Ouroboros Spine akiguk ∺

@Zane!

the day wore on.

there was no sound from the mountain.

kukutux breathed in the clean scent of snow. her hobbling gait took her along rocks with their cloaks of lichen. medicinal perhaps, but it would require further observation.

today was the final day. dusk had not yet come, but each second that passed filled the duck with more pain.

To his credit, Zane did do his part.  He was not the type to go above and beyond, but the things he caught, he shared a part of.

Once he was fed, of course.  How could he keep hunting if he didn't feed himself?

 Currently he was carrying a scraggly bird.  It was a pretty pitiful snag, but hey, it was food.  He was looking to bury it with a few other things when he crossed the woman's path.  He didn't even know her name, but then again, she hadn't exactly asked his.

You eaten today? he asked, dropping the bird and cocking his head to her.  He didn't catch her mood initially and instead was pretty focused on the task at hand.

she did not answer, but her tone was not unkind. "you have stayed in this place." an observation that begged an answer. kukutux let her eyes fall to the bird he had brought, nosing along her mending break. it was not easy to capture a thing with feathers. it was hunting that demanded more patience. an elk might be run to a close. a bird could take to the sky and be gone in a breath.

"it is a good catch," the moondrop said when she raised her head again. he had kept whatever word made the first day. "i am kukutux."

Indeed Zane had, against his better judgement.  He might've lied about it, but the truth actually might benefit him a little.  Toss a little heat that other dude's way, see how he liked it.

Yeah.  What's-his-face seemed pretty steamed about me sticking around, basically told me to get the fuck outta dodge.  So I figured I'd stay, see what you made of it.  He gave her a small, shit-eating grin, then pushed the bird towards her.  She hadn't exactly answered the question.

All of these years and he hadn't changed, and likely time would continue to run past without much effect.  He got a name out of her, which was a definite win in his books, and he couldn't help but think about what he'd considered before.  She's gonna choose me, he decided, though he had never in a million years landed a wolf like her before.  Zane's type trended towards loose, uncomplicated, and young.

Zane.  Worst part of joinin any new pack is proving to a new group of strangers you aren't worthless.  You really think a face like mine would lie?  He winked, not realizing it undercut the sincerity of the motion a little.  Look, it hadn't been her who implied it, but if she was puttin shit-dick in charge she'd need to keep it in mind.  He had about as much charm as a wet weasel stuck in a log.

raimo. the man's mention solidified an amorphous thought that had come to kukutux' head, and one rooted in her perception of self. through the past many days her body had forgotten the awakening it had come to upon the mountain. now as she healed, her skin had begun to remember. 

the thought stirred and worried kukutux; her jadestone gaze tightened a moment, but the ripple passed as she watched zane for a long moment. he did indeed have a face that would tell falsehoods. but it was also a face that had a untameable air about it, both wild and uncultured hunters. a wave of her pale plume. 

"you have shown me that you have worth. now i wish to hear of where you came from." he knew of her origin, and that she was bereft. kukutux had come to claim his own story in repayment.

Well shit.  Not much to tell, he answered carelessly.  He hadn't had a home for a good many years now.  Last place I stuck around long enough to 'come from' was my parents' place, back home.  That was a hell of a time ago.  He could barely recall exactly, though he remembered them well enough.  They'd been getting old and grey, might not even be alive anymore.  Zane wasn't one to dwell - they were probably fine.

My pops and I didn't agree on much, but ma was a real one.  Things didn't get interesting till after I left them behind, became my own kinda wolf.  He gave a little huff, then eyed her.  Unless you wanna be here all day, though, probably want to narrow it down.  I got an impressive number of chapters in my life story.

Most of them different variations on the same old tune, but don't fix what ain't broke.

kukutux flicked a pale ear; the pair of them twitched in a quiet curiosity. he had left home and had not been back. he had become his own self, and yet the duck suspected none of his moons held stories of a wife or the family he had begun. she did not understand, for it was sought after when a hunter had grown bored of the eternal pursuit, and wished to spend more time alone. 

"when will you put down your own roots?" she inquired suddenly. she thought of the barter that she had thought raimo might exact, and wondered if zane waited for the same. a gesture to the sprawling land. "make this another chapter."

Zane shook his head.  He had never much understood why wolves were so quick to settle in one spot, or why they assumed he was unhappy livin life free and easy.  Sure, occasionally the road got lonely, but he had zero regrets on bouncing from any of the places he'd jetted out of.  It was nice not owing any wolf shit; even here, he'd joined on his own terms.  He'd wanted a guarantee that he wouldn't be booted before spring, but when he hadn't even gotten that, it just meant he really didn't have to pay em back.

Gotta have roots in the first place.  Shit, wait.  Less you're sayin you want me to stick around?  Most chicks were pretty down on the whole "no strings" mantra, and usually he didn't drop that till he was out the door.  I never say never.  He smiled in a way that was definitely meant to be playfully challenging, inwardly congratulating himself for the recovery.  He was going to have to watch his mouth with her - something about the way she talked threw off his usual game.  Probably the fucking accent.

kukutux appraised zane for a long moment. she knew it was unseemly of her to look upon a man so directly, but her husband was not present. thus the duck must treat such a meeting as if she had invited a trader to eat at her ulaq. but what did this man have to trade? a flare of her obsidian nostrils.

bartering was more than trinkets or meat. it was for moral reasons that one sought a trade, to right some wrong or trade something greater for what you might have before disregarded. was there appreciation in him? she saw nothing of that; he did not want to be beholden, not even to the land that gave them life.

"if i say 'you should stay in this place, zane,' what is this meaning of this to you?" she wanted hunters for their village. he wished to be seen by all but had not discerned himself in the way that raimo had done. her eyes were watchful.

He had no idea in hell what it meant, and even the question confused him.  The confident look faltered as he was surprised into having to actually think about it for a hot second.  What was she talking about?

The question didn't make sense, and he couldn't squeeze any out of it.  It meant she'd asked him to stay.  It meant exactly what it said.  Was he supposed to read her fuckin mind and figure out why she'd said it?  Baffled, he shrugged.  It wasn't a statement he'd ever received sincerely before, so maybe it was some weird pack thing that he just didn't gel with.  The purpose of the challenge was to make it mean something to her, but she'd turned it on him and he was a little at a loss for how to respond.

An awkwardly long moment passed while gears ground slowly in his head.  The obvious answer was 'nothing', but fuck if he was going to say that.  He didn't have to be a genius to know that was a shit answer.  Look, why did it matter?  She wasn't askin, and like usual, the charm was just a stepping stone.  Look, I aint got the foggiest fuckin clue what that means.  He finally said, shaking his head.  Better than nothing at least.

Felt like he should say something after, too, but he was startin to wonder what exactly this woman's deal was.  Look, Zane had met two types of girls in his lifetime; the ones who told him to gtfo and the ones who didn't.  In either case, he'd never stuck around for any of them to try and 'figure' him out.  He didn't have friends, didn't have much use for self-evaluation, and was definitely twitchy beneath her attention now.

the jaunty expression faded from zane's face, as kukutux had intended. she was silent, appraising him. "it means i wish you to remain in this place," she told him solemnly, "but do not stay because i have done the asking of you. stay because it is a desire of your own." it was not the first time, she felt, that the man had alluded to wishing to be told to stay, or expecting that she had decided his tasks for him.

"i will give you a second name. pilannulik. 'knife that cuts bitter grass.'" was this what he wished? the moonbow forged ahead. "it means you have a place that lasts as long as your hunting. and that as hunter, you have the respect of this woman." the words, foreign now, a greeting from long ago.

it must not be so.

she kept firm, searching zane, for she was not sure that even he knew what it was he wished. freedom. a home. to be asked to stay. all conflicting; his face wished to be a casual one but his demeanour was not. she would know the truth.

So he wasn't an idiot, it just really was that stupid of a question.  Zane's brow creased as she explained that it meant exactly what it said and his tail twitched, once, with annoyance.  Fucking shit, why was she going to ask him to explain something when she knew damn well it wasn't any deeper than that?  Felt a bit like she was toying with him, tryin to catch him in something, and he wasn't used to the one being on this end of that.  Not like this.

Usually when chicks toyed with him, it was like that broad back on the mountain had.  Lure him in, then sic some boyfriend after him to fuck him up so they could laugh about it and talk up the other dude.  Made them feel special, or some shit?  He didn't know.  This was different.

Told you already, I only stay where I want.  Just easier when there's at least someone who isn't waitin for you to leave.  He answered, relaxing some and slipping back into casual.  Just like before, what she was saying made very little sense, but there were a few important parts to pick up.  He was here to hunt (cool, he could do that, whatever) and he had her respect.  Respect?  Alright.

Long as I don't have to remember or pronounce it, you can call me whatever the hell you want.  He answered finally, smiling.  Look, maybe she didn't make any sense to him, and maybe she wigged him out a little, but that didn't mean he wasn't still fine cozying up to her.  She was right about one thing, though - Zane didn't have a single fucking clue what he wanted.  He lived life by the day, followed his whims, and never made plans further than the night.  He could choose to leave tomorrow, or the next day, or even the next.  It never mattered.

i laugh till i cry

kukutux was certain that their paths had diverged, for she meant to be direct, and he did not understand her attempt to honor him. it did not provide offense to the duck, however; her mother had told her well of the thick mud between the ears of many men. it was why zane did not understand. it was why raimo had expected a barter. 

she gathered herself closer together, forcing stone into the line of her back though the leg throbbed with pain. some part of her wished to continue with more idle talk, but the greater sum of kukutux felt as though zane wore a rock shell and she had begun to pry it off.

an intuition she chose not to engage; she lifted her head.

there were two circles already upon the land. that of mother and daughter, and that of hunters. kukutux had no hand in the latter. it felt as though zane thought of himself more as trader, to bring meat until one day he did not, to be seen until one day he was not, to be heard until one day he had decided not to return. it was a fine life for a man who wished no kinship ties. yet such bonds had been integral always in the mind of the duck.

"if your hunter's eyes see something i must know, then come to me, pilannulik," she said softly, with no hostile inflection. but it was a seeking look all the same that kukutux gave zane before she turned, moving slowly back toward the ulaq if he said no more words.

XD <3

Zane caught the look, but read nothing in it, and watched as she got up to go.  He frowned.  This interaction hadn't turned out at all in his favor, and he couldn't shake some weird sensation her words had caused.  Look, that's a chick's mind, right?  Go too deep, get yourself fuckin lost.  He wasn't looking for an identity crisis today, so he didn't try to push the issue.  He could check in with her later, try a different angle, and see if that would let him turn the game back on her.

Alright.  Take care, duchess.  He tossed the title after her retreating form, mostly because she talked like she owned have the wilds, but also a little because he'd already forgotten her name.  Kuka.... yeah.  Duchess fit better than somethin that sounded like a deranged bird made it up.

Next time he'd be ready for whatever confusing shit she tried to pull.  For now, he'd go seek out something a little simpler to wrap his head around.