Blacktail Deer Plateau thin flames underneath my skin

when/if u have time <3

the afternoon dawned windy, with gusts that blew snow scudding from the pine canopy. erzulie, buffeted on all sides, pulled herself deeper into the wood in search of shelter.
shelter, and perhaps a brief scour for a new piece of personal land. she kept her head low, breathing a sigh of relief as the branches laced around her cinnamon frame, blocking a good deal of the harsh winds. @Rosencrantz came to mind, as she had caught his scent upon the borders, where the guardian appeared to reside these days.

There he remained, on the borders as per usual. As snow drifted down from above, covering his shoulders and face in a soft blanket of white that blended well into his aging pellage. Like a wolf carved in stone, he sat as still as death, listening... watching, for anything that would spring him into action. Nothing. Nothing but silence and the serene scene of snow dancing in the wind. 

Flickering back, the silence was broken by the soft sound of snow being pierced by feet. Like a flash he turned his gaze to see who was approaching, only to soften his stare as the familiar face came into view. Erzulie, now Beta, was wandering about. Though they hadn't talked much, he thought they were somewhat, at least a little, friendly toward one another.

At least he liked to think so.

Beta suits you well. And.. that was all he could come up with.

"an' tireless protector of rusalka fits you," the cinnamon she-wolf purled back, the edge of her mouth quirking as she settled near him to look out over the snowy boundary line. "you keep at de outskirts of de pack, only coming in to challenge for a rank above yours. an' den you come back here," she observed, a lilt to her tone to suggest she meant no criticism.
the beginnings of a plan had begun to formulate within erzulie; she curved her lips in a small smile. for now, only rosalyn and reyes had heard of it. she would not say it again for the present. "the season has come," she remarked instead, wondering if the stoic man had any interest in siring cubs this year.

A smile graces his lips, awkward, but a smile none-the-less. It's what I'm good at. Perhaps the only thing he thought he was good at, and he may as well do it to the best of his capabilities.

As she continues, his expression falters for a moment. He was that obvious huh, or was she simply that observant? With a sigh, he assumed there was no point in trying to lie. Would you believe me if I said I had no plans behind those challenges? Just the only way he knew how to approach others and create some kind of bond. It worked for Tundra, Erzulie, Aningan, maybe Raleska. The last only time would tell (and for the thread to finish).

But how could explain that?

The season? His brow quirked as he turned his attention fully back into the woman, a little confused by her remark (clearly not thinking of that in the presence of Erzulie, like a good, naive boy). Is winter often like this all season for you? Is what he naturally thought she meant by season, winter. Winter had finally come full swing.

"yes," she said simply, turning her gaze to rest upon him. time and again rosencrantz had ample time to surge forward and take the helm of rusalka. they had even spoken of their unrest. but he had not, and moreover did not seem displeased that she and her wife had been elevated above him.
a laugh, purling out as wind lifted the light scent left by the remainder of her heat. "are all de men in dis place so innocent?" she mocked good-naturedly. "chil'ren be comin'. you never wanted to be a papa?"

Good. This time his grin was more composed, relaxed. There was no need for him to explain himself, she believed him after all. It wasn't as if he knew how to disarm the situation either, not easily at least. Diplomacy was absolutely not his strong suit after all. Cupid was the most recent example of that.

With a more confused look, he watched and listened to Erzulie carefully. Trying to figure out where she was going at with this. With ears turned back and slightly down apologetically. It's not a conversation I'm ever a part of. And frankly, he felt quite awkward about such a tender subject. He just threatened to gut a pregnant individual to "save the pup".

I have. The older I get, the more I think of it.

how could rosencrantz seek to be chosen if he was never present to interact with the women of rusalka? they had dwindled to mostly yearlings now, young wolves eagerly seeking their role in the pack. briefly, she wondered if the driving-out of the sisters had affected their guardian's chances.
"sometimes we must go a little way to find our mates," erzulie mused. "ot'er times, dey are right where we do not t'ink dey will be."

This conversation took a turn that he was not expecting. An ache in his chest. From confusion to a bashful boy, to now an emotionally stricken man, his gaze fell back onto the snowy horizon. I thought I found one this summer, I was wrong. he admitted heavily. 

Trying to turn this into a more lighthearted conversation, rather than once again dwindling on the past - a shadow looming over his shoulder he has been desperate to try and rid himself. Why, do you have an arranged marriage in mind? He chuckled.

the man opened to her, revealing the lost luck of a wayward love. she clucked her tongue sympathetically, smiling a little at his jest. "tell me about dis love," she invited. perhaps she might glean some insight into what it would do to save his heart.
she had no idea where such sentimental notions had come from, but leant into them all the same, enjoying the warmth and camaraderie shared in their midst.

It seems his attempt to try and change the conversation to something more lighthearted failed. Instead, she hung onto that desire to maybe get more out of this. Pausing for a while, he pondered over how to answer this, how to start, how far he should go and what would be too much. It would be the first time he would speak of it, to anyone. In all honesty, he didn't think he would share ever. But he trusted her - maybe it was time to finally show it.

She was fierce, determined to break me down and eventually I did. He began, fewer details was probably the better. The gist of it should do well enough, at least not to bore his audience. At least I thought we had something. That bitterness rose in his throat, blossoming in his tone as he was reminded of their last encounter, her words. How they poisoned him.

He took his time, but eventually, the words came. They weren't eloquent or sweet, but they did the job.

I wasn't quick enough to realize what I was feeling. Her former lover came back. I had to find out about their courtship on my own, and she dealt with my grief with hatred of her own. Brows furrowing, he was almost reliving the moment like a movie in his head. Jaws tightening with every word he uttered. It was as every ounce difficult to share as he thought it would be. I was quickly exiled for expressing my anguish. Told I never loved her, could never.

rosencrantz launched into a truly woeful tale, and erzulie could see by which course he had become so guarded. vulnerable in love, it had been those naked moments in which he was treated most cruelly. her mouth was a grim line, to think upon such a fate for his heart.
in many ways, erzulie's trade had stripped her of what love could mean. she had discovered it only in rosalyn; there would not be a second time. but there was such for rosencrantz still. "you are still healing, den."

I suppose. But he was desperate to move on from this topic. Once again, he tried to change the topic. Is this what you sought coming here? Bringing up the breeding season so casually - were you looking for a suitor for you and Rosalyn? He could be reading into it a little too much, but nevertheless he wanted to shift the topic onto her.

This could wind up more embarrassing than anything, but it was better than thinking of healing wounds and drugging up what he hoped to forget.

a low purse of her lips, a small tilt of her head. "i came only as a frien', rosencrantz," erzulie murmured. "i was worried, an' we have not talked for some time." it seemed she had talked them now into an awkward state, but it was a necessary evil, if only to get to know their guardian better.
she straightened, swung out her ruff. "i have plans for a sister pack to rusalka. one day." a glance to rosencrantz. "would dat be somet'ing interestin' to you."

He only offered a curious quirk of his brow in return as she answered. What an awkward and strange way to start a conversation. Perhaps a little too personal, but maybe he was only guarding himself a little too closely. 

then the final shift happened. Though he pondered over it for a bit, he was certain of his answer already. should Rusalka's numbers allow a split, I will come when asked. for now, he couldn't imagine Rusalka surviving unles they had a surge of new faces within the ranks. There was for a moment, but it was brief. 

for now, I'll remain here. This was also where @Tundra knew he was, should she come looking for him.

that was all. she felt his dismissal, implied or projected, and gave a nod. there was more to say, but she had spoken of enough prying things. rosencrantz she wished to feel welcomed within rusalka, part of their inner workings, but who was to say he himself desired it?
"t'ank you," she murmured, smiling once before she began to take a circular route home, though if he spoke, she would stop, would listen with shut muzzle this time.

Thank you for the thread!! <3

Her thank you was met with a nod. But he didn't have much to say at all to keep a conversation going. So as she parted, his eye simply lingered until she chose to leave. Here he would remain. Until further notice, until given something other to do than guard the borders, a self-given task to keep him occupied and away from thought.

Once Erzulie took her leave, he would focus on the horizon once more and let his ears wander through the sounds once more of the quiet forest that surrounded him.