wretched and divine

I left this open so there's no obligation, Chelsie! :D

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It had been some time since Ira had gotten the choice to speak to @Jinx in a one on one fashion despite the fact that he saw her at different intervals throughout the week, and when they denned, and if it was not for the fact that he liked being close to Jinx (and partially liked bothering Lecter with his presence) Ira might have sought to den elsewhere. It was at the borders that he sought his mother guardian, while in a manner that he hoped was sneaky, kept his eye out for Bones of whom he had not seen in quite some time. It was true that she had pressing obligations within the Creek but this stretch of time that had passed since their last secret meeting with one another felt too long. There was something that felt off about the whole thing that left Ira with more questions than he had answers. It occurred to him that maybe Bones and him had finally been caught with their secret not-so-secret relationship and that maybe Fox had banned her from coming to see him. It sounded ridiculous, even to Ira but what else could her extended absence mean?

While Bones was not the sole reason he was patrolling the borders, and in fact neither was Jinx, he liked stalking the borders like some kind of Princeling wraith, Bones was part of what he wanted to talk to Jinx about. Ira had no real reason to hide his relationship with the Creek girl, and wanted his mother guardian to know that he wasn’t keeping anything sinister from her. He had been a little reclusive and Ira knew that, and accordingly, felt guilty about it, though not enough so to call off what he had with Bones. He didn’t see why Jinx would mind, or really, care, but he thought it was time he stopped sneaking in the dark about it. The other part being that given the stretch of time between the something of a schedule Bones had kept too, Ira with an inane urge that perhaps bothered him, thought maybe this time he could go see her, of which he needed permission for. Unlike an alarming amount of other wolves in Silvertip who went traipsing for reasons unknown to the Princeling too close to Swiftcurrent Creek’s borders without Jinx’s knowledge he sought her blessing to make the trip because he had no intentions of starting anything. He only wanted to see his girl, to assure himself that she was just busy and too tied up to make the trip herself.

Things had been busy, and it was a blessing that Jinx was unaware of the transgressions of her wolves. That they slaughtered her reputation without any thought whatsoever would have earned them all a swift kick in the ass and removal of their ranks and rights, but the Kesuk couldn't know everything. She might have feigned omniscience once or twice, but the woman could only assume things. She assumed that all of her wolves behaved within Silvertip's policies, and she assumed that none of them would deign to conspire behind her back.

Respect was earned, however, so Jinx remained diligent. She spent much of her time on the mountain, circling its boundaries like a hawk, marking and remarking. It was the duty of an Alpha to ensure that their scent was the strongest, so anywhere she sensed a pack-mate's recent leavings, Jinx covered it with her own. She believed wholly in strength and perseverance, and would not be outdone by her own subordinates.

It was on one of these jaunts that she found Ira circling in a similar fashion. Something had seemed off about him lately, but the Alpha female hadn't really cared enough to question him. She had no doubts about Ira's loyalty and no reason to think he was anything but an obedient, albeit insolent, Silvertip youth. She made a beeline for him, stepping with new-found ease over the uneven ground on which they made their living, and when she was within range, she grunted lowly to attract his attention.

It had taken Ira a while to get used to the uneven plains of their new location, the rocky terrain and the looming shadow above him had slowly began to become a comfort to the Princeling. It had begun to become home. He did not see the need to form attachments to territories - what was the point, he had often wondered, when it was likely the path of life would only take them to other places? Already, he had been in four packs and he was only seven months of age. He was reminded, with some past tendril of a memory, of Cain and how he had been cursed to wander the earth for eternity. Perhaps that was what Ira was ultimately destined to become. A wanderer. A wraith that haunted because it was all he had in life. No, no. That wasn’t true. He had Jinx. He had Silvertip. He had a home and as tentative as he dared call them: a family. Perhaps an extremely dysfunctional one but it was some semblance of a family, nevertheless. And he had Bones even if they remained parted, only seeing each other sporadically by circumstance. It was better than not seeing her at all, the Princeling reasoned, though the growing span of time between her last visit and now left Ira was the confrontation of the simple fact that he missed her.

Crystalline eyes snapped up in the direction of his Alpha and Guardian at her low grunt to announce her presence to him and as he took her in he felt a warmth spread in his chest; Ira acknowledged that he was genuinely happy to see Jinx. “Hello Jinx,” He greeted her with a wag of his tail, closing the distance between them easily, offering her a lick to her chin in submission and affection. He pulled back some, to give her space, and frowned for a few moments, fidgeting before he decided that it was definitively better if he just asked her right away so he could either get permission or he wouldn’t and that would be that. Ira, despite his self training, was still impatient in many aspects and he loathed the idea of beating around the bush. He wasn’t afraid of Jinx, only that she would deny him what he sought. “I must ask you something,” He broke the brief silence that he had allowed to form and fester, inhaling deeply the sharp tang of rock and the warmth of earth. “Well before that I suppose it is customary that I inform you of something, first, so that my question makes more sense,” He was talking rapidly, as if he were nervous. In a way, he sort of was. Ira supposed he could have easily told her that he was going and she wasn’t going to stop him but …Ira respected her far too much to do that to her. Beyond respecting her he also loved her. Accordingly, that made some kind of difference to his normal insolent, ‘do-whatever-I-want’ behavior suffice to say -- at least when it came to where Jinx was concerned (everyone else was fair game). “Bones and I are seeing each other. Like boyfriend, girlfriend stuff,” He admitted to the Kesuk scoffing slightly at his own embarrassment. “It’s long distance but we’ve …been making it work, I guess.” Ira wondered if he could be made to feel any more awkward about this conversation.

“I let her know not to come anywhere near our borders and to be careful in the territories near Silvertip. So, she knows not to overstep or anything, and this is all relevant to each other, I promise, it’s just that it’s been way too long since her last visit,” Maybe it was Ira’s imagination playing tricks on him but something didn’t feel right about her absence. “So I was wondering if I could be given permission to go to Swiftcurrent Creek…just to check up on her, make sure she didn’t get eaten or anything.” He attempted to crack a joke, even smiling for a few seconds before it vanished, his expression turning serious once more. Ira really didn’t want to admit to Jinx that he was worried about Bones but it was likely his Guardian had picked up on it because he was worried about Bones and it was very obvious.“I guess…if you don’t want me going all the way to Swiftcurrent Creek I could see if anyone in Blacktail Deer Plateau - her father and uncles and little cousins live there - has heard anything lately.” In truth, he was kind of hoping she’d let him go to the Creek to find out from the wolves she lived with - or to talk to Bones herself, of course - but if she would not he wanted her to know that he respected her wishes and was willing to compromise if he could.

Of late, the woman had little and less patience for long-winded speeches. She herself was prone to giving them in certain circumstances, but she was the Alpha after all, and they had to listen to her. She didn't have to listen to them. For the sake of her adoptive son, she listened as best she could, but attention did begin to wander... Primarily because none of it seemed terribly relevant. She didn't care too much about Bones, having met the girl only once and not under pleasant circumstances, nor did she care too much about who Ira was courting. It was a simple situation: Bones would come to Silvertip Mountain if they chose to be mated or the relationship would be snuffed out completely by the selfish Alpha female, who would not allow Ira to quit her company for a girl.

Still, the boy seemed troubled and eventually revealed his true request, which Jinx answered with a rather bland, “I don't care.” As far as she was concerned, her wolves could go anywhere and do whatever they wanted, reminiscent of Xi'nuata's do as we please attitude, so long as they were wholly aware that they alone were responsible for their actions and the consequences of them. Ira and Lecter were special cases in that Jinx would rouse the pack if one of them was injured by a neighbour for going too close to that neighbour's territory... But any other wolf of the pack would lie in their own bed if they pissed off the wolves of the Teekon Wilds on their own territory.

“Observe proper respect while you are there, but do not forget, they are no longer your friends. They would kill you in winter for a scrap of meat. Besides, Swiftcurrent has pissed me off lately and I need no reason for them to further stick their noses in our business.” As for Blacktail Deer Plateau, she shrugged lightly and said, “you may check the Plateau if you poison their dumb bitch of a leader while you're there.”

Ira realized as he prattled on that despite his good intentions of wanting Jinx to know what he was up too, no matter how irrelevant it was (and in honesty it was probably very irrelevant) that he was being unnecessarily long-winded. His chatter was just that: drivel. Jinx’s response was short and blunt and simple. Almost too simple. I don’t care. For a second, Ira’s eyes narrowed in suspicion and then he understood that she had been serious. She didn’t care, probably about the whole entire thing and not just that he wanted to go to Swiftcurrent Creek just to make sure Bones was ok. It was a stupid quest, probably, and Bones would likely just get annoyed at him for being clingy or something. It wasn’t that he was clingy — Ira tended not to grow attached to others for the simple fact that he truly believed in his ‘curse’ though Jinx was his tentative exception but she had practically raised him. She was his mother in all the ways it mattered and though he had not believed it at first for the simple sake of not wanting to get his hopes up, and because he did not want to lose Jinx, he came to the conclusion that the curse had seemed to have spared her. Perhaps it had decided that Ira needed a break from all the death and destruction he had caused in his short span of life, or maybe it was just waiting to stab him in the heart and wrench viciously. Either way, Ira had no intentions of lingering too much upon it.

“Ok,” He felt kind of humiliated that he had been worried that she wouldn’t allow him to go, but brushed it off with a soft shrug of his broadening shoulders. “I understand,” Ira breathed, fixing his mother-figure in his icy, silvered gaze. Though he still felt slightly silly for worrying unnecessarily it was nice to have her permission — or as much permission as ‘I don’t care’ stood for, at any rate. He had nothing to hide from Jinx, and had no intentions of starting anything with Swiftcurrent Creek. He only wanted to see his girlfriend. It wasn’t like he’d be asking them to shelter a fugitive or something equally as horrible; and he had previously been a member of their pack. Whatever ill intentions his fellow pack mates had harbored against them were not shared with Ira; besides the Princeling was not so stupid. “I’m just going to see Bones. It’s harmless, but regardless I will be on my best behavior.” Because he was known for pissing others off easily. He was quite talented at that, in all actuality.

Her words regarding the Plateau’s leader was met with some confusion from Ira who had not been aware there had been any animosity between them. “That can be arranged,” The Princeling grinned at Jinx like the Cheshire cat. “But I don’t think the Plateau is going to be of any help. She only went there to visit her father. Unless she moved there they’re probably as clueless as me.” Unless of course, this was Bones’ way of breaking up with him without actually telling him. Ira didn’t know and that was what drove him crazy the most.

“Fox is not pleased with my departure, and while she doesn't seem to care presently, I would not put it past her to extend her displeasure to you.” Little did Jinx know that Fox was not the sort of wolf to hold a grudge. It was Jinx's ilk that held grudges, beginning with her mother, and a fault of her lacking intelligence that made her paint these same traits on others where they didn't exist.

Ira was quick to join in on her joke about the Plateau. Jinx knew better than to truly try to kill Hawkeye, and she was unwilling to face the wrath of the other female's demon dog a second time. Nevertheless, removing a threat the size of Blacktail Deer Plateau would have been a comfort to the pale bitch of the mountain. “I fear she's too fat to poison, anyway,” chuckled the Alpha. “You are probably right, princeling. But do be open to the possibility that Bones simply doesn't care.”

It certainly wasn't the kind of thing any son wanted to hear from their mother, but the pair had always been unorthodox, especially in matters of emotion. “She is young, and I only met her once, but she seemed clueless. She is likely unaware that you would worry.” Or she's a complete bitch, thought Jinx, but she thought better of saying it when Ira seemed so concerned.

“Well that’s rude of her,” Ira breathed in regard to Fox being displeased with Jinx’s departure; formally as if he had any room to talk about others being rude when he, himself, was rather good at being ‘rude’. It was one of his many and habitually awful talents. “Is that so?” Ira mused thoughtfully when Jinx chuckled about Hawkeye being too fat to poison. “I’m sure I could find the right dosage,” He teased but then again poisons were a delicate thing and the more he used if he was not careful, the bigger the risk he took of killing himself in the process; seeing as how the insolent Princeling rather liked living he did not fancy poisoning himself much, if at all. Ira’s lips parted to argue but then he stopped himself his teeth closing with a sharp, small snap, his ears laying back slowly against his skull as he took in the words Jinx spoke with a measured silence. It was instinct to contradict her, ignorant in his knowledge of fleeting childhood crushes as he was, and found that to contradict Jinx would be to lie to himself. Had he not considered the same thing, himself? That Bones simply stopped caring and that she just didn’t know how to tell him or something. It was possible and Ira, realizing his expression was probably rather ungodly vulnerable at that point, steeled his shoulders and adopted a haughty, stoic mask delving into the arrogance and sharp wit he used as his armor. “If that is so then it is better I go and force her to tell me herself, so I can put her behind me.” It wouldn’t be the end of the world if it proved to be true. It might sting like hell but he had endured worse and would move on. That was why it was better to never let anyone in, though, admittedly, he had broken his number one rule and had let Jinx in fully but he didn't think she planned to leave him anytime soon. Or rather, hoped.

They had made an odd pair anyway, the Prince and the Pirate. Seemingly, two beings that should have never meshed. Of course, it wasn’t entirely unexpected that Ira had grown fond of her because she was of the opposite sex and the only other wolf his age that he had came across, as of yet. “Well I’m going to try not to assume, either way. It is better to know for sure than to create a demon that doesn’t exist because of assumption.” Ira kept reminding himself that he only knew his side and that in this, he needed to be fair. To give the chance of explanation without immediately jumping down her throat because he had forged numerous assumptions but in truth had no idea why she hadn’t been around. The Princeling sighed heavily then, deciding that being an adult kind of sucked in the matters of ‘relationships’. “It just seems weird because we talked the last time about mateship and puppies, like we were planning our future or something,” It was useless to speculate and all it was doing was having Ira going in circles and stressing himself out by not going to find out for himself.

The Alpha considered her juvenile charge for a time, but withheld any words, in part because she simply didn't care about his relationship with Bones. She trusted that her adoptive son would put the pack before his budding romance with the knowledge that his pack was who kept him safe. She might have worried about a lesser wolf, but Ira was sensible, at least in the way that a true canid should be sensible.

It wasn't until he mentioned mateship that she re-entered the conversation, and she did so with a fiery flash of her eyes and a sudden cold demeanour. “There will be no mateship if she intends to remain there,” growled Jinx, whose tone suggested there would be no discussing this. She fully expected her young prince to remain here upon the mountain with her... Bones or no Bones.