Broken Antler Fen Future Thinking

@Jim :D

Sebastian was pretty pleased with himself. He was slowly getting more wolves that were willing to be in his pack. He never thought of himself as an alpha but now he had several wolves under his care and he was definitely starting to be one. Sebastian was by no way an arrogant wolf. He had some pride but he was not bragging about how great he was. The big tank of a male trotted through his half-claimed territory. He had marked a few places but not enough for it to be a legit border. He wanted to keep it that way seeing that he did not want to scare of loners that would be willing to join. They were at the edge of Teekon which meant that if new wolves approached from the south they would come past this location.

Sebastian was now scouting around the future borders of Broken Antler Fen. He was trying to track some deer prints. Seeing that the ground was very soft, especially now the snows had started to melt, he could easily spot their marks. He was not a hunter, he could be a fisherman. The trades he had now were actually ones he worked for at RHC. Guardian because he had to and Medic because they needed intellectuals but he was thinking of changing them. Maybe he would focus more on hunting. All good thoughts for the future. Yet, first he had to finalize his claim.

The next to arrive was not your typical recruit. He was short, lean and definitely not pack material - or so it seemed. He was, basically, a lone wolf. Jim the loner had just finished a long trip from the Other Side Of Teekon (Probably) with absolutely no idea why the heck he was coming back here. To Mister Prissy-Alpha's playground. Again! 

Jim, to his credit, knew that Prissy stayed in this area but not here and simply because he couldn't smell him. He was far, far off into his pack of jackasses and for the record, Jim wasn't scared to confront the man. He just didn't want to because it wasn't worth getting injured over. For all he knew, Jim was small enough that Prissy could sit on him and he'd be done for. Noooo thank you, kind sir, and the loner was on his way again.

He stopped short, everything returning to his normal face. That was to say, it was back to good'ol neutral again. Neutral attitude, neutral stance, neutral everything that could possibly be neutralised. Heck, even his voice was neutralised when he casually pointed the man in his direction with a languid "Morning"

Sebastian looked up when he heard a voice. His ears perked up, eyes scanning around to where the sound came from. The wolf that stood before him was quite a size difference with Sebastian. The young grey male was stretching the limit of a wolf, while the other was rather doing that the other way. Sebastian was not judging. His tail let out a neutral sway behind him. "Good morning," he returned to the brown one.

Sebastian gave a good look over him. He was small but he looked strong. A survivor. Or maybe he was just a scavenger. Either way, the male was still here to tell his tale. "I'm Sebastian," he introduced. Sebastian was unsure if he should chase the male off for being to close or not. Call it his inexperience. Sebastian technically did not want to chase him away, he wanted some new members to form his pack with. This male smelled like a loner. "Are you traveling?," he questioned, sounding curious, and it was one way to find out if he was a loner or in a pack.

It was as if all the world hated him right now, because instead of ignoring him like Jim would have liked so he could continue on, the male responded with a graceful good morning. Good? it wasn't anywhere near blimming good! Jim, bastard that he was, had managed to piss off not one but two alphas in less than a week. And if this young upstart though he was going to rule a pack someday...

Jim was getting off track.

He didn't like the way the other was peering down at him or the way he acted, for that matter, all indecisive and wary. It showed on his face, the inexperience of it all. In fact, that was how Jim would have treated the male if he had not addressed himself again. But just for the record? Jim never let it show, instead cracking a smile and nodding in answer. He just didn't feel very 'up to it' right now, as the younglings liked to say.

"Indeed. And you, good sir?" The normal way he would talk to others gave Jim the advantage of seeming polite and being moderately insulting depending on the mood of the convo. Ah well, this one was purely habit.

Sebastian looked a bit surprised when this other male called him sir. He was far from a sir. His father would probably be called like that. "I am no Sir. Just Sebastian," he offered to him. Sebastian didn't want to be all arrogant. He was not an alpha yet, far from actually. The male then realized the other hadn't said his name. Not that it was of vital importance because he could sniff out his scent but it would be nice to have a name to refer to.

"I am not. I am actually thinking of starting a pack here," he explained to the other, leaving suggestion open in his tone for if the male if he wanted to join. Still he realized he couldn't just take on any loner. He liked to have wolves that wanted to be in his pack, and wanted to work together. This wolf seemed fine on his own. Sebastian was not sure if he was the type of being in a pack. But if the male was willing to join then who was Sebastian to stop him.

A pack? Another pack, wow! So he was planning to be an Alpha, which probably meant that Jim was given a chance to recitify his mistakes (or piss off another one). He was going to have to start counting exactly how many leaders he'd managed to annoy. Maybe he'd do the entire Teekon! Now that would be a record to boast. But, if this male was going to be an Alpha, he would have found out about neighbouring packs (assuming there were in this territory. Who knew where wolves wanted to settle? Crazy buggers.)

So, before Jim was even going to consider the notion of joining a pack, he was going to get what he wanted out first. A carefully curious expression replaced the neutral one earlier, under the facade of being interested (which he was, but not in what Sebastian wanted). "Do you know of other packs here? If there were, say, others - would they not object?"

The small wolf that stood before him had a good question for him. The large male was not too worried about other packs yet a vital question. Sebastian had been a loyal and hardworking pack member when he was at RHC. He also met two wolves of the Moonspear pack who had not complained. Still he did not know both were from Moonspear. "I have been meeting other pack wolves from the area and they have not complained. I have also been a loyal member at the Cadera pack. I left there in friendship. I've spoken the daughter of the alpha pair and she did not spoke ill of my future pack either," he returned to the smaller wolf.

if you rather not me join this thread, just pm and i can delete this. wasn't sure if it was open or not :)

Borders that carried a scent that was familiar but at the same time foreign to Cicero were marked around this pack — or pack-to-be, judging by the faint scent that lingered round here. Cicero curiously followed the scent thread placed upon the Fen, until he saw two wolves in the distance. He recognised one right away, or thought he did. Cicero's fur was marked with salt and sand, hidden from plain view that he was a Blackfeather wolf. He'd never met this wolf person to person, but the wolf's appearance betrayed that he was Burke's son.

Deciding to play innocent, Cicero came up to the wolf whose scent marred these borders, and the wolf he was, so it seemed, interviewing or handing information to. "Greetings," said Cicero. "A new pack?" The question was placed casually, as though he was a curious neighbour or a passing loner interested in the facts around this new pack. He shed Cicero for a moment, assuming the role of this innocent bystander who happened to pass through and was curious to know the facts. There were no traces of Blackfeather scent upon his fur, so Cicero thought he would be safe, assuming that Burke's son did not somehow know him from somewhere, or had heard his description.

Posting order: Sebby, Cicero then Jim

Jim, though his outside appearance seemed to be casual and neutral - almost fun, his mind was carefully tucking away the information he had just gained. At least two packs were from the area - the Caldera, possibly the place where he had pissed off the alpha and possibly one more, judging by how Sebastian separated the 'Caldera' pack and the 'other' pack wolves. He kept the face on, seeing as it could be more helpful. It was, after all, easier to share with a friend or an acquaintance than a potentially hostile loner.

"Other pack wolves? What packs might they be? What will your pack be, good sir?" It was funny how Jim still addressed the possibly younger male as a 'sir' though that might all change depending on the attitude and as how the conversation progressed. Before Jim could further speak, a voice came from behind Sebastian, followed by a curious wolf. His markings were clear to see, though there was nothing that painted him out to be from another pack. He was dusted with golden sand and white crystals, showered daintily upon his grey-white coat.

And he was small too, like Jim, but he was definitely taller - Jim's species, unfortunately, did not allow him to match up to both other males' heights. "Salutations," he returned as casually as the other as if there was nothing to hide or anything interesting transpiring between them. In fact, if one did not care to look close enough, they might think it was a normal conversation. "It seems so. What might I address you as, fine sir?"

Sebastian wouldn't want to repeat himself again, he was no sir, he did not feel like he was a sir. The male licked his lips. "I am not a sir. Truly. I don't know what their pack is called, one is a mountain pack and the other one was an ex-member of the caldera wolves," he explained to clarify. "I'd like my pack to be carefree, one that you can feel at home and have a family of wolves supporting you." Sebastian basically wanted a morally right pack. One that was good and supporting. Not one like his father was running. He was about the elaborate on the topic when another male showed up.

If Sebastian knew where the new incoming male came from he would have shut his face and not talk at all. He did not want his father to know what he was doing and where he was settling. The young male wanted to be free of his father. He had always lived his life bitterly because he blamed his father. But he learned now that it was him that allowed himself to be bitter. Yet now Sebastian greeted him with a happy smile. "Yes, a new pack," he spoke. He wondered if this male was interested in joining. He looked a bit curious but Sebastian was not going to select on that. As long as he would have some ambition.

The other male was courteous, and Cicero grinned at him as he greeted with 'salutations'. Then he was asked for a name, and it did not take Cicero long to come up with one; "Patrick. But you can call me Pat." He smiled politely and licked his lips, keeping his head lowered in the presence of other wolves. The son of Burke seemed very friendly and excited. "You will be its Alpha?" asked 'Pat' to Burke's son, a questioning lilt to his voice because he hoped that Burke's son would also introduce himself; Cicero didn't remember his name since they had never met personally and names without faces weren't easy to keep.

"What sort of values does your pack have?" Cicero asked, deciding to just play dumb and hopefully get some information. He was unsure yet if he would tell this information to Burke; truthfully he thought it better for son and father if they could let each other go, since they decided that living in each other's packs and lives did not work. He did not want to bring Burke any unhealthy obsessions along with information. But regardless of whether he'd report this information, it was useful to have it.

Since Jim's player went inactive I think it is safe to say that we can totally continue this, Iris!

Sebastian nodded at the wolf named Patrick. The other didn't really seem that interested and left soon after. Sebastian couldn't really blame him. Some packs were not really compatible with their character. Sebastian's eye fell on Pat and quirked up his lips a bit. He nodded with a bit of pride. "Yes, I will," he confirmed verbally.

The male asked a good question. "We will value family bonding, and would focus on living a morally right life," he spoke to Cicero. "I personally like to help others so I hope that this pack will resemble that," he added. Hopefully that would convince this wolf, though some wanted a pack like black feather and probably other violent packs like that. Sebastian did not want to have his pack be like that.

Cicero glanced at the other wolf as he left, then looked back at Burke's son with a quirked eyebrow. "That was strange," he said, inwardly amused because he was often the one dubbed strange by others. Then he listened to what Burke's son had to say. He missed some information, mostly the man's name, and so asked, "May I ask of your name?" out of sheer curiosity that ran both in Cicero as well as Patrick (he'd recognised Burke's son by his looks but had never before personally met the man).

"Sounds like good values." And they did — Cicero doubted whether or not to tell Burke of his son's pack settling here because it might be healthier for him not to obsess... but on the other hand he had probably better report back all he had found out, this included. Yet he did not feel Burke's son deserved to be stomped by his father, and in some way, wished it so that he did not need to tell Burke of his findings.

Sebastian shrugged lightly at the other. "Some have that," he spoke. Sebastian was not to phased. He was not to bothered with wolves walking away. He was not going to chase after them. The other male asked his name. "Oh! Sebastian. It's Sebastian," he spoke to Patrick. Sebastian smiled when he was complimented on his morals by the other wolf. "You are welcome to join us?," he offered. Sebastian wanted some more male members to balance things out. If that wouldn't happen he would deal with it. The male was quite oblivious that having all these females could create some drama.

The large male wagged his tail a bit with his hopefulness of the other wanting to join, yet, maybe he just came to look when two wolves were meeting and this meant that he was not even remotely interested to join, only his reply would tell Sebastian more.

A smile danced across Cicero's face as Sebastian offered him to join with friendly gestures. There was something heart-warming about this wolf, and Cicero was not sure whether he enjoyed it or whether it made him sick. With a smile he shook his head and said, "Maybe — I'll have to think about it, weigh my choices. What other packs are nearby?" Maybe he could get some extra information in the process, but at least it would give him a good excuse not to up and join right off the bat.

Sebastian looked at Patrick and quirked up his lips a bit. "Understandable. Well you have the caldera pack at the other side of the lake, and Moonspear at the mountain west of here," he explained. Sebastian looked at him once again, wondering if he should mention Black feather but he didn't really want to explain about his father and how his pack was. The male came to his borders so it was unlikely that he would even like such a dark place as where his father had his own pack.

"Thank you," Cicero said as Sebastian offered some suggestions as for other packs. He mentally noted the names, for he had known of the mountain pack but not yet of its name — Moonspear — and of course he knew the Caldera and its location. Cicero nodded appreciatively before he said, "I'll go check these out right now. Maybe we'll see each other again, whether I'll choose your pack or not." With a charismatic smile Cicero bode Sebastian farewell and he turned away from the to-be pack's borders. There were a few more things he needed to do before heading back home to Blackfeather, but this had definitely proven to be an interesting meeting; it was good that he had happened upon Sebastian after erasing his own scent so that he could gather information unobstructed. Cicero was nearly ready to head on home now but he headed in the direction of this Moonspear pack first, curious what information it might bring him to visit it.

my last post :)

Sebastian gave a firm nod when the male said he would look for those other pack's first. After all it was not really up to him but up to the male to decide what pack he would feel more at home in. Hopefully he would return in the end, and if he would not, oh well, then maybe other males would join them. "Good luck on your search!," he wished and then trotted back to his territory himself. The oddly colored male looked like a nice fella, if only he knew.

-end-