobs back because fair is fair and also he doesn't want to keep talking about his sexuality and lack of sex life, god.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - February 06, 2018
The admission of Delight's aversion to women peeked Queenie's interest. She turned to him and cocked her head, wondering if he would elaborate. If she was seen as rude, it wasn't intentional, as none of Queenie's ignorance was by choice. Daddy Bruce had only shown her one way, and though she'd accepted that as truth so long as she accepted him as an idol to be worshipped, he was gone, and she wanted to know what other truths were out there.
Queenie laughed, wondering just what he meant by "alternative arrangements".
What's that?she asked with a giggle,
I never knew'd you could make deals on babies.Back at home, an alternative arrangement meant, You can't bring me what I asked for on time so you want an extension? How about you do what I asked or I knock ya' fucking block, got it?
You're running the show around here, it's normally your type that gets all serious about breeding and such.In her experience, if you weren't the leader, you kept it to yourself.
I'm not cut out to be a mother, I don't think. I'm sure I would be great at lovin' 'em and treating 'em all nice, but I don't have enough patience. I never had a mother to show me how to do it.No brothers, no aunts; only one cold, mean, hard-headed Grann.
I think I'd do it if I found someone who was good for me, who I knew would treat me and my family right. I don't wanna be one of those girls who gets stuck laying with some man who walks all over her for the sake of her kids, a pause,
Nah, it couldn't be me.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - February 06, 2018
she doesn't go running screaming into the night, and oh, it occurs to delight that it's the first time he's admitted he's gay out loud beyond the scope of discussing his feelings for mato with brienne. she also doesn't seem to exactly get it but, well, beggars can't be choosers. "like -- if i had a boyfriend and we wanted kids, working out a deal with a girl to be a surrogate and carry the pups for us. or if i wanted kids but didn't have a mate and there was a girl who wanted kids too and didn't want a mate, that sort of thing."
he can't help but snort at 'your type' -- yeah, he guesses to the wolves of tindómë he's just their leader, not the knight who took up for his prince. deep down, delight knows he's not really a leader. at least in the conventional sense -- tindómë's doing pretty okay under his reign but he's never gonna wear authority completely right. and he doesn't really consider himself the legacy for tindómë. that's the rochester line. ha, maybe he can track down ivy and sack up with her, how's that for an arrangement.
queenie doesn't think of herself as the motherly type, it seems, and quietly delight thinks, same. "i get that," he says out loud, "i mean, i'm interested in building a legacy for us here, but i don't know if i'm very fatherly. i'm kind of selfish if i'm being honest." if he had kids, he couldn't free float after mato anymore. they'd have to come first, the way tindómë is supposed to come first (but secretly doesn't). plus he'd have to look out for the mother unless she was a super independent type. "maybe we can steal one of the king elk's kids and raise it like a wolf," he jokes, glancing out over the lines of this pack of his and trying to imagine the pitter patter of tiny paws (or hooves). a second generation. it's a bad idea, and yet.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - February 06, 2018
While Delight replied, Queenie broke off to see if she could detect the source of a strange sound in the distance. Initially, it didn't seem to mean trouble, but one could never be sure; she stood watching for a moment with her eyes thin and her teeth bared, if only to show their tips. Once she decided that it was more likely a lone hare than a wolf, she allowed herself to join Delight's side once more.
I think that would be nice, being a surrogate, I mean. I'd just have to make sure I wasn't giving my kids up to any wierdos or freaks, Queenie laughed. The prospect of experiencing pregnancy without the responsibility of children afterward seemed enticing, though this was all banter. She had no idea what it might be like once ifs became real.
She nodded her head in agreement; it was rare that Queenie ever admitted any of her negative qualities aloud, but it seemed that tonight would be an evening of confessions.
My brothers used to tease me that I was too bitter and full of myself for my own good. They'd make jokes about me needing to settle down so a man could humble me.If there was anything in this world that could humble Miss St. Clair, a man was surely not it.
An elk can't be a wolf anymore than a creek can be a tree. Imagine that, ha!
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - February 07, 2018
his ears flick back as she darts ahead, pausing with one paw raised daintily, and boy, it's good they got some muscle around here, because if anyone ever tried to tip delight over he'd go down like a bundle of sticks. whatever threat he's expecting doesn't materialize and they continue walking, delight absorbing the information she provides easily. he'd sounded more confident than he felt, before, and her agreement with the concept bolsters him a little. enough that he feels comfortable enough to joke around with her.
"pssh," the androgyne snorts, "you don't seem bitter to me, and believe me, i know bitter." it may have been a while since he's been able to retire to the sweep for his weekly sulks but he knows deep down he is an ugly little creature who doesn't deserve anything he's got. "your brothers sound kinda like jerks," he adds as an after thought, his gaze switching to watch her face, check if he's overstepping or not.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - February 07, 2018
The comment might have been a bit risque, but it did nothing to phase Queenie. She snorted and licked her chops,
They were.Their entire lives had been spent competing for Dady Bruce's favor, and once they'd concluded that they would never win against her, things got ugly.
Remember when I mentioned the family business earlier?she asked with her head cocked and eyes trained,
They wanted to take over and I wouldn't let them.
Queenie had never been too keen on taking over, but of all the things in the world, there was one that she was sure of: if the family name fell into the hands of the boys, it would be the end of a legacy. So, to keep that from happening, she did all that she could to keep them out of power, sometimes getting her paws a little dirty in the process.
That's why they call me Queenie, 'cause I've always been in charge.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - February 10, 2018
the comment is rewarded with another detail from her past - a treasure for the nosy little historian. the more he walks with the merc, the more he finds he enjoys her company; she reminds him a little of sunflower, however shortlived that friendship had been, except queenie seems to be on his level instead of dancing above his head. the morwinyon snorts a little when she explains her name and says, "yeah, i get that impression." delight's almost a little jealous of her apparant assertiveness, given his own ego is as fragile as a sapling in the wind. almost being the key word - said ego is at the moment upright and doin' okay, thank you. he does want more details, though. "what was the family business?" the androgyne pries, ears flicked forward attentively, hoping to get some juicy details out of her.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - February 10, 2018
Well, Queenie began with a sigh,
my father, sorta known as Daddy Bruce, had a monopoly over the territory we'd been living in. Only issue was, he wasn't the only one who thought ownership was his.This was the first time she'd ever spoken about the business aloud, and though it was nerve-wracking, she knew that it had to be done.
There were no packs, not like there are here, but we had families — you were in the right family, you lived at the top. The wrong family, and well...Queenie sucked in her teeth and cocked her head, figuring Delight got the message. It was only the tip of the iceberg, but it was enough for Delight to get the gist. Should he keep digging, there were more than enough stories waiting to be told, but not freely; some prodding would need to be done.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - February 12, 2018
delight bites down on a kinky, instead says, "everyone called him daddy bruce?" as the image of some dark, burly man creeps into his mind. the story she paints calls to mind fog-blanketed corridors and shady dealings, fascinating and so different from anything he's known. though, yeah, understandable why she might not wanna keep involved with that. "so you were gonna take over that," he guesses, "why'd you decide to leave?" she doesn't seem like the morally upright type - not that she seems unscrupulous, exactly, but more like him: selfish, morally flexible (or at least that's what he tells himself because the truth is he's much more boring than he'd like to admit).
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - February 13, 2018
The comment was expected, so Queenie didn't take it as seriously as she might have under other circumstances.
Yeah, she breathed,
'cause he was the father of our family. Since that made us his kids, we called him Daddy.It made sense, really, even if it was a bit strange. Imagining the wolves he used to keep around calling him Daddy! and nothing more was a strange image; one that she didn't want to think about any longer than she had to.
My brothers tried to take me out. They turned Daddy Bruce against me, and the whole family, by extension, so I had to leave.It didn't mean she had given up, though.
The whole thing still belongs to me, though. I could very well start it up again right here in the Wilds.Queenie planned to, eventually, but now that she actually had the chance, getting up the resources was a lot more difficult than she had planned for.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - February 17, 2018
daddy. heh. he bites down on a snicker and nods, doing his very best to listen with a serious expression. family politics, huh. yikes. an eyebrow shoots up as she casually drops the idea of 'starting it up' again. "thinking of usurping me?" he asks casually, "or just ditching me?"
he pauses. "i'm kidding," delight hastily adds as an afterthought. he's not exactly kidding, he doesn't like being left, but no need to get into his abandonment issues with the girl he barely knows (yet). save that for the second date, delight.
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - RIP Stephanie - February 20, 2018
Trying to reach some sort of conclusion, feel free to fade!
Oh, so he has a sense of humor! Queenie nudged Delight just hard enough to (hopefully) send him stumbling a few steps away while she playfully trotted ahead.
Either or, she replied, turning over her shoulder with a devilish grin,
As long as I win.It was meant to be taken as the joke it was, but to some degree, the statement was true. Power was the one thing she was willing to risk it all for, regardless of the consequences.
But more on that later.
I think I could use a meal, Queenie told Del with a sigh, hoping he would understand the hidden message: Wanna go for a hunt?
RE: oh, i just can't wait to be king! - Ariel - February 20, 2018
delight singing-sunlight, the least power-hungry being in the teekons, just blinks, not sure whether she's continuing the joke or being serious. her nudge sends him tumbling slightly, catching himself and shrugging it off. she's just goofing around with him, probably, and if not -- well, it won't be the first time someone's come crashing through his life impermanently.
more importantly -- "me too," he agrees, and trots to catch up to her before they head back into the forest in search of an easy bite.