Blackfeather Woods Hit all the X's

Hoping to have a mentor thread with @Xan :]
Sorry this is so short, I've decided to stick to shorter posts instead of not posting at all :}

Damien had yet to give Xan his first lesson as his pupil, one task that he had not taken seriously enough so far. He had high aspirations for the boy, which at the same time reflected the aspirations he had for himself. Great things would come for both of them if the training went well, and Damien decided that ignoring it was more dangerous than he thought.

With a howl, meant to the young inuit only, the dark male communicated his position, and urged the boy to come promptly. It was dawn and the mist of the cold morning set the perfect scenery for the skills the young Apaata had to build.

Don't worry about length, aha

The previous night had been filled with restless wandering and the inability to receive a decent amount of sleep. Sleep had always been his saviour, her soft voice never failing to lure him into her familiar embrace. There had never been a time, that he could recall, where he was unable to be coaxed into a relaxed, unconscious state. To be unwelcomed in his own land of dreams and visions was a new thing for him, and not something he could say he enjoyed. He could think of only one wolf to blame for his troubles, too—his very own sister, Nanook. Before running into her, he'd been able to get along with his life just fine. He'd just started to forget what it was like to have a full family, and had been growing accustomed to his life alongside his father. That one meeting, however, had thrown everything off. Just like after he'd first arrived, he'd found himself missing his sisters, and even his mother. It troubled him greatly, but he felt himself unable to speak with his father about it. The elder seemed to be doing so well, and Xan didn't want to send his life into a downfall once more.

It was the memories and images of what could have been that had kept him awake all through the night, preventing him from regaining the energy lost. Instead, it had the opposite effect, having drained him both mentally and emotionally. Combine that with his constant trekking through the woods, and it was a wonder his body didn't just give in and pass out from pure exhaustion. Somehow, though, he remained in a conscious state, though there were times where it seemed as if he was teetering between the two worlds. Before the howl had broken the silence of the space he'd sought out, he'd been attempting to catch a few winks despite already knowing he would not be rewarded with such a generous gift. The request for his presence made that theory all the more real, too, for he knew he could not ignore a call made solely for him. He wanted to, however, but knew he couldn't. The voice belonged to Damien, after all, which more than likely meant he'd be receiving a lesson of some sort. To ignore the call in favour of napping would give him a bad image, for what type of wolf claimed to be the best but didn't do the necessary work to back that claim up? A type he did not wish to be viewed as.

Slowly, Alexander pulled himself up from the ground and started heading in the direction of his mentor, his pace slower than usual. It was rather obvious he was tired, but he put on the best look of enthusiasm that he could muster up before reaching the older boy. He gave no greeting, having to use the time meant for that in order to find his voice, and skipped right to the reason behind why he'd been summoned. "What are we doing?" Xan asked, a yawn claiming the end of his sentence. It was morning, so he hoped that slip would be chalked up to something that was expected.

Alexander came a after a long while of silence. Damien figured it had taken effort to get up so early in the morning, but that was the way things had to be done in order to become good at anything. If there was something Damien had to teach the younger wolf was discipline, Burke had been very explicit about that.

The pup yawned, and Damien snarled loudly, both out of annoyance, and because he needed Alexander's full attention if they were going to do things right. He took a few steps closer to the boy threateningly and snapped his teeth close to his throat.

Instead of receiving an answer to his question, he was met with a snarl. Confused, his legs grew stiff, muscles tensing in case he needed to flee the scene. He assumed something was wrong with the darker boy, that perhaps he'd caught an illness of some sort that caused madness. That theory was washed away as the shadow grew closer, the vibes rolling off his body making the albino feel uneasy. Instincts drove his fur to bristle, thickened coat standing on edge as his odd eyes narrowed. Teeth snapped closer to his throat than he'd ever let anyone get before, forcing him to not only step back, but also release a low growl of his own. Alexander was not a teacher, he knew nothing of the job, but he was certain that Damien's actions were not how they were supposed to act. He'd wished to train, to learn of how he could fight properly and without frantic movements, not be threatened by another individual.

"What was that for?!" he demanded, glowering at the other. Without needing much reminder, his legs spread apart in order to better his balance, just as Cicero had taught him to do. If the obsidian male was going to act irrationally, then it was only logical that Xan do his best to defend himself.

The younger wolf returned the gesture, and with a growl of his own he held his ground against Damien. That was, among others, a reaction he was expecting from his young pupil, and so he let a sly smile slip out. At least the boy was determined to defend himself, and that would serve him well in due time.

"It is not time for yawning, Alexander." growled Damien, this time somewhat more relaxed and focused on the younger boy's eyes. His posture was correct and Damien had finally figured out a way to get his attention. It was likely that Alexander had talent for this, but Damien wouldn't have expected less from Kove's son, so he wasn't going to go easy on him. He wanted to be the best, didn't he?

"If I call, you show up. That's how things will work from now on."

Finally, words were spoken, a simple explanation being given. Of course, Xan didn't really see the big deal with his yawning. It was early in the morning, and he wasn't exactly an early riser. Since discovering the lessened amount of strain put on his eyes at night, he'd taken to acting during the darkened times instead of the day. Rather than informing the other of this, however, he'd opted to voice a complaint on a different topic. "My name is Xan, not Alexander," he stated, slightly irritated by the fact that he was still having to remind someone of that. Hadn't he been in the woods long enough for them to know? His father still called him by his full name often, but he felt that was different—it wasn't like he could just demand something of the elder Inuit... could he?

Again, Damien said something, but it bothered the younger male. The idea of dropping whatever he was doing in order to answer the other's call seemed completely unreasonable. So, just to be a smart-ass, he asked, "What if I'm not here? Am I suppose to develop some sort of power so I can hear you when I'm out on a trip?"

The boy complained, and Damien snapped again, a form of scolding the young apprentice for his insubordination. He would praise submissive behavior, if it ever came, for Xan needed to know those above him were not to be questioned especially those wearing the dark mark.

"I don't care what your name is," he growled, "Alexander is the name that your father gave you, and I will call you that." he finished, staring at the boy as if saying 'got a problem with that, bro?'

Another complain, and this time the kid managed to get on Damien's nerves for real. "Do not argue with me," cautioned the older male, "You aren't allowed to go on trips yet, and for as long as I'm your mentor you will do as I say." and with that he dismissed the discussion.

Dominance, something that came easily to the young Melonii, but that could quickly turn against him if he clashed with another natural leader. His arrogance was his fatal flaw, and not knowing it was Damien's biggest mistake.

EDIT: Both Kuro and I agreed to put a hold on this this part in order to build on the discussion rather than avoiding it.

"Physical training is imperative if you wish to become the best at your trade," stated Damien, focusing on the actual training for once. Damien lowered the guard and walked around Alexander in a circle, inspecting his body. "You need to build muscle and stamina, and the only way to do that is by pushing yourself to the limit," with a sly smile, Damien fell silent. Then, he suddenly pounced at Xan with all his weight in an attempt to tackle him down, and then took off immediately, running away from the younger male and challenging him to try and catch him.

The elder boy snapped at him, bringing a glare to Xan's face. That wasn't what really got to him, however. It was Damien's response in regards to his name that had the fur along his dorsal bristling, clearly unappreciative of the words. Even the look he'd received afterwards had his blood boiling, finding it to be insulting, to a certain degree. "My father did not give me that name," he stated, a huff linger on the edge of his sentence. "The woman named me, she stole my chance at inheriting a name from my dad's family." He stared back at the dark being, a hint of a challenge lingering in his gaze. He knew who'd named him, and that fact alone displeased him.

Though warned, he paid little mind to the other's words. The pallid child practically lived to argue, as long as it was with the right wolf. A frown reached his face when he was told he couldn't go on any trips, but it quickly morphed into a scowl. "You can't keep me from leaving," he countered. "If I want to go out and explore, you can't stop me." His tone was undeniably cocky, once again challenging the authority of the older wolf. Kove had encouraged him to explore a while back, and the boy had accepted such words and left the territory to check out the rest of the wilds. After getting a taste of that, there was nothing in existence that could possibly prevent him from journeying to farther stretches of Teekon.

Alexander was tempted to ignore the other entirely from then on out, but at the mention of training, his ears pushed forward. His body remained motionless as the other walked around him, but his head turn to watch him. Though he trusted his father's word on the help Damien could provide, he didn't want to risk being attacked without any warning. That caution paid off, too. When the other pounced on him, Xan did his best to remain upright, though he did stumble. The boy growled and watched his mentor take off, then gave chase soon after. So far, he wasn't really appreciating the so called 'training' he was being given.

Once again, the boy defied Damien's authority, and once again Damien expressed how he felt about it. The fact that Alexander argued about his name even after Damien had clearly expressed his disposition to keep it up wasn't what angered him, it was the cockiness in his voice, and that it seemed he actually thought he could get away with it. And then he argued about not being allowed to go out. This kid was clearly not paying attention to Damien's words, and most surely he really needed to be taught proper manners and respect for his superiors. He was still a pup, but that did not give him the right to be a dick. WIth every word that came out of the boy's mouth Damien took one step closer, until their noses were almost touching. Damien towered over the pup, and his bulk had no comparison to the boy's skinny chicken legs.

"You don't understand..." Said Damien with a wry smirk that quickly turned to a scowl that was by far more challenging than Xan's. "You don't get to argue with me, or anyone else in this pack." he explained, but before giving the boy a chance to do his thing, Damien placed his muzzle next to Xan's right ear, with tail high and fur bristling, daring him him to say one more word. with a deep and threatening growl. His muscles were tense, and if Xan attempted to make a move Damien would prevent it with his own weight. It was like a hug of dominance.

"skinny chicken legs" I died at that omg

No matter how close the elder got, Xan did not lower himself or change his tone. He kept his legs straight and stiff, ears pushed forward and eyes narrowed. In the whelping den, he'd taken it upon himself to take over the dominant role, and he wasn't about to change himself simply because he'd been relocated. Damien started to speak and then grew even closer, muzzle lingering near the boy's ear. He did not flinch away, even when a growl sounded. Self-preservation was a key component of his life, but his pride currently outweighed all thoughts of reason. The young Inuit's own fur bristled and his tail was held erect, moments away from hanging above his back. His ears folded back and he, too, let out a growl. "If someone is unreasonable or does something I don't like, they need to be corrected," he stated, arrogance never ceasing to leave his voice.

"Agreeing to let you teach me was a mistake," he concluded. "I'm leaving." Xan went to back away from the other, fully intent to start learing things from there on out by himself. Whether his father approved of the other or not no longer mattered to him.

please shoot me
it happened again... I had this huge reply almost done, and chrome decided to eat it AGAIN Dx

It is funny to think how much Damien and Alexander are alike. Arrogance, that was a word that defined both of them, but unlike Xan, Damien had developed maturity under Burke's guidance. Although Damien liked the determination of Xan to not be bullied and to hold his ground, he couldn't allow the boy to think he could challenge an adult and get away with it. After all, Xan was still a pup in the eyes of the pack, and he still didn't have the right to climb up the ranks. That would come later, with the proper preparation and the right intention. Xan was simply a brat whose father had failed to teach him manners, but thankfully, Damien was here to do just that. He would have to show that in Blackfeather Woods he wasn't more than a pup, and that his father's status didn't give him an advantage above anyone else, and he would learn that the same way Damien himself had.

From the position of his ears to the height of his tail, everything Xan was doing was making Damien even angrier. Damien had been forgiving for once, ad he'd given the boy a chance to reconsider his stance, but he had failed to realize that, and he was pushing his limits. He attempted to pull away from Damien, but before he could take one step the dark male took him by the nape and pushed hard with all his weight to tackle him down. Once there, he would hold his position above the boy until he showed submission one way or another. Alexander could fight all he wanted, but Damien would keep his place above the pup, both literally and figuratively.

omg, bad chrome! D: i've taken to typing responses into a word document and then c + p it into the reply box... could try that? might save future posts from death < 3

Foolishly, he'd thought himself to be in the clear. He'd assumed he'd be permitted to leave, but boy was he wrong. Not even a single step had been taken before teeth were upon him, weight then being used to force him downwards. Alexander had attempted to fight against it, of course, to prevent his body from meeting the ground, but in the end he'd failed. Hardly any muscle clung to his bones, and the weight of the elder proved to be too much for him. The moment he'd felt himself hit the cold earth, a growl grew within his throat and he began to squirm. The fact that he'd been pushed down was enough for him to realize that he couldn't force his way back up, meaning the only possible solution would be to wiggle his way out from beneath the shadow—but even that was proving to be futile.

Making no progress physically, he fell back onto his voice, wondering if by some miracle his words could get him out of his current predicament. "Get off!" Okay, probably not the best way to go about doing things, but it was what he knew. Demanding things was practically a specialty of his, even if his success rate whilst doing so was unbelievably low. "I'm going to tell my dad," he proclaimed, clearly having a small Draco Malfoy moment; not that it would do him any good, really, but it was at least worth a shot.

I guess I should try
That happens way too often :(

As expected, Xan battled to free himself from Damien, but every effort was quickly shut down by the use of force. Damien was way stronger than Xan, and he’d earned his size through hard work and dedication. If Xan pretended to get there at some point in his life he would have to listen to Damien and stop arguing, and they wouldn’t reach that point if the kid kept thinking himself of royal blood.

When Xan realized that the use of physical effort was powerless against someone twice his size in bulk, he attempted once again to demand to be released of Damien, but the older male paid no mind to words at this point. Damien would only release the child if he showed respect and submitted to him.

I am so behind on replies... sorry! @ A @;
& this lil shit omfg

Struggling had only tired him out, and then shouting had done nothing at all. It was clear that none of his usual tactics would provide the wanted results. At this rate, he'd reach adulthood before Damien got off of him. That thought bugged the absolute hell out of him, as did the situation as a whole. Who gave the other boy permission to do it? Who told him he could just do whatever and it'd be fine? The mastermind would need sought out later on, but presently he was dealing with more pressing matters—literally.

That thought gave him an idea. Xan went on to keep the air within his lungs for longer periods of time between each breath, until his sides were heaving and his heart rate had increased significantly. "I c-... can't breathe!" Though his first try at acting months ago had failed miserably, he'd figured he'd take another shot at it. Who knows, maybe he'd improved a bit since then...? Probably not, to be perfectly honest, but whatever. Xan will be Xan.

Don't worry! I am as well :v
EDIT: @Xan wanna finish this??

The younger male had nowhere to go, Damien was pressing with all his strength and making sure there was little to no mobility for Xan until he showed some respect the same way Burke had done with him not so long ago. But there was a difference between Damien and Alexander. Damien had realized that submitting to a superior was only a matter of respect, which he had for Burke; but Xan was just a little piece of shit who thought he even had the right to talk back to an adult. Yeah, perhaps Damien and Xan weren't so different, but at least one of them knew what was best for them and when to strike.

Xan whined claiming he couldn't breathe, and Damien's growl only intensified. His breathing had turned slower, and his heart rate had increased, but Damien couldn't care less. If all of it was true, they were only about to get to the point in which one of them would give up, and it wouldn't be Damien. He would win the challenge, and he would hear or see Xan's submission before moving away. there was no other option.

Eep, yes! This has been running for forever now, aha... sorry ^^;;

The boy's master plan had been met with the same results as everything else—nothing. Scratch that, the elder wolf's growl had deepened, so that was something, right? Rather, none of the results that would have left him satisfied had chosen to reveal themselves. It began to dawn on him that there was only one way to successfully get away, but it was something he despised most in the world. It was, without a doubt, the last possible resort; which he'd already met and then passed, like, five moves back. The young Inuit had been more than reluctant to admit defeat, yet now he knew that was the only way to get out of his current situation. From there, he could then flee, taking to hiding and bidding his time until he was able to properly strike.

Xan's ears folded back and his tail lowered to wrap around his backside, head moving down to touch the earth in the process. Every inch of him remained still after that, silent and embarrassed by his own demeanor. It was almost painful, even though the motions themselves were slight, and the situation he'd be loath to ever place himself in again.

Not until every muscle in Xan's body was still did Damien stop pressing down. Then, with pride and a growl still blazing in his chest, the dark male let go of his grip. He didn't pull away immediately, and kept his fangs close to Xan's neck for a moment to enforce his submission. It was past due for the kid to learn some respect, and right after this challenge concluded, Damien would go straight to Burke to let him know Xan was to be kept under supervision. Damien would be pleased to do that himself.

To add insult to injury, Damien didn't stop at pinning the young male to the ground. The events required of more serious actions to be taken, and for the kid to truly learn his place. Warm, Damien's urine bathed the young male, claiming dominance, superiority and humiliating the insubordinate pup even further. And with that it was over. The lesson had concluded and Damien walked away with his tail high and his pride renewed.

To expect an immediate release had been foolish, on his part. While he could adapt to the other's dominance being enforced further, he was not particularly pleased by it. He was an unhappy soul, perhaps naturally, but even more so in his current situation. All he wanted to do was leave, go into hiding or leave the territory until he felt himself ready to challenge the elder male once more. Of course, things could never be so simple. Rather than being released, he felt a warm liquid coating his back, and it was only when the odour invaded his nostrils that he'd realized what had happened—what Damien had done to him.

Rather than growling, starting the process all over again, he was left frozen in place. The boy's ears laid flat against his crown, shock scrawled all over his face in bold lettering. It was only after the other had left that Xan had managed to drag himself up to his feet, giving a rough shake of his pelt in the process. Several more times he did so, attempting to rid himself of as much of the urine as possible, before he was gone. Off to find a clean water source that he could bathe himself in, and then to seek a shelter far away from the rest of the living. In due time, vengeful measures would be taken.