Blacktail Deer Plateau [j] inhale to the top of my lungs

The journey had been long to reach these Teekon Wilds, of which Persephone had been foretold of via a vision she had been blessed with; though Luxuria remained confident that a loner had passed through Thantos Valley and spoke of them, naming three packs of strength and measure. In fact, the Spartan was sure of it, having personally apprehending the loner who had sought passage through their territory with Agrippa. Luxuria was a coveted skeptic of Persephone's abilities to see into the future. Suspicion had swept across Luxuria multiple times that Persephone wanted her gone, though Luxuria could not fathom why. It wasn't as if Luxuria had ever been competition for Persephoe. Not that, frankly, Luxuria had ever wanted to be competition in that respect. Agrippa was her mentor, her guardian and Luxuria via Agrippa's designs wasn't even female. In the few unchangablr ways she was reluctantly biologically female, but she wasn't female where it truly mattered - in her heart, soul, mind. Honey golden eye rolled at the thoughts of the delicate Persephone, contented with the knowledge that Persephone was not a true Spartan wife. Beauty, yes. Of that Persephone had no shortage of, admittedly; but she was weak. A Spartan wife would never have let a boy threaten her. Regardless, Luxuria found herself in these whispered about lands, seeking out one of the three packs of strength and measure.

The mid-morning was cloudy, the wispy clouds up above skirting across the sun, as if the chariot of Apollo were playing hide and seek with those upon the earth. If the Sun God was playin hide and seek he must have been playing it with the wood nymphs because Luxuria had no times for games. She was a soldier - a weapon of Athena and Ares combined and she had a mission currently. The scent of a pack's borders grew stronger with every step forth she took, and Luxuria's pace slowed, a pregnant pause given as black, leathery nostrils flared as she inhaled, analyzing the scents it proved from the distance. They smelled like a decent sized pack, but further inquiry would be necessary to seek potential in joining. Moving closer the Spartan stopped when she was a respectful distance from the borders, tipped her head back and let out a low howl stating her interest in joining their ranks.

Peregrine watched the stranger approach his borders from the ledge overhead, his presence screened by shadows and scrub. Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, he thought to himself as she came closer, his muscles tensing. When she stopped, he held his breath, then grumbled lowly to himself when she threw back her head and threw a low howl into the air.

Standing, the Alpha male swept down the towpath to intercept her. "What do you want, she-wolf?" he asked simply, his dominant posture severe and his expression stony as he regarded her.

The quickness in which the ink stained male, his masculine scent gave him away to be, approached was remarkable. Given this, Luxuria was left to assume that he had not been far off before hand, and that her call was nothing more than a diversion from whatever he had been doing to begin with. The man's dominate posture was severe, the muscles beneath his coat pulled taunt Luxuria noted, and accordingly the proud Spartan adjusted herself into a submissive posture. Even a Spartan needed a king, and no Spartan was above the laws. Such obedience had been beaten into her from an extremely young age. It was effortless even if it went against prideful nature. She was not that arrogant, and hardly ever so reckless. Luxuria was unable to hide the wince when he addressed her as she-wolf. Whatever the reluctantly unchangable parts of her body said about her they lied. She was no she-wolf and to be addressed as such was blatantly degrading and insulting to the Spartan. Humbly, she swallowed the urge to correct him. It was not the time or the place to inform him of her sexual identity. He did not know her, nor she him. "To join your ranks, sir, if you'd have me." Luxuria admitted, though she was not fool enough to expect that it would be all it took; however, she waited for him to speak, expecting arduous questioning. It was what she and Agrippa had done to loners.

The stranger was quick to lower herself before him, showing proper submission. Peregrine bobbed his snout approvingly, then pricked his ears for her response. When it came, it did not surprise him. Idly, he wondered why it was that newcomers always approached and fed him that exact same line. How come they never seemed to get straight to the point, providing a name and whatever it was they felt they could offer the pack? The Alpha male shifted impatiently.

"Name and résumé, please," he answered simply.

He seemed to approve of her submission, Luxuria took note of but did not spend much time analyzing. It was time to focus on the mission of actually getting in the pack. This was the critical portion of the joining process, when words needed to be properly chosen. He did not need a life story, had not really asked for it, and accordingly would receive only what he had asked for. A name and what she could offer his pack -- though besides the dominance she couldn't be sure he was an alpha, though her gut told her that he was. "My name is Lux," She offered her name. Even if it was a small part of the full thing she could not really stand being called 'Luxuria'. During her training into adolescence Agrippa and the other mentors had addressed her by no name favoring the simplicity of: boy. Eventually she began to realize that they were right, and the other boys treated her like an other boy. Rough and tough - so different from the gentleness given towards females. "I offer my obedience, discipline, strength, and loyalty. I am a soldier first as my mentor raised me to be. I know nothing else." She wasn't half bad at diplomacy but her profession was war: as was every Spartan males and it was critical he knew that going into it.

Lux mentioned her experience as a warrior, which earned an eyebrow raise from Peregrine. He did like the sound of an obedient, disciplined subordinate. With that said, "These aren't things you can prove at a moment's notice. If I accept you into the pack, it will be your responsibility to prove all of this as quickly and adeptly as possible to myself as well as my mate." He didn't think it needed to be stated verbatim that they were the Alpha pair; it should've been obvious enough.

"Tell me more about where you come from and how and why it was you trained as a soldier. Why did you leave? And why did you choose these borders? What do you know of Blacktail Deer Plateau?" Peregrine pressed, straightforward and efficient in his interrogation.

"I understand," Luxuria accepted. Once her loyalty was pledged, that was it -- all it took. "I live, sleep, and breathe them, sir. They are absolute." Lux admitted letting out a breath, her thoughts going to Persephone for a few seconds, though she was perturbed as to why her specifically. Maybe because Persephone was (mostly, but Lux nitpicked) a perfect example of a Spartan wife and Lux the epitome of a Spartan man - even given her biological gender. A young soldier, trained for war without a choice, but the teachings became her lifeblood, until living any other was was not a possibility. "I don't know how to describe it really," Lux paused thoughtfully. To some, the Spartan way was cruel, crude and authoritarian but they were strong. Even the wives. There was no place for the weak or sickly in their society. "The pack my mentor brought me to, Thantos Valley was ...have you ever heard of Spartans? That is what we of Thantos Valley are - Spartans. The boys are stripped of family and taught to fight as a young age, the girls conditioned to be wives." She realized the potential irony in that and would not have been surprised if he pointed it out. "My mentors wife had a vision of me and could not produce children of her own. He saved me from the vagabond life of my parents and made me his legacy." It was simple and perhaps cruel but Lux did not begrudge Agrippa.

"I left because my mentor required it of me though I parted on excellent terms with the pack. Personally, I think his wife just wanted me gone," A soft snort of amusement left Luxuria at that. "You're the first pack I came across. And I figure that you have to start somewhere. Admittedly, not much. I heard of these Teekon Wilds in passing, but the loner was reluctant to share much more as I escorted his passage through the valley." Luxuria spoke honestly having no need and further, no desire, to deceive.

Peregrine shook his head no when asked about the Spartans. He listened to Lux's description. Although he wasn't necessarily the smartest wolf in the world, he was astute enough to pick up on the apparent discrepancy. For the moment, though, he said nothing, letting her finish.

"What if this was a very peaceful pack, with no interest in war or warlike notions? You should really find out what you're getting into it before you request to join a pack's ranks," Peregrine pointed out. "As it stands, the plateau is a pretty average wild wolf pack and we do have use for those with warrior training," he added.

"But I have a question. Why were you trained as a warrior and not a wife?" the Alpha male inquired in the next beat, looking shrewdly at her face.

"I understand, and just because I am a soldier does not mean I'm a warmonger," Lux spoke softly, demurely, submissively. "I figure my talents would be more useful on the borders as a Guardian -- or whatever you name them as." She was fine with a peaceful pack, offering them her protection and the assurance that it would remain peaceful. Her profession was war, but, even Spartans became politicians, husbands, fathers. That was the current stage of her life - fresh out of adolescence and training. His question was fair and she saw no reason not indulge. It wasn't as if she were ashamed. "I was taken as a child - before we really understand genders. I was always androgynous I guess, and the mentors trained me as if I were a boy, even called me 'boy'. I didn't have a choice but I liked it -- being a boy I mean. So I identify as a male rather than a female." A lofty shrug was given as if it were no big deal because to her it wasn't. "If you're concerned about me flirting with females and making them uncomfortable or whatever, don't be. I won't make anyone uncomfortable. I only show interest if they do." Perhaps hearing that might have made him uncomfortable but Lux figured it was best to get that out in the open too, while she was at it.

Peregrine felt as if Lux had missed the point, though he said nothing. Blacktail Deer Plateau was neither a peaceful pack nor a warmongering one but the Alpha male saw the value in acquiring both peacekeepers and warriors just in case.

When Lux explained her androgynous beginnings and the way she identified herself now, Peregrine looked at her blankly. "I don't understand," he replied. It wasn't that he was bigoted, homophobic or anything as black-and-white as all that; he was simply ignorant. "Explain this..." he implored, his tone half imperious, half intrigued.

The alpha - whose name she regrettably did not yet know, though she had basically told him her life story at his request - stared at her blankly through her tyraid regarding to gender identification and basically her sexuality. Though her way of life and thinking was all Luxuria knew it had been accepted without question in Thantos Valley. It didn't occur to her that while it was probably rare anywhere that her ways might have been unorthodox. He spoke that he didn't understand and asked her to explain. Lux wasn't sure how much more clear she needed to be, but nodded; though the half haughty, half seemingly curious tone he had taken made her slightly suspicious of if she was being mocked or not. She didn't care what he thought in the end, and if he didn't like it he could send her on her way. "Ok," Lux blew out her breath, trying to figure out how she could phrase it so he would understand without insulting her and others like her in the process. "Ignore what I am biologically, ok? Regardless of what my body says I'm a male. I am a male and accordingly I have a sexual attraction towards females." Which was as bluntly as she could sum it up for him. "Do you understand now?" She inquired softly, not embarrassed but mutely curious. Though if he did not understand after that she was not sure how else she could state it.

Obligatory disclaimer: Sorry Perry's being a douche. His thoughts/feelings are not my own. :P

She explained herself in clear-cut terms, yet Peregrine still found himself struggling to wrap his mind around the concept. He supposed he understood on some level; it was like Lux was a tomboy, only taken to an extreme. When she stated her attraction toward other females, he blinked. Although his parents had been open-minded and liberal—and had presumably raised him to be the same—Peregrine was such a feral, natural creature that he simply couldn't make sense of it all.

"I guess I don't," he replied somewhat defensively, feeling as if Lux's questions were implying he was dense. "I don't know how I can just ignore the fact that you are clearly female. I don't understand the part where you're attracted to females but, honestly, I don't really care about that. It's the part where you expect me to just treat you like a dude when you're not a dude." Peregrine peered at Lux shrewdly, unaware that he might be offending her. He didn't do it intentionally; he was just being honest.

"I'm going to have to call my mate to see what she thinks. On all accounts, you'd be a good addition to the pack but I'm not sure I'm the best judge of... everything else. It makes me uncomfortable and perhaps it would do the same to others," the swarthy Alpha thought aloud. "I'll let Hawkeye be the judge," he repeated, almost as if thinking aloud, before pointing his dark muzzle into the air and howling for his mate.

Hawkeye was in the middle of digging a hole to stuff a hoof in when a faint call from her mate came to her. She lifted her large head — what was it that tipped his voice? Concern? The Alphess huffed and dropped the hoof in the shallow rut and burst into a run.

By the time she arrived, her heavy body was drained of energy. This was new. I feel as if I could just sleep for days, she thought to herself. "Hello, Peregrine," The black female nodded to her mate before resting her eyes on another female. The wolf carried herself in an odd way. Hawkeye simply looked to Peregrine to seek why he had called for her.

I thought I'd post again just because it makes the most sense...

His mate came promptly and Peregrine offered her a warm, "Hey," in response to her own greeting. He gave her a quick smile, then his face took on a strange look as he motioned toward Lux. "This is Lux. She wants to join. She was raised as a warrior and, to be fair, seems like she'd be a good addition to the ranks." As he spoke of her positive attributes, he looked at the wolf in question.

Then his gaze shifted to Hawkeye's face. "The thing is, she says she's a guy. She's pretty adamant about it. She says she's attracted to females as well." Peregrine reported all of this rather clinically, though his dusky blue-green eyes and his body language probably gave away some of his discomfiture.

"I wasn't really sure what to think. I wanted to leave the call up to you," Peregrine finished before falling silent and waiting to see what Hawkeye would decide.

I know Kat, no worries! :p

Knowing she was at his mercy, and the mercy of his mate, that her survival balanced on the edge of a knife because who she was made him uncomfortable internally irritated her. In reality though, they were probably misunderstanding one another, but even so if she was turned away today because who she was made the alpha pair uncomfortable felt like a piss poor reason to her. It wasn't as if she could help who she was, and likewise she had chose to be upfront about her beliefs and sexuality -- surely that carried some kind of merit. Lips parted to interject that she thought he was misunderstanding she hadn't percisely asked him to think of her as a male -- though she understood where her words might have insinuated as such. Merely, she was trying to tell him how she saw herself. She stood silently as an ebony woman showed up and Peregrine launched into an explanation, waiting for her turn to speak her piece.

"I think you misunderstood me. I don't really care what gender you think of me as - you can think of me as a duck if it tickles your fancy. I was just telling you that I think of myself as male," Lux spoke humbly, softly, mindful of her tone. She wasn't exactly looking to make a habit out of being a loner. A soldier without a purpose was nothing more than a wardog, a mercenary. "And as far as me being sexually attracted to females, it's not something I have intentions of flaunting and I'm not going to like hit on -- flirt -- with anyone. I mean, no one is going to know unless they ask me because I won't lie; and I'm not into that whole forcing myself upon others thing." Her first love was battle, her training. With her part explained to whom she assumed was the alpha female she fell silent, knowing that it was just a waiting game now.

Eyes focused on honey-brown eyes and then shifted to blue-green ones.

Hawkeye simply shrugged. She looked back to the brown, grey, and black wolf. "So, you're a dude. We have plenty of them in our ranks." Turning back toward Peregrine, an eyebrow was raised, asking "If you find him qualified, what harm is being caused?"

The black Alphess took a step forward. "Since you already discussed things with Peregrine and everything seems to be in order... welcome to Blacktail Deer Plateau, Lux."

In ways she was ignorant to the lifestyle she was living at the point, it was now obvious that Peregrine simply could not understand things she could. In the many packs (of where she grew up) that had acted as one, boys played as girls and vice versa. Some grew out of this stage, but Hawkeye distinctly remembered a girl about a year older than her that assumed the same position as Lux. Her name had been Jayne. Where other wolves her age began taking roles as either male or female (Warriors or Caretakers), Jayne had been adamant that she would be a Warrior and be seen as a male. At first, the young males had made fun of her; but, soon, they saw her as a comrade. Peregrine simply had to view Lux as this: a comrade.

Lux countered him, explaining that she didn't care how others viewed her, despite giving him that very impression moments ago. Peregrine's lips parted as if to argue, though he didn't see the point. Instead, he looked to Hawkeye, waiting for her to make the judgment call.

When she did—evidently she didn't think it was any big deal—the Alpha male simply nodded, accepting her decision. He might not be able to accept Lux's sexual identity as easily or comfortably as Hawkeye, yet he wouldn't second-guess his mate's decision. Now that Lux had her blessing, she also had his, though he would continue to think of her as a female, at least until convinced otherwise.

Hawkeye issued a formal welcome and Peregrine waved his tail as if to complement it. He then nudged his mate, said, "I have things to do. See you later," to both of them and then trotted up the towpath and disappeared into the plateau's woods.

It seemed that the female - Hawkeye Lux was fairly sure the male: Peregrine had called her - did not share her mate's discomfort at Lux's personal choices. In fact she seemed to take it with a casual indifference as if she had known someone similar before. Whatever inspired Hawkeye's casual and ready acceptance of her oddity Lux didn't know and frankly didn't care. What mattered was that though Lux hardly knew the woman, she could tell that Hawkeye and her would get along just fine. "Thank you," Slipped sincerely from Lux's lips, as she bowed her head in a sign of respect. Lux's body was her weapon, a finely tuned instrument of killing, admittedly, but also protecting. They, and the others of the pack had her unwavering loyalty and her protection. It was a relief to have a commanding officer once more, a purpose beyond existing. She could begin living again.

Hawkeye watched Peregrine go, and simply shrugged. He was the first wolf that she could not read well, but the question was whether or not he had a problem. Hawkeye was sure that if he did, he would have said something. He was not the type to stay quiet or let his opinion go unknown.

The wolf before her seemed genuinely happy. "Well, I suppose I should show you around, then. We have many caches that Peregrine mostly fills. Most have their own den, and they are scattered throughout the land so you can pick anywhere you see fit. I'll even help you dig one today, if you'd like." Hawkeye thought that Lux would make a good addition to the pack, and hoped that the others thought so as well.

I'm going to go ahead and have this archived here because it seems like a good place to wrap this up. :D

Hawkeye lingered even as Peregrine parted from them, and offered to show her around. Lux offered Hawkeye a soft, appreciative smile. “Alright,” The Spartan tipped her head shortly after Hawkeye had spoken of the freedom of dens. “Thank you for the offer, ma’am, but I don’t want to trouble you. I’ll poke around and see if I can find an abandoned one that might fit me.” Even if it didn’t at least Lux would not have to start the digging process from scratch, at any rate. Despite that she declined Hawkeye’s offer of helping digging a den, Lux followed her dutifully during the tour that had been offered and accepted.