like a black widow

Weird first post is weird. xP

After his joining conversation with Scimitar, Nefairous parted ways with the Creek's alpha with the intention of exploring his new home. The Shaman Apprentice took his tour slow, attempting to imprint specific landmarks to the mental map he was attempting to make in his mind. It would take a few weeks to entirely become settled into the life of this pack, being vastly different then Akkuma, Nefarious could only help but assume. At least, at the inauguration of his acceptance as Sigma into Swiftcurrent Creek there had been no mention of faith, deities or loa. Taking for that what Nefarious would, he assumed that he would be alone in his practices, which wasn't something he was overly concerned about. Despite that, if he was caught in the middle of his practices it might rise suspicion, or cause him to lose his place within their ranks. It wasn't something that he necessarily wanted. Winter was coming and he did not realistically believe that he could survive it as a loner. Not without taking a massive hit to his health, and starving wasn't at the height of his list of things-to-do. He'd know great hunger once (despite that it'd only been a few days) — and though the memory was extremely fuzzy, being so long ago, Nefarious remembered it well enough to know that he didn't want to ever know hunger again. He did not take for granted each meal that he ate at the expense of another's life because of his remembrance — never mind that his childish brain at the time had likely over-exaggerated his need greatly.

Eyes of pumpkin orange lowered to the ground as Nefarious paused in his tour to take in the scents of his pack mates, combined by the sharp tang of the forest, the sweet scent of autumn, fading as it was to the crisp, sterile scent of winter as it bore down upon them like a hurricane on the cusp of the shoreline. Nefarious knew that it would be good to acquaint himself with his fellow pack mates, and to take the initiative of picking a “trade” which he assumed was another word for Co-Rank and focusing his attention upon attempting to earn it, shifting his priorities only slightly to accommodate what was expected of him from the Creek's leadership. It was too bad, Nefarious considered, that he was not able to pursue a trade that was better suited to his additional talents as a Shaman initiative. Even so, he would work to appease Atka and Sos upon his own time, figuring that balancing both couldn't be that hard, or that different from what he did in Akkuma.

Kaede hadn't mingled much since joining, instead focusing on getting the lay of the land under his paws initially. Now he found himself craving some company, likely a result of coming from a large family. He had not often been alone. Even a few months as a loner hadn't changed this fact.

It seemed that most were busy with other tasks, and Kaede was loathe to bother then for his own personal purposes. He was not so self important to feel they owed him such, especially not yet as he hadn't earned the courtesy. He did spy one fellow who did not seem as preoccupied and decided an introduction would be proper. So far he only knew two packmates.

"こんにちは. Rather, greetings. I am Kaede. Who is it that I have the pleasure of encountering?" With more use he was slipping more easily into the common language of these parts, for he had used it back home as well, just not as often. On his wanderings he had spoken to himself a bit (when none were around, it would not do to be seen as crazy so soon into his joining) and now no longer had to pause to recall the proper wording nearly as often.

Thanks for joining! <3 Every time I type "master" all I can think of is Star Wars (like how they have Jedi/Sith Masters/Apprentices) lol. /random

Pumpkin orange eyes remained focus upon his path, knowing only that he was heading into the heart of the territory, each step taking him further away from the scent markers of the borders; but in all reality he had no idea where he was going, running off the basis of the knowledge that this direction should see him into the deep of Swiftcurrent Creek. It was there that he intended to find a den and begin a poison and medicinal cache, an likely a collection of bones to use as talismans. The young Shaman was almost glad that he had no intentions of settling down with a mate and potential children and all that good stuff for any time soon. It wasn't something that Nefarious really thought of, despite that he had reached his sexual maturity earlier in the year. In a pack where his passion for voodoo and shamanism was widely accepted (and sought after) it was much easier to think about the prospects of mate-ship. Wolves feared what they couldn't understand, Nefarious had came to find out early in life, through the teachings of Suluk and Nefarious' later Voodoo Master after Suluk had reached the end of what he could teach Nefarious. It made sense to the Kesuk because at first he had feared the visions of the Great Bears which had started early, trembled at the sound of their voices, at the power that radiated from every fiber of their beings. The “visions” were the worst part though, haunting his dreams and twisting them into what the, at the time, young child had perceived as nightmares until Suluk had explained it to him, and though the fear still remained to some degree it had morphed into an altruistic love obsession for Atka, Sos and Voodoo. Instead of spurning it, Nefarious had begun to embrace it.

Sometimes, all it took to snuff out fears was someone who knew how to explain it. And sometimes, there was no explanation in the world that would erase terror if it was bad enough.

The scent of another soon wafted towards Nefarious' nose and the Shaman ceased in his steps, lifting his pumpkin orange gaze from the ground to rest upon the other male with subtle curiosity. The other was the first to speak, greeting him in a language that initially Nefarious didn't understand before using the common tongue. It was an introduction, a name accompanied by the question of who Nefarious himself was. A reasonable question, given his newness, Nefarious knew. “I am called Nefarious,” It wasn't the name given to him, but the name Anik was a not name he intended to share with anyone but his someday wife, if he ever met a woman that Atka and Sos deemed him worthy of. It had been chosen by Suluk because of the “visions” it's meaning in their native tongue of Inuit to mean Seer. Accordingly, Nefarious kept it close to his heart as if it were a secret he needed to covet.

Nefarious. A unique name but not harsh and unwieldly on his tongue. Kaede had found that many times the titles of wolves outside his own heritage held tones and accents that he had to focus to correctly intone. As a diplomatic sort he always did his best to oblige, though, and could oftentimes acquit himself quite well when it came to nuances of foreign speak. He did not yet know many languages outside his own and the common one of these lands but one day he hoped to. He was a scholar at heart when it came to culture.

He wasn't a particularly chatty wolf, this Nefarious, but Kaede did not mind. He was not hostile either, a sign Kaede took to mean this meeting was going well. "It is a pleasure to meet you Nefarious. Tell me, if you are willing, how long have you resided in the Creek?" Even those who guarded their pasts jealously normally did not mind speaking of how they came to join their current homes, at least in his experience. If secrets were buried, normally they were laid to rest before the current placement began. Pasts could be a touchy subject so Kaede was often loathe to be the first to inquire on such things unless the other moved the conversation that direction. At least his own history was a rather dull, fulfilling experience and as a result he had really nothing to hide.