Blacktail Deer Plateau Bring it on, baby. I can take you and your spatula.

@Ruenna because this should've happened ages ago.

Siqsa wandered the world of Blacktail, venturing through the many smaller trails and larger trails, adventuring what and where his nose told him to go. He had thought of trying to track a deer that tramped through here previously, but despite his massive body, he was surely incapable of felling a deer on his own. And rather that risk the scrutiny of the pack and probably being called out for his weird and unfriendly ways, he figured it would just be best to stay to himself and figure this whole 'family' thing out, alone. But wasn't that counterproductive?  

The head hung low as it had been for a while now, forced to remain the cliffdrop of the mountainous male. Heavy bodyswayed with his hefty steps, and with the lucky angle, he kept his nares pointed to the ground. Atleast there was a rabbit track around; gave him something to focus on.

Couldn't agree more ^^

Ruenna also made her way along the trails of the Plateau, wandering rather aimlessly as she contemplated her own recent rise in rank. Gamma. Although the Plateau wolves didn't rely overmuch on rank to dictate their interactions, that still technically put Rue in a position beneath only the leaders themselves. Rue walked the ambiguous line of feeling both proud of and uncomfortable with the honor. There were wolves who had been here longer-- truly, who had been with Liri and Kavik since before the pack existed. Surely they deserved the title more than Rue, a diminutive new recruit with no trades or noteworthy accomplishments to her name. 

The emerging scent of another interrupted the girl's worries. Her heartrate increased; she was unsure of whether she wanted to face a packmate right now-- what if it was someone who felt slighted after the recent rank shuffle? Siqsa. Rue relaxed, but only slightly. He was a newer recruit, unlikely to hold a grudge, and yet his presence still put Rue on edge for reasons Rue didn't have the words to explain. "Siqsa," Rue addressed the unseen man, softly calling out exactly as she had the night that they first met. Would he also take this opportunity to ignore her completely?

As any true oddity, he stopped abruptly after hearing his name behind him. He knew those dulcet tones, and he knew exactly who they belonged to. Dark ears flattened over the blue hued crown. It was Ruenna, and he couldn't shake the feeling that the tiny spy was following him. Traitor! She had to be up to something. That kid, what was his name...

Siqsa grew immediately irritated at not only being unable to remember the meek male's name, along with being snitched on. Little runt probably told on him for his 'unruly' manners, or 'not being nice' or something. A gruff growl huffed out. He had actually made it into a decent pack, just for some twig to snitch.

Turning his leviathan of a body in the direction of where he heard the voice, Siqsa threw out there with clear desire to have nothing to do with leaving the pack, just yet. "I wasn't even mean to him, Ruenna. I just told him had he tried to do something stupid, he was gonna get his throat ripped out. It wasn't even that serious. I even laughed." Well,  he just told the whole story right then and there. Had Ruenna not held his treasons against him and told Kavik that it wasn't his fault, everything would be cool. And of course he assumed she knew what he was talking about.

Sitting, he stayed put, waiting for her and the rest of her spy brigade to melt out of the trees. She had to have come with company; it was gonna take more than her little self to take him down.

As she called out, she saw a flurry of movement in the trees up ahead. Even in the daylight, Siqsa blended seemlessly with his surroundings. The new recruit was motionless, which Rue took as an invitiation to join him. She moved forward until his frustrated huff stopped her in her tracks. The girl's ears flattened warily, and her amber gaze searched for the young man's eyes in the shadows of his complexion. 

Rue opened her mouth to pose some sort of innocuous conversation-starter such as "how are you settling in?" but she didn't have time to get the words out before Siqsa whirled around and delivered his rushed explanation. Rue closed her mouth and listened. She knew this tone-- it was the tone that pups took when they felt the need to defend thier actions to an adult. It was- perhaps- a bit less whiny coming from Siqsa, but even so Rue couldn't help but wonder if the male was younger than she originally thought. He was just so big it was hard to really tell. 

Rue took in a breath. Is this what her promotion had earned her? Her packmates now imagined that she was some kind of... hammer here to lay down the law? The idea was positively laughable to Rue. 

"Well... seems to me he doesn't have anything to be afraid of, does he? So long as he isn't stupid." She switched her tail thoughtfully, mouth quirking up in the barest hint of a smile. "And if he really is stupid, he should welcome the mercy of a quick death." Rue really had no idea what or who they were talking about; she just wanted her packmate to feel like she was on his side. The last thing in the world that she ever wanted from this promotion was to be isolated from her packmates because they thought of her as a goody-goody, or authoritarian, or.. something.

So...was she trying to get on his good side? Distract him for someone else like Kavik or Liri to melt out of the woods and snatch him up, killing him for some kind of treachery? Was Ruenna waiting for him to slip up and say something incriminating? The possibilities roamed across his min as ears swiveled everywhere, scanning everything they could, body tensing as he imagined anyone, even Grezig herself to come and tackle his ass.

"Exactly. So I just was trying to prove that to him that day, but the fucker ran off. He seemed scared or something, and all I did was tell him the truth." Shaking his lowed head, the beast bit back the majority of insults he wanted to stain that kid's name with, but he couldn't even remember his damn name! "What even is this kid's name? He was the new one, with the little body, sweet and meek, more mousy than wolf. Kavik let him in a while ago." Not that it was a bad decision, but even Omegas had to have more balls than that kid.

"I'm not saying he's a bad dude," he admitted to Ruenna. Finally turning to look her in the eye, the wolfdog compiled his feelings into the final confession. "I just think he'd be a bit better being like, more tough or something. Like getting into a fight or something. How else does a wolf move up in a pack? Don't you all challenege for rank here?" It was obvious he had no idea how any of this worked. He was from a completely different spectrum of life, and with no one to harrass, he had nothing but questions if he was expected to conform to this lifestyle. 

"And I'm not all too good at being around you guys," he stood, towering in height to the 'superior' before him. "But I do stuff; I bring food, and patrol. I've chased off runts and coyotes three times, now. I've filled eight caches, and even tried staying out of the way." But maybe that was the problem? "I just don't know what the hell you guys even do, let alone stand for! There's no raids, no pack wars, no territory takeovers," and looking away, the blueblack giant rumbled,"I wasn't ready for it when I was little, but the time I'm big enough for it, I'm here with you guys, who don't even do it. It's not a bad thing that you guys don't, it's just puzzling how you guy just exist and live and that's like, it."

He might have just thrown Ruenna into a whole pot of stuff, and while he didn't know her ranks above him, nor her place in the pack, he didn't trust her all while spilling this stuff out to her.

Hey X! I hate to do this because I'm loving this thread, but can we put it on pause for a bit while we're discussing the rank shuffle system in the ooc pack GOSSIP thread? It looks like there might be the possibility that rank shuffles could be done away with, and if that turns out to be the case then I would like the chance to edit this post to reflect the new information before we continue.

Edit: Okay, I edited to just sort of.. glaze over the rank stuff while it's being discussed, I didn't want to hold up this thread any longer. So we're good to go!

Rue had hoped her words might relax Siqsa, but they seemed to have the opposite effect. She saw his body tense and ears swivel, and she knew what he was doing because she did the same thing constantly herself; he was searching for the danger hidden in this encounter. For the Unseen Other. For proof that Rue was not who she appeared and claimed to be. Rue, ever-vigilant and suspicious, did the same thing nearly every time she met a stranger outside the packlands. But... at least she could come back home and relax. It must be exhausting for Siqsa to feel like he had to be on his guard even within his own pack's territory... such an existence was hardly better than that of a lone wolf, in Rue's opinion. 

Siqsa continued to add details to his account, and Rue's understanding emerged once he revealed that the "mousy" subject of this rant was a fellow packmate. She definitely saw the problem now, but still, Siqsa's reaction seemed a little over the top. Siqsa asked for the Mouse Kid's name, and she shook her head at the question. "I haven't run across him yet. Perhaps he's still hiding." She quirked a brow in a tiny expression of amusement. 

Something in Siqsa seemed to shift when he finally looked up to meet her gaze. His following words were less defensive and more just.. confused. Perhaps this was the true source of his distress-- Siqsa didn't understand what his place was in the kind of pack that that would allow someone like Mouse Kid to exist. The desire to know one's place was one of the most basic, natural inclinations a wolf possessed.. Rue could certainly understand Siqsa's frustration, if he felt he was without a place and had zero idea of how to obtain one. Rue shrugged at the question, wanting to say more but unable to find the words other than to answer his direct inquiry. "You could challenge for rank if you wanted, I think. But I'm not sure it would help you... find what you're looking for. Rank doesn't seem to be especially important here." Rue knew this would not be satisfying answer for the young man, and it frustrated her to give it just as much as it would probably frustrate Siqsa to hear it. 

Siqsa continued, further expressing his feeling of being the outsider here. Rue knew what that felt like-- oh, did she ever. She felt somewhat more equipped to answer this line of questioning though, and for the first time she nodded assuredly when Siqsa fell quiet. "Here, self-betterment efforts are channeled into the development of a trade, and there seem to be all manner of trades. You can refine your hunting skills or healing skills, or you can train to be a fighter, or you can work toward.. deepening your understanding of the natural world.." Rue's voice drifted away as her confidence faltered. She had only just recently had all of the trades explained to her, so she was still a little fuzzy on all the possibilities available in Blacktail Deer Plateau. 

She cleared her throat. "But. Here we are a.. a family, Siqsa. Just existing is okay, because we have what we need. And we have each other. And because we are a family, we can forgive Mouse Kid for his nature if he is working to benefit the pack and improve himself. Just like we can forgive you for your nature, if you are doing the same. I- I don't know for sure, but I don't think you're in quite as much trouble as you may imagine. At least.. you're not in trouble with me."  Rue took in a deep breath and let it out, and she let her gaze drop to the ground. It was difficult for her to explain what she only barely understood herself, and she had no idea if she had helped at all or if she had only suceeded in making Siqsa more bewildered.

He listened to her, his distrust of her not quite evaporating, but even the idiot youth could see she was admitting more than she probably did to strangers. Hell, he wasn’t that much different. 

It hurt a bit to think he just upped and assumed she was a spy. It also didn’t help that he believed she might still be one. He gathered the infor from her without so much as an apology for dropping her in a cauldron if distress. 

“All I know,“ he began. “is maiming and murdering for your shank of share. To kill and bring woe to earn recognition. And the ones who taught me this shit threw me out, and left me to fend for myself.“

So of course he was an alien here. This pack operated on peace and tranquillity, on teamwork and understanding. 
But he was as far from that as possible.

”Well, it’s nice to know I haven’t gotten on your nerves yet.“ He was bitter about a lot; so did he mean that? Or was it yet another pass to try and seem normal?

Maiming and murder, killing and woe. Siqsa's words dripped like acid, burning a picture into Rue's mind of a pack drenched in blood and misery. Such an existence seemed hardly feasible to Rue, and so she assumed that Siqsa's description was an exaggeration concocted to provoke something inside of Rue... pity, perhaps? Surely no one actually wished to be pitied. Fear, then? It did seem more likely that the young man was attempting to frighten Rue, to push her away before she discovered any more vulnerabilities. Yes, that must be it-- it was a very mercenary-esque thing to do, to build up such a disturbing image for oneself that no one noticed the tender, crying pup within. 

Rue's gaze grew stormy as she realized the young man was pulling back from her, throwing up a defensive wall of disconcerting images to keep her away. She would not pursue or attempt to break his wall apart; she suspected it could very well be the only mental and emotional structure keeping him safe. "You learned that way of life well enough it seems.." she said simply, voice impassive, "..so you can learn a new way just the same. If that's what you want." Despite his sour words, Siqsa was far from an embittered old man set in his ways. Just as Mouse Kid would learn, Siqsa would learn too. 

Siqsa made some kind of.. joke, was it?.. about getting on Rue's nerves, and Rue took that to mean that he was uninterested in continuing the conversation at the previous depth and magnitude. They had gotten pretty profound there for a minute, considering Siqsa's age and the fact that the two of them were relative strangers. Rue could understand Siqsa's desire to discharge the atmosphere in favor of lighter conversation. "To get on my nerves, you would have to catch them first," she joked back, voice slightly teasing, hinting a challenge. "And I'm afraid you're far too slow to do that." Rue tensed, ready to spring away playfully, and her tail switched back and forth in anticipation. Would he take the bait, or stubbornly insist on continuing to wallow?

The Demon was silenced by her truth. It was true he could learn a new way...his sister had told him that so many other times before. But shame held him back from the notion, knowing he'd be an outcast still, some way, some how. It had to be-  not all wolves were nice enough to just accept that type of thing. In fact, the only wolf he had seen possibly do it would be Arana.

Ruenna wasn't...

Before he could assume anything, Ruenna had insulted his speed. Well!
Well...
A baffled look appeared on his face, shock at her pass. He was so socially inept, he couldn't find the joke in the words until she had given off a tense energy to him. Was she trying to fight? "I- I am fast!" he threw at he with as much intensity as he could. Well, his bulk was enough to convince a rabbit it could prance in front of him and get away with it, and his neck injury proved him wrong in it just as well. Who the hell was he fooling? Feeling the need to defend himself all over from all invisible fronts, he braced hinds in the loam with rigid seriousness.

Ready to pounce!
"You'll see!" Who was she to call him slow! Dark navy shimmering banner raised skyward and he watched her for her first move, ready to tackle her at a moment's notice.

Siqsa took the bait, which delighted Rue. A round of chase would lift the boy's spirits no doubt, and perhaps a lighthearted game would help him see that he wasn't so different from the Plateau wolves at all. He certainly wasn't that different from Rue, who knew all too well the desire to fit in and have your own place among packmates. 

Rue snapped a quick feint toward Siqsa, hoping the move would throw him off balance as he attempted a dodge. She would take the opportunity to hop away a few paces, barking teasing encouragement at the boy to engage in the chase. Once he started toward her she would run, run, run like the wind, drawing both of them away from their troubles and their broodings. 

Feel free to archive after your next post or to just archive (this post can be the fade). Just tag Rue or message me when you're ready for a new thread between these two!

Boy did he go sailin’! Poor bastard pounced at the exact place of her feint, and almost comically flew through the air like a train passing a just-missed car on the side of the tracks. Sliding forward a foot or so, he was absolutely thrown for a loop, turning his brutish bulk to look at Ruenna as though she betrayed him. How dare she prove herself right!

indignation careened him on the path of following this minx and run her down! 
She wasn’t gonna make a fool of him, anymore! 

yup wrapping up!
weneedanotherthreadyes