Deepwood Weald Some say the end is near
sometimes, dead is better
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Ooc — Noki
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#1
All Welcome 
At some point, there was a pack here. He could have sworn while staying on the coast that he had crossed by the borders of this pack - but as he wandered closer to the woods, their scent seemed to have weakened since then. A shame. As he began to search for the perfect land to claim for the Nightwalkers, he was also taking note of any packs he might cross along the way.

Carefully, step by step, ears poised at the top of his head, alert to all sounds that surrounded him as his nose remained close to the ground. Dissecting the scent of the individuals who once claimed these woods as their own. His pace was slow, methodical, like an aristocrat at dinner as they slowly picked apart their meal bit by bit. He had to be absolutely certain that these woods were left unclaimed before continuing on his journey through the wilderness.

With his senses on high alert, certain that one of the pack's wolves would come out after him at any second for trespassing - he snaped into an aggressive stance at the sound of a twig snapping. Fiery orbs focussing on where the sound had come from, ears pulled forward as hackles rose with his maw splitting into a horrible sharp grimace. Stepping forward, a terrible growl resonated deep within his chest as he threatened whoever was hidden in the brush. Whoever it was, he was ready to attack... or defend, whatever it was that was there.
always in this twilight
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Ooc — Jem
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#2
it's less and less often that she finds herself leaving the proximity of the woods and whenever she does happen to it's accompanied by this new feeling of guilt that she's not well used to yet. but still, despite her worries that something might happen when she's not present especially with the lack of adults to defend them- these occasional outings are necessary for her sanity if nothing else. maybe it's something to do with her former pack /if you could even call it that, prison might suit better/ but she felt restless after spending too much time within her borders. it is likely brought on by spending so much time in her life unable to leave a place that she now has a fear of being cooped up in the one space for too long despite obviously regarding her current home much more fondly than her previous.

at least there's bertók. her feathered friend didn't like leaving his own family up high in their trees so he usually opted to stay behind which worked well for her. she could be confident that should anything ever happen- he'd be quick to find her and let her know. 

time passes slowly, contained by nothing more than mere idle steps and aimless thought tracks as the wintery soldier prowls on. yet she's met with surprise to find herself at the edge of none other than the woods the melonii used to live in. where she'd come across flicker not too long ago. even the thought of the red toned woman has her lip curling in distaste but she's more focused on being surprised that it's here that her wandering has landed her. she hadn't even been thinking of the treacherous mongrels but here she stood. well they were still obviously empty and she had nothing better to do so with a simple shrug she'd let herself roam forward once more.

soft steps carried the phantom like being around trees and over the scattered floor. they really paled in comparison to the woods of blackfeather and she could almost see why damien had been so desperate to return, there was nothing like them. still- any forest is much preferred to being out in the open. open spaces like that made her wary and she definitely questioned those that preferred that to the shelter of the trees.

she'd continue to pick her way forward with the leisurely steps of one out for the mere sake of strolling- a rarity she didn't get to enjoy all too often. however it didn't last as it took no more than one rogue twig snapping under a paw to bring forth a deep growl off to her side and without missing a beat the pale woman would spin around. eyes as dark as night in the gloom would narrow- instantly suspecting it to be a melonii wolf but a quick sniff proves her wrong. muscles remain tensed as hackles raise in silent preparation- no noise escaping her yet despite the instinctive curl of her lip. slowly she'd move forward so that a bristling brute came into view- dark, hollow eyes meeting a gaze of sparking fire. a brow arches now but her posture remains strung like a bow, ready to attack at the smallest of commands. "quite a reaction for a twig snapping i must say"
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sometimes, dead is better
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He was prepared to defend himself. Prepared to take whoever was coming to defend what was left of their land. Taking a step forward, he swallowed the ground between them, ready to investigate the sound personally as they took far too long to come out - but as the sight of white eventually came into view, he stood his ground once more. Tail flickering from one side to the next in one swift motion.

Taking the moment to pick out the smell upon the alabaster woman's pelt, only then did he relax just enough to let the hackles fall back into place upon his back. It wasn't the same. She came from somewhere else. He did not trust her, no, the gargantuan was still on guard as ever, but his desire to lunge had subsided for now. Some lingering members from here might not be too welcoming, I was certain a turf war would begin. Again.

Like that woman on the seaside mountain. Claiming a land all for her own. At least the members of a disbanded pack would have some reasoning behind their desire to defend, to some, saying goodbye to a home was difficult. Nothing he was familiar with, but aware of, yes.

Are you familiar with who they were? A friend, perhaps, coming to visit from afar? If he played his cards right, he could get to know this one too and where she hailed from... Kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Should the Nightwalkers grow in numbers and claim land for their own, he had to be aware of the packs nearby.
always in this twilight
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Ooc — Jem
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#4
his stance loses some of its aggressive tone meaning he either had a pretty extreme way of reacting to being startled or he'd been expecting something much worse than the small ghost. amusement makes a jab at inky eyes before being swallowed up by the darkness once more as she studies him. her own posture has relaxed slightly- no longer posed to attack but matching him with a high guard all the same. ah, that made sense. the lingering traces of the melonii did somehow still have a claim on these lands. their stench seemed as hard to remove as one of a sickly, decaying animal. how fitting. she does now offer up a quick shake of her head before going on to scoff; "oh don't worry about them, long goneshe usually prefers to keep an air of absolutely no emotion around strangers, made you way less vulnerable if you didn't seem to care about anything but she really couldn't be arsed to try keep the scorn from her voice. maybe once she'd have been wary of him actually knowing the melonii and skipping home to tell them how tundra was bitching about them behind their backs, oh no! she didn't give a fuck anymore, not like it'd be that much of a shock to them to hear she wasn't their biggest fan.

hints of a smile trace her jaws at his next enquiry; doll-like orbs that had previously wandered now regarding him wholly once more. "you could say thatshe intends to leave it at that at first but after eyeing him a moment longer she decides to not even bother resisting; screw being mature as dear flicker would've said. "i'll tell you now, they were- are pathetic excuses of a pack.it wasn't a lie anyway and sure maybe not all of them were the worst but that's why she'd said 'as a pack' and not as 'individuals'. couldn't blame all of them for picking the wrong wolves to roam with, some were just stupid. "who are you anyway?she's mildly curious by him- a rare enough thing shown by the fact that she even bothered asking for some sort of introduction. usually such things were lost on her but his little display at the beginning had caught her attention. how predictable of her.
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sometimes, dead is better
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#5
Long gone - he'd recognize their scent in the Haunted Woods once arriving, but for now, he'd continue to see what he could find out about them. Long gone? Gone as in disbanded or moved to a new location. Gone as in killed off, or expanded beyond what these woods could sustain and onto a more fruitful one. Judging by her tone, she wasn't loyal to them. Perhaps he could squeeze more information out of her while they were still civilized... while he was still civilized that is.  Mind explaining what long gone means? Scattered, or moved.

Were, are, which one was it. The meaning behind those words was contradictory to their state of being. Should they be something he looks further into? Or a group went to the wind, forgotten like a season. 

 Vengeance, mercenary for hire. Allowing his words to linger for a moment, deciding to keep his followers to himself for the time being. Allowing them to spread their own services on their own terms until the pack was well-formed and healthy. There was no need to spread their presence as a pack just yet, letting the word spread like wildfire to those who would want to crush them before they ever became true. 

For now, as far as anyone knew - except for a few trusted enough - he was a solo mercenary looking for work.  And who is asking? This time he turned the question onto her. He too offered a mild grin as he waited for her own introduction. She smelled of a pack, that was for certain. One he did not recognize, not yet anyway.
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#6
a little thoughtful hm slips free as she shifts her weight- eyeing him curiously. there's an immature but definitely present want to retain this information and refuse to share it with him out of the pure interest to see how he'd take that. it's a stubborn click, a displeasure to give something up just because she was asked. but alas she bites it back, perhaps sensing an itch to him- recognising one that would resort to violence at the drop of a needle. it wasn't what she really wanted, not right now at least. running her tongue over pearly fangs- she lifts pale shoulders in an effortless shrug. "moved last time i heardshe could tell him where, could tell him they just wanted to stalk her pack but frankly- why should she. he wasn't her buddy, she answered his question. 

he does introduce himself though so that's a start and she must admit she's pleased when he adds more than just a name. a name is a fickle, useless thing really. it could be his real one, it could be a fake one but either way it was nothing but a way of identifying oneself as something different from any other wolf. a title on the other paw, that's what she really sought when asking for an introduction but rarely received. any interest that might've faded from the conversation returns with the prick of pale ears. mercenary for hire? her head tilts to the side in a tiny, bird like movement. memories shifted uneasily in the depths of her mind but for the moment she remained above them- they wouldn't hinder her now. still...it was definitely interesting to hear. before she can question him on it, he asks for her to return the gesture. fair, "tundra, of blackfeather woodsshe doesn't bother with telling him she's one of its leaders, failing to find any relevance to the title right now. out here rank meant nothing. 

she steps closer now, paws drifting lightly over the earth so the space between them is somewhat smaller. slowing now her gaze swoops over him as a small smile tugs at her own black lips. soft, lilting tones slip free to ask; "so you're saying if i wanted to get rid of someone without getting my paws dirty you'd do it?a brow arches, memories pushing harder at their boundaries at this fresh, unexpected ammunition granted unknowingly by this man. "what's the catch?"
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sometimes, dead is better
484 Posts
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#7
Moved. Neither disappointment or excitement flashed within. He would be careful to memorize their scent for now and keep an eye on their movements (he'd recognize them at Haunted Woods, but those threads are old now, so this will just die LOL). This woman wasn't giving him much to work on, but it was enough to keep him satiated. Thankfully for her, his lack of knowledge of this pack kept him from desiring as much from her as possible - they were just a pack in the woods that had come and gone before he had even the chance to meet any of them.

Tundra of Blackfeather Woods... It was the first time he had heard of that pack, but then again, he didn't spend much time investigating the other packs of the region. He knew of Rusalka from experience, Easthollow from their beef with Rusalka members - so that made two, other than the pack he was creating. That would be a job for scouts once the Nightwalkers were officially a force to be reckoned with. Sending out members would make his job a lot easier... and a good way to introduce their services to packs; kill two birds with one stone as the saying goes. 

A note to add about the Blackfeather Woods, the scent that Tundra carried... reminded him of that of the mother he had attacked a while back. Seems like she did indeed have friends. But she didn't share her experience, or at least he wasn't as recognizable as he'd imagined being. At least he knew which group she belonged to (@Cassiopeia tagging for reference again! Dude still thinks of ya ;D), should she have remained with them since then.

The perk of her ears, the pique in her attention didn't go unnoticed. Vengeance grinned at the sight, pleased with the fact that someone was already intrigued. He nodded at her question, for now, a silent "yes". A cost. He began his explanation as simple as possible. We agree uppon a cost that would be equivalent to the task, depending on how big or small it may be. A free meal, a haven in your lands while passing through, or anything you are almost willing to part with... A pup for my use for example. Shrugging his shoulders, he gave out a few examples, from the smallest price to the biggest. It all depends on the task.
always in this twilight
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Ooc — Jem
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#8
her wispy tail swishes lazily at her haunches but there's an edge to her gaze as she continues to look upon him in a relentlessly unwavering manner. of course she had no clue that this man had attacked her packmate and if she'd been aware perhaps this meeting would have gone differently but as it stood, he had done nothing to personally offend her and so she allowed her curiosity to let her linger.

the smile continues to dance almost playfully across otherwise stoic features, giving her quite the odd look for despite the gesture her eyes remained as doll like as ever. she clacks her tongue knowingly at his mention of a cost and waits; head tilting slightly as a breeze rifles through the forest, causing the trees to whisper and gossip above as their fur is tugged hopefully by dancing air. 

she can't help it; her breath hitches ever so slightly when he utters the word pup, but it's such a small movement that it was likely not even noticeable or should it have been caught; the uncanny speed with which she regains her tiniest slip of composure would leave you wondering had it been imagined. so similar...her eyes grow distant for a total of maybe 3 seconds as she remembers but it's roughly shoved aside with a simple flick of an ear.

this should in reality drive her away, it hits too close to home with what she'd only escaped but of course it draws her in; like an addict to a drug you surely know will eventually kill you- she steps forward again. she now stands so close that should he breathe heavily it would surely disrupt the fur around her face but her brows furrow as she meets his bloody gaze boldly. for a moment the irrational urge to ask him 'how do i know you're any good?' bubbles up with an almost giddy intensity but she struggles over to a more rational question, simply murmuring; "and is it just you...vengeance or are there more options should i ever wish to hire?she never would, doubting it'd be needed and well...she didn't need to pay someone else to do her dirty work but the best way to gain information was to always act as if you were interested. it wasn't a complete lie either because she was interested, just not in the way she made it seem.
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sometimes, dead is better
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Such a small hiccup in her appearance - but he noticed. What he lacked in social ability, he was able to make up for it by watching others and their reactions, their actions, and the smallest change in their guise. The word, pup - it seemed many were so sensitive over the youth. Could it possibly be his little hold on the world that surrounded him in these lands? The most microscopic of hold, and yet it was better than nothing. 

Vengeance was not one above the idea of using youth, the innocent against those who held them in such a precious manner. To wretch them from the tit from which they fed uppon in order to get what he wanted from their parents. He would remember this. She was good at hiding it, and even he was not absolutely certain in this suspicion of his; but nevertheless, he would investigate further in time. 

With her next question, he offered a humored huff. A grin before speaking his answer. Am I not suiting for taste? He offered a sideways glance, with one large ruby he observed her with great amusement before continuing, leaving just enough time for her to answer - or not. There are others under me, but my rules are set no matter who you question; and should the payment not be enough in my liking, you will hear from me regardless. It seemed now was the time to tell her that there were indeed others; that he did not work alone. No, he would not rule with an iron fist; but he would have a say if things didn't seem to quite... fit his taste.
always in this twilight
315 Posts
Ooc — Jem
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#10
dark eyes observe almost curiously as he assesses her, she was completely unaware to the assumptions that ran through her company's clever mind and in fact, despite it being the most predictable train of thought- it would never even cross the decima's mind as a possibility. of course he'd take her discomfort as some sort of horror at the idea of such a man stealing a poor innocent pup but alas her mind hadn't even strayed there. she could've used it to her advantage, led him to believe that he could dangle a pup in front of her and have her sobbing at his paws but such a warped mind as her's didn't even see how it could've looked that way. she'd just been selfish, it had hit close to home because it had been her. she'd been that pup and rather than such a thing leading her to want to protect another from such a fate it just had her rattled at the possibility of a memory breaking free and attacking her. the hitch had been for purely self centered reasons, he held her morals at a much higher value than she'd realised and so was at a loss as to what could be going on behind that crimson gaze. 

he grins. she smiles back- and with the gestures alone they could be old friends exhanging fond memories yet when you reached their eyes the truth would come out to play. for matching such smiles were orbs of fiery red and hollow blackness, both so different and yet somehow managing to portray the potential malice either would be willing to distribute should the need arise. 'what are you doing?' the thought rises quite suddenly out of the gloom of her mind, rushing across growing excitement with an icy coldness that lets a shiver crawl up her spine. what was she doing? why was she entertaining this tyrant, she was a fucking hypocrite- that was the truth wasn't it. 

yet even with the realization she continues to ignore it- greed snapping back at logic, let her enjoy herself. she chuckles liltingly before murmuring; "a little stoic maybe...says you "no harm in keeping my options openbefore nodding slowly, so there was a group; her mind writhes again and she grows quieter, budding playful tones darkening once more as she struggles with herself although this time it happens completely within- a thoughtful furrow of her brow is all else that's evident. "care to tell me more or do i have to ask every question there is? do you's have a name...where are you's...if i ever wish to find you...'s i'd need to know a bit more wouldn't i?her tone's hollow again as memories try to pull any sides of her personality it can reach until she's left realising how fickle a personality is when in reality anyone can be shaped into anything if the world tries hard enough. they were all prey to their minds and sometimes their symbiotic relationship with it grew messy.
i'm sorry if these posts are messy lmao, i'm kind of using vegeance to help w development stuff
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sometimes, dead is better
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#11
That's okay! you write so beautifully and this thread is suddenly very interesting and I gotta make sure I'm up to write you something lovely in return!!

Is that a bad thing? One would think that stoic would be perfect for a mercenary. Not quite something that would deter someone away from hiring them fo a job. But who was he to complain about someone nitpicking at him? Should he be able to read minds, the man would have been utterly tickled by what had been going on in either of their minds. So similar and yet so different in the same way. Greedy, careful, unprincipled. You're hurting my feelings. He feigned a wounded tone, face dropping as brows arched downwards in a display, looking up at her from dark brows - only for him to break the act swiftly enough and continue grinning.

One can't be too careful about sharing too much with a stranger. With a shrug, his broad shoulders rose and fell in one slow motion. We go by the collective name of Nightwalkers. Despite his complaint previously, there was no harm in giving a little more about the group - especially if he wished for work to come their way. For them to be known and feared throughout the Teekon Wilds in time. Once we lay claim to a land, you will hear from us. For now, I have ears everywhere, simply keep a nose in the wind for my scent and you'll find someone to find me.

But a location would not be shared just yet. They were still small. Though fierce, the last thing he would do is put them in a position of fighting off a larger group of hostile individuals who may want to snuff them out quickly before becoming a threat. 

His scent was unique enough, it seemed he was rather easy enough to find - not that he was the type to go hiding for any reason. Vengeance enjoyed strutting around, flaunting his grotesque Frankenstein features and his trail was not one hard to follow. What else could you possibly need to know?
always in this twilight
315 Posts
Ooc — Jem
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#12
<3 sorry for the wait!
i've left it so that you can archive it with your next post or if you have anything else you want him to say and tundra to react to; i can archive it with my next. i definitely want these two to meet again though!

there's a certain type of talk that takes place between....like-minded individuals. the type of conversation that would confuse onlookers of different mindsets as they spun this careful dance with their tongues. they knew where to twirl, jump and skip to avoid traps and catch oppurtunities with sometimes the barest of words. because conversation was so much more than speech, had her most significant encounter in teekon not consisted of only a couple sentences? even now her skin prickles at the old memory. salmon disrupts the gleam of her shark toothed grin as a tongue runs with exaggerated casualness across pearly fangs. "oh sorryshe lilts, sympathy as feigned as his need for it. her tail swishes as she tilts her head to the side; "but i stand by it...stoic is indeed a...convenient trait but perhaps there's more to life than convenience, no?and still she parrots on with that absolute hypocrisy. where she'd gotten the idea to lecture this man on actions she too displayed, who knows? was it perhaps secretly aimed at not only him- but her? even less likely for anyone to know. 

yet she's stubborn, refusing to admit such thoughts to herself hence remaining in whole, a hypocrite. shadows shift within doll-eyes as deep tones break free from the man once more. a wordless smile passes fleetingly over features that had since settled back into casual indifference at his declaration as to how one couldn't possibly share too much with a stranger. yet.....yes, he would share with her; she could catch it in the trailing off of his voice, the glint in crimson orbs. he did not plan to leave it at that and indeed he carried on to offer up a name; "nightwalkersshe exhales softly, the word leaking from her jaws as smooth and cool as dark lake waters. a slow inhale before silence descends on heavy wings; cloaking her features so that there could be an iron barrier between them with the lack of sound or expression to cross the ghost.

fragments drift towards her and as easy as it should be to dart from them before any contact is made; she finds herself rooted as flashes of pictures spring tauntingly around her. shadows in the dark....much like the walkers of the night...skulking and slaying. something stirs deep in her gut, she ignores it. focuses on him. he's speaking again, yes- keep doing that. the cloak falls away; her position shifts and she's back. everything's still okay, in fact how close she'd come to it not being okay, to the crack causing the whole wall to crumble leaves her strangely exhilarated. so it's with ease that she allows that coy smile to grace pretty features once more at his promise. "i look forward to itshe allows although wether there is actually truth to her words is certainly debatable. there is definitely a curiosity present though and for now she'll allow it to flicker although..."as long as it never affects my wolves that isshe muses, a soft warning to a tone as icy as it is calm. the possesive 'my' in the sentence the first and only hint to her title back in the woods.

at his final statement she gives a little head dip; grin lingering. "i'm satisfiedit comes out almost like a purr, tail swishing at her haunches as she steps back, watching him for another few moments before adding; "but vengeance...the shadows..the night are the best friends of the..assassin? soldier? mercenary?: "killer. but be careful they're...greedy. don't get too comfortable with them.she frowns thoughtfully for a few more moments before shrugging it off and blinking his way; she's satisfied with the course of their conversation; but lingers nevertheless in case he has something more to say. it's a rare occurrence indeed but the decima actually wishes to hear it if he has more to say; if not, she'll take her leave- ghostly form drifting lightly into the lengthening shadows reaching out to greet her.
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sometimes, dead is better
484 Posts
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#13
OMG @Tundra i thought I posted in this LONG AGO and it was done. I'm so sorry!! Feel free to archive now or after you post again <3 again, my appologies. I would LOVE for them to meet again eventually
 

As long as it doesn't affect her wolves; she said. Unfortunately for her, he made no promises. Instead, he offers a cheeky grin. A malicious glint in his eye in reply to her threatening tones. She can do and say all she wants but to him, if anyone was to target them through the Nightwalkers, he would never turn a blind eye to a payment that would benefit him in the long run. All that matters are the Nightwalkers, and their alliance with Moonspear. Everything else was background noise. Though should this woman approach him in the desire to create an alliance between her pack and his, well, he would give her more than just his attention. 

With a dark chortle he replied, Should they swallow me whole, that will be the day I am home. The darkness was not only his ally but the one thing he loved most in life. He would not fear the consequences to his actions, so long as he went down loving every moment in it, bathed in blood and gore, with the screams of those around him filling his ears like the morning song of doves. With nothing left to add, he went on his own way as she did the same. Back to investigating the lands and what they held within that might be of interest to him.