Greatwater Lake It's time you stop thinkin' and wasting the day

He'd crossed the mountains like they were going out of style.  Mal had no reason to stay there and wanted distance between himself and a past that was now empty and meaningless.  This first year of life seemed like nothing but this rough attempt to create a wolf that would bend with every breeze, but with each time someone had tried, he fought back.  From the one instance where it was simply Too Much for him to deal with as a tiny pup, he stood defiant.  Nobody taught him otherwise, nobody tried to save him except out of pity.

Now whatever monster he was -- must be, given how everyone always left -- could bloom into whatever hated creature he should be.  He had no fear of coming to the water's edge for a drink, barely doing a rough scan for other wolves in the area.  He was far enough from the sea he didn't expect to see anyone threatening.  No, he was probably the threatening one, wasn't he?  No fear, nothing to lose beneath a dreary sky and nothing ahead but what he made of it.  They had all assumed he was a monster.  Might as well make the best of it and fill the hole left by his now missing sisters with his own wants and desires.  Mal licked the water from his lips and turned down the shore, prowling.

Here was this great empty world, and he could go find a place he could be king over the unworthy and weak-willed.  It sounded amazing on paper, at least, and in his frustration and simmering anger he might just go for it.

Leen was just wandering, looking for lone wolves looking in need of recruitment.
He found such a soul walking today -- or so he thought-- sulking might be a better word to put it. Leen studied the figure as he came closer. The way he stomped and glared at anything that moved. He really did need a cheer up, eh.
"Cat stole your kill or something, lad?" He called as way of greeting, trotting up beside him looking as neutral as possible. Why'd he get all the moody ones? He'd taken note of the lake and all that, the expanse must be a great distance. Large enough to drown in if one wasn't careful enough and decided to swim across it; Leen didn't know who would do such a stupid thing. But it was a stupid world and all was possible.
He watched his potential recruit carefully, wondering what he was thinking.

The guy that showed up seemed to come out of nowhere.  Some old fart that was possibly the oldest dude he'd seen (or at least that the player can remember) had appeared when Mal's back was turned.  If normal adults were generally pretty awful, did this make this ancient guy that much worse?  Did their "pathetic and annoying" quotient go up with each year?

Oh, I'm sorry, am I obligated to smile for you, whatever lord you are? was the yearling's snarky response.  Of course, he certainly didn't smile, eyeing the man who had approached too quickly and too close with a flat expression. Mal was sort of trapped up against the water, so it wasn't like he could back up, instead going for a few quick paces forward to try and get a bit more distance between him and the unknown wolf. Why trust anything when you know the world doesn't have your best interests at heart?

Ah, so the kid was grouchy too. Brilliant.
Leen snorted at the retort, jumping to the side and dropping into a play bow. He still thought he was rather youthful himself.
"Indeed you should or I'll send my finest warriors for your head!" He laughed heartily, letting the kid back away. He knew some were more wary of strangers than others.

He grinned, standing up. His tail wagging in good spirits. "I'm Leen. May I be graced with your name, my humble acquaintance?"  His shit-eating grin stayed fixed on his face. Likely, it'd probably infuriate the kid more. But what would Leen care? He could probably move quicker anyway. It's not like he let himself be the grumpy old fart the kid thought him to be. If anything, Mal was the grumpy fart here.

Yeah, this dude was totally senile. He'd fit right in at Elysium, but certainly wasn't the sort Mal wanted to follow him.  This Leen character needed to wake up and see the world for what it really was -- or stop deluding himself.  It wasn't worth Mal's time to try to fix this guy's perspective.

But at least he let Mal have his space.  The other pups back at Elysium always seemed either earnest or dismissive while being annoying as hell. This guy... Just too cheery.  It was way too fake for him and continued to treat Leen with cool disregard, Do people actually like you yipping about like a child?  Certainly nobody would.  At least nobody who ate solid food and could survive on their own for any length of time.  It was a waste of brain cells and energy.  The real question was how long Mal would humor him before heading back on his way.

Leen raised a brow. "Tough crowd out here eh." Back north he'd be greeted with cheery laughs -- well, as cherry as a gloomy dude such as Mal here was -- but a good reception all the same. 
Leen had led his life through every way: mad, happy, grumpy old fart. He enjoyed this pantomime effect that took no shit from a character like Higoro.

"Perhaps if they lightened the fuck up at saw the good side of life, yes. In your case, no." Mal was regarded with a 'really' sort of look. "You want to come to Asterism Grove? Phox is recruiting." Since Towhee mentioned being infamous -- probably for her scared-farting -- he decided against mentioning her name in recruitment. Just in case he picked up someone who didn't like the idea of her being around and could be tricked into staying. That's how he often did his ambassadorship anyway. Despite this kid being a pissy fishy, (though not in an off-character sort of fishy. Leen just wanted to be rude within his mind like the petty child he liked to be.) he had potential and he was sure Towhee could regard him just as coldly.

The world was nothing lighter than a shade of middle grey.  Willfully ignorant of reality, then. He'd fit right in at Elysium -- the land where there could be nothing wrong but Mal.  Not a sort he had any desire to hang out with any more if they couldn't bring themselves to accept reality.  He had better things to do than deal with such foibles.

But then the guy continued on and invited him to a pack?  Lolwat.  Few months late on that one.  That amused him in quite the wicked way, Seems like you're desperate.  Maybe it's because a pack called Fox is pretty dumb.  You should rename it.  Mal's reply was obviously based on his phrasing.  Since Leen had already introduced himself and there were no others about, he was giving him the benefit of the doubt that he didn't have an alter ego named Fox that was actually doing the recruiting.  As for a grove?  It wasn't like Mal knew the entire Wilds.

The man laughed, shaking his head.
He regarded the lad who seemed to have not long flown the nest with a thoughtful look. He seemed pretty contented to not come with him. Perhaps being a bad apple was in some blood. Though, it could just be bad thoughts in the mind that made some like Mal act like a mother cougar. 

"If I were desperate, I'd beg." He thought over his words. He supposed he wasn't very good at portraying that. He'd work on it as he wandered. So far, he had to keep going. "Apologies. Phox Redhawk is the leader. Down in the south bordered by mountains if you ever need us." 
He started to walk on, "I just thought we could use someone like you." And with the parting comment, he started to wander away, looking for his next recruitment attempt.
Not unless he was stopped by the lad.

There were many monsters lurking in the world.  As this guy turned to leave, Mal again was pretty sure that he'd just avoided some trick.  The world was not a nice place.  It was not a fair place.  It was certainly not an easy place.  And this guy just didn't make sense.  Since Leen had broached the subject randomly, wasn't he begging in a sense?  It seemed so foolish.  There were no questions, just an offer that probably shouldn't have been made to a stranger.  Had to be a trap.  Whatever, he'd just keep an eye out for wherever this pack was.  He wasn't keen on neighbors.

But what am I?  As if you'd know from just this, was his only remark.  Cursed, probably.  And some would say a monster.  Whatever reality was, who freakin' knew, but he was no angel, and he was certainly on his own.  There were monsters worse than him out there.  Leen probably was one of them -- not that Mal would likely ever find out for sure.