Silver Creek the world-eater wakes
those whom life does not cure, death will.
270 Posts
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#1
All Welcome 
aw - any rosings crew especially welcome

iliksis languished under the mean glare of a weak winter sun, his pelt lent a soft array of mocha chocolate hues. perhaps with the sun slanted just so, it was the only time in iliksis' life he looked at rest and peaceful -- but that illusion was soon broken by the haughty sweep of his terribly sunken gaze.

his urges had not subsided from their primal warbeat - they still strummed along his taut gut and feral heart, clamoring to be spent: he ignored them. he was not a man fit for the role of dutiful companionship - being in such close proximity to the coven's roiling heart (and so many ripe bodies just begging for his appetite to find them) set his teeth on edge. there were many wolves here, (too many) and thus far iliksis had managed to avoid all but one.

eventually, his luck would run out.. but then again, he thought wryly, so would theirs.
warning: PG-18+ explicit content.
116 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#2
WC: 630
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Having begun searching for herbs in case any were ever needed, Oryx had combed through their claimed section of the wilds in search of anything that she could find useful. At this point in the year, though, a great deal of the herbs that were useful for their leaves had turned brown and wilted, leaving stick-like stems that were deprived of their nutrients. She had to search for roots instead, as any bulbs or roots that were medicinal would be safe to harvest all winter long- but the more the ground froze, the more difficult it would be to get at them. It also wore on her, as digging was much more time consuming than simply plucking flowers, and it meant that as a proper lady, she had to clean herself after every plant was stashed so that she maintained a flawless appearance. This was all a bit much- and she would rather have spent her time hunting, but she would acclimatize at some point, she imagined.

She caught the scent of another wolf in the area and bristled lightly, but with a sudden wash of shame, told herself to calm down and lower her hackles. It was not her job to be wary of others- the males were to protect her, and she realized soon enough that this scent belonged to one of the males in the fledgeling group. A potential husband, she told herself, but couldn’t help her cheeks from burning. It was not for her to decide, and she wasn’t sure how many other males she wanted to meet- lest she should fall in love with one, but be given another. Still, she could hardly keep her curiosity in check, and wanted to see if this was another one of the Odolf rothers- as they were all so splendid.

When she tracked him down, she was surprised to see that he looked nothing like the Odolfs. Like her, he was sharp-featured, but perhaps even more so, as his physique hinted at a mixed heritage. She found it slightly odd that the brothers- all handsome in such generic ways- would take in another male who looked so different from them. She supposed, then, that they were going more for etiquette than for looks, which was a good thing for her- as she was fairly small, and not likely to have large litters if her frame had anything to do with how many pups she conceived. He was dark, svelte, and lean- and there were soft touches of grey to his pelt, and a slight hue of dark bronze around the tips of his guard hairs in the sunshine. He was not an unattractive wolf, she decided; until his face swung in such a direction that allowed her to see the hollow, sunken yellow gaze he sported. Something about it was unsettling, but there was a calm about him, too. Surely, he was simply being misunderstood.

Oryx gave herself a quick once-over, just checking to make sure that she had thoroughly cleaned the dirt off her legs and paws, and that none of it lingered on the fur of her chest or ruff, either. She checked out well- and she didn’t find any dirt clinging to her, thankfully. She had to present herself well, even though she loathed doing so at all. She didn’t want to speak out- and felt it was inappropriate to speak at all, until spoken to. She offered his a quiet chuff, as though to catch his attention though he had likely already spied her by then. To him, she gave a deep bow of her head, ears turned back lightly in deference. All of this interaction was still a bit too much for her...But this was what normal life was like, wasn’t it?
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199 Posts
Ooc — Belle
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#3
Gonna totally be a butt and sneak on in here if that's cool w you both :3

She didn't need a man's protection.

She thought it a terribly pitiful thing, to rely on a man for life itself. Women were just as capable, just as strong, and if her words were untrue then surely she would have been naught but a corpse by now - no, she was a survivor and not once in her life had she depended on a man. Perhaps that was why she felt so out of place here, among these cowardly women who did nothing to stand up for themselves. A part of her could not blame them - it was almost as though they had been brainwashed into their beliefs, but Faeryn was not fooled. She would play along with the game, for now.

The sea nymph was regal in her stride, as she always was - graceful and quiet. She had watched as Oryx looked herself over, as though preparing to meet a king; a king was not who materialised into Faeryn's vision. The silvery wolfess strolled up beside the other woman and gave a nod of greeting before her gaze wandered to the man. She would not bow before him, but she offered him the same greeting as she had the she-wolf - though she had opted to hide her own choices, she could not bring herself to cower before a man simply for the fact that he was a man, and so she did not.
I see quiet nights,
poured over ice
those whom life does not cure, death will.
270 Posts
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#4
iliksis nearly dozed off, so strong was the wave of (contentment?) sunshine that spread over him - warm and soft and beckoning. his eyes closed -- and then reopened at the sign of a chuff.

he had let his guard down, admittedly - for he had his own opinion of the crew he walked amongst. the women were harried, fretful and meek - and the men, so self-assured and full of cocky swagger that he marveled how their swollen balls didn't get in their way as they walked. and then there was him - straddled between the two classes; quiet but not meek, self-assured but not cocky.

his dull gaze fell upon the female that had made some sort of noise to gain his attention: she was pristine clean, with a shy-blue gaze and a deep pelt interspersed by silvery hairs along her nape. more important to iliksis was her body-type - gods, it was so small -- he could practically flip her over in his paw if he wanted to, inspect her how he liked -- do anything at all to her --

but she had company.

his attention drew to the wolf that arrived to flank her - bodyguard, protector? he couldn't tell - but he recognized that wolf and a crease of confusion furrowed his brow. why was she here, and not guarding that pup on the strand?

nothing had come of that time he had searched for the girl, and while he was confident faeryn knew little of him besides what she had witnessed that day on the beach, he did not favor she was here. he wanted a new slate - a fresh start for him to sink his vile black roots into deep - and she would compromise that.

he decided then, that perhaps she would be his first target; a mysterious disappearance, gone so soon but we hardly knew her -- he wondered how he could make it work.. wolves left all the time, didn't they?

chalk it up to restless legs, baby.

he offered a wan smile, shifting between blades of bright sun. all monstrous thoughts of rape and murder that simmered in his blackened mind were completely invisible, separate from the dull, almost lazy aspect of his smile. they would know nothing. 

"hello, ladies."
warning: PG-18+ explicit content.
116 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#5
WC: 477
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Oryx couldn’t help but detect a certain air of hunger about the man who looked at her with a gaze that was assured and interested. She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about it- part of her knew that he wouldn’t attack her or hurt her- if he was with this fledgeling pack then surely he would abide by the laws and would be a true gentleman. Oryx had a penchant for putting blind faith in others and following as a sheep did, without asking questions or thinking that anything could ever go wrong as long as someone else made the decisions. Still, something about his raw gaze made her feel vulnerable and naked, but the thing that caused her so much confliction was the fact that part of her liked it. He was a male, after all, and he was simply doing what was in his right- and that was to look down upon females with want and desire, so long as they remained in their place. Her main duty was to produce children when the time came upon them, so why should he not look at her with want? And if he did, then perhaps the Odolf brothers would notice that she was desirable...And she might get chosen to be assigned to one of them as a wife. Of course, she already had eyes for Harrison...But that didn’t mean that Iliksis’ gaze didn’t excite her as well.

She flinched slightly as Faeryn approached, but as soon as she recognized her pack-sister, she smiled and allowed her tail to wave between her ankles in a friendly manner. She was almost grateful for the company, as she wasn’t sure yet exactly how she should compose herself when in the presence of one of the males and no others. Faeryn, however, was perhaps not the most ideal example, though, as she did not bow to Iliksis; a denial of respect that Oryx found to be a bit troubling. Her opalescent gaze swept back to Iliksis who greeted them with a purring tone that made her slightly weak in her knees...Perhaps he didn’t mind so much that she wasn’t being as respectful as she should- but there was something slightly colder in his gaze when he looked at Faeryn that had not gone unnoticed by the smaller, darker female. And part of her enjoyed that fact.

In response, she bowed her head again, a soft smile upon her lips and she kept her ears turned back reverently. ”Hello, sir,” She peeped in response, her voice steady but quiet...And she was fairly sure that Faeryn would take the lead on this one and comfortable should she decide to do that. Oryx wanted to observe exactly how Faeryn interacted with the males, so that she might know what to do- or what to avoid doing.
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199 Posts
Ooc — Belle
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#6
She hoped it was support she offered, even by small presence alone (it would be no lie to suggest that Faeryn was a petite girl).

Her own features were lit with a soft smile in Oryx's direction, wispy ears cupping forward and blue tail swaying smoothly behind. Her motives were often driven by the idea of protection, of safety and hope; the nymph had always wanted to save and defend, perhaps simply so she would not lose any others in her life, familiar or not - countless images of burning flames and scorched skin would often curse the darkness behind her eyes when she lay to sleep, and in her uncomfortable shifting she would be reminded of her promise. The promise to live. Perhaps she grew attached too quick, but when she had lost all but herself, what else was she to do?

The man, as he turned his sharp face toward the pair, sent ripples of uncertainty through Faeryn's stomach. It took her a brief moment to place his appearance among the sea of faces in her mind, but her tongue swept out to brush against her lips in contemplation when at last she found his place. The man who had crossed the land bridge to the island she loved so dearly. Though she strained, the Renoda could not find a specific detail that put Iliksis in her bad list; even so, his features were unsettling enough, with hungry eyes that sent her mind reeling. She did not like his presence. She noted down in her skull to keep watch, to observe, despite the seemingly innocent grin that marked his muzzle. Why was he here? The silvery sylph faced him with a momentary stare (eyes of watery blues scanning him quickly) before she placed her glance at his cheek out of respect - she knew she would not be able to challenge him in such a way as she would have been able to before, not among the rosings wolves. Faeryn would have to keep her judgements to herself, for now. But oh, she would watch.

"Afternoon, sir - I don't believe we've met yet." The word sir felt uncomfortable on her tongue, but she knew she would have to adapt to earn her place. The man showed no signs of declaring that he knew Faeryn, so for now she would simply play along, though her knowing eyes glittered in his direction, waiting for a few heartbeats before she continued. "My name is Faeryn. I hope we did not disturb you too much." Her mellifluous voice came with ease, and her conjured words seemed only real to the ear; she left room for Oryx to introduce herself in turn if she wished, unknowing that she was attempting to learn from the sea nymph. Perhaps it was rather funny that the blue wolfess herself was also deciphering Oryx's own way of interacting with the males, so she might better adapt.
I see quiet nights,
poured over ice
those whom life does not cure, death will.
270 Posts
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#7
the women here were so obliging. whatever cult it was that grayson and his ilk had devised, iliksis marveled that it had not been invented sooner. there was something sickeningly satisfying about looking another wolf in the eye - a wolf that should be equal -- and knowing they simpered and sniveled beneath you.

he could get used to this. monster that he was, his appetite would only grow if the women were to stroke his fancies the same way they carefully stroked their master's egos. in time he would see to it that they did -- but for now iliksis looked every bit a sunning basilisk. fat... content... and enormously dangerous.

his gaze lingered on oryx a little longer, even as faeryn spoke. he liked her obeisance; he wondered if she would be easy to mold, easy to break. he even wondered some other abject and horrifying thing, but his attention stole to faeryn next, as she had finished speaking. he did not catch the feigned politeness of her tongue, nor the flitting look of discomfort, for once again his eyes were lingering -- favoring the sharp, jutting angle of oryx's hips.

"iliksis," he returned, his voice somehow carrying less warmth than the air that chilled them. "i saw you on the beach once." his comment might have seemed idle, but it carried with it an insinuation: what are you doing here?
warning: PG-18+ explicit content.
116 Posts
Ooc — Jess
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#8
wc:435
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Oryx wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do in this situation. Had Faeryn not showed up, she supposed she would simply, naturally converse with Iliksis, who offered his name to them. Faeryn had offered hers too, as well as a greeting, which perhaps might have been a bit much, in Oryx’s opinion...But then again, she tended to be far too backward to be appropriate, so her opinion was likely skewed. When Faeryn spoke, hoping that they hadn’t disturbed him, she wondered if Faeryn was indirectly scolding Oryx for approaching him...But then again, her tone was friendly, and she seemed to be there, more willing to offer strength and companionship to Oryx than to scold her and drive her away from an available bachelor in the pack. It was appreciated, as Oryx would likely have been even more lost had she not shown up.

The only hitch was the fact that Faeryn, the bolder one of the two by far, struck up a conversation with Iliksis- who then spoke back to her, mentioning a beach he’d seen her at before. Oryx felt unwanted suddenly, and wondered if she should let the two be and remove herself from the situation entirely. She hadn’t even been given the chance to introduce herself to Iliksis, who possibly did not even know her name yet. Standing beside Faeryn, whom he had chosen to speak to, she suddenly felt dull, like a cloth doll sitting on a shelf next to a porcelaine one. The last thing that Oryx would ever think of doing would be to interject or to interrupt; so she stayed meekly by Faeryn’s side, lifting her muzzle to see what she might think of Iliksis’ comment. Had they known each other before they had come here? Fortunately, her curiosity helped to soothe her anxiety as the focus was drawn off her and over to the prettier, friendlier Faeryn.

It might have been easier to participate in the conversation- simply listening, rather than speaking- if perhaps she hadn’t noticed the way the male’s dull, sunken, off-yellow eyes trailed over her frame. She wanted to tuck herself against Faeryn, or perhaps to hide behind her a bit, just to keep his gaze off her hindquarters...But as far as she knew, she was meant to be looked at. And if a male wanted to look at her, she should not deny him. She took no pride in knowing his gaze stroked her frame like a hungry, clawed hand, but couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit flattered- that he’d chosen to look at her, rather than Faeryn.
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199 Posts
Ooc — Belle
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#9
She was not terribly foolish - she saw how the Iliksis' gaze lingered on Oryx, watched her like a snake coiled and ready to engulf his prey; she held her tongue, though, lest it get her into more trouble than she desired. It was clear who the man favoured. The sea nymph's own thoughts almost mirrored the other girl's, yet again, in that she felt terribly out of place, unwanted - the other woman allowed her to take the lead in the conversation, but it felt as though she was talking simply to talk. Perhaps she should turn and give them the space they appeared to desire, but to do so felt wrong. She didn't trust Iliksis.

He spat her words back into her face, though with a nonchalant smoothness that struck her like a shard of ice. "Perhaps you did." The petite sylph murmered in response, wispy ears cupping forward to better catch his voice and eyes seeming to drift in thought for a moment before returning to the two wolves in her presence. Where was she to lead the conversation now?

Faeryn could almost feel the unease wavering from the other woman like a ripple of water, and felt the urge to move closer; she was a protector, and it was her duty to protect. Perhaps not in the men's eyes, but among the women, at least, she would do her best to defend them from harm in the ways that she could - a dangerous game, perhaps, but one she would risk for the wellbeing of her packmates. As long as she did not overdo it, did not insinuate that she was equal to a man (despite her beliefs), she would defend. "It is a long travel from the sea, but a new start can be pleasant." She stated softly, hoping to continue the conversation and temporarily divert a little of the hungry staring away from the little wolfess beside her.

Perhaps she would fail, but it was a try nonetheless.
I see quiet nights,
poured over ice
those whom life does not cure, death will.
270 Posts
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#10
he had always been adept at reading the mood in the room: as his gaze flickered from woman to woman, he caught the unease that rippled between them, pulling them away like a current of rapacious riptide.

he would leave, then -- end on what little good note he could. as much as he wanted to probe onyx further, or rip the throat from faeryn in that moment for her rather mystique, infuriatingly nebulous answers, iliksis refrained.

new start, indeed. he would make it pleasant.

iliksis rose, doing so with a snake-like fluidity. sparing them the thinnest of far-from-reassuring smiles, iliksis announced his departure: "ladies."

he said nothing else, even if courtesy required it; before long he had slunk entirely out of eyesight, destined to his own dark designs elsewhere, well beyond imagining.
warning: PG-18+ explicit content.