Seaside Moors my boy builds coffins with hammers and nails

backdated april 14th. @Rosencrantz
& leadership welcome: @Erzulie / @Rosalyn / @Aningan

toes press strong against the shivering blades, crushing them without so much as a cursory glance. the distant shimmer of moonbeams dancing upon sneering waters that blend with the horizon in their vastness is what snatches the soldier's attention and she is left feeling no better than the miniscule embodiments of life tickling at her paws. the curious hum of the salty air strips her bare and a wild cast of tenebrous glares confirms that there is nowhere for cover and she is a bare, naked speck in the gloom. her discomfort is not only hers, the ruffling feathers of the shadow lurking by her side confirms this. he does not belong here with the harsh singsong of the birds of the sea and yet still he follows her. warmth tickles the anxious thumps of her heart. 

she wishes she could recall the freedom such infinitesimal existence granted her previously, the ability to live away from prying eyes with rosencrantz but when faced with the stark reality of the coast she is once more nothing and uncertainty lashes ruthlessly forth. time passes languidly as she lingers in her hesitance, lacking a care for the woman that clutches so desperately at each minute that remains her own. 

but it's time she must- she must!

"i must" she exhales, whisper battling forth to join the moan of the breeze that stroked at the curves of her figure. bertók voices his disagreement with a hissed caw but she must selfishly ignore him for on the borders she is certain she can smell him from previous patrols and that is enough. 

her head tilts back and her song is released to roam the air, rolling forth with a strength she wished she could confidently harbour within. it calls for the pale knight but it is expected that leadership will also find curiosity in the call at their borders as the stars peer curiously down. she waits.

Dated before Erzulie gave birth!

Resting, it was a rare luxury these days, and yet, with Erzulie being ready to burst at any day now with new life, it was now or never. Lulled by the soft serenades of the distant waves, the knight was at peace at the moment as sleep slowly overcame him - then a call aroused him from the creeping slumber. A familiar call that called for him, and without a doubt in his brain, without hesitation the ashen defender began his quick journey to where the call had summoned him. 

It was her, he wouldn't mistake it for anyone else. It had only been weeks and finally, Tundra had come as she said she would. His heart raced with excitement, beating to the same strong rhythm of his thunderous paws as they whisked him to her swiftly - her pale pelage glowing in the moonlight like a dream, contrasted by her midnight companion perched at her side. Was it a dream? Did sleep take him to a time where she had finally come?

No words came to him as he approached, honey eye soaking in her figure as his pace slowed to greet her. A moment slipped by until finally his marred maw split to speak, I didn't think you would. There was no accusatory tone, it was a pleasant surprise for the lack of better words.

cool fingers trace slow shivers along her spine as vigilant eyes latch hungrily upon the phantom drifting towards her. she shifts liquid eyes to pool across the entirety of his figure before returning to clutch strongly at the honeyed orb swirling back. 'no...i doubted that myself' she agrees silently, plume swishing restlessly at her hocks as a rough smile flashes pearly fangs and she instead muses "should i be offended by your lack of faith in me?" a brow quirks, tone laced with wry jest despite the discomfort continuing to writhe in her gut. she shifts her weight, casting a shaded look across the breezy land peering back from the shadows behind him. how did they not feel vulnerable residing amongst such denuded land? she inhales deeply, trying to encourage her brain to be more open minded; many wolves would turn a nose up at the suffocating forests she felt so safe within. had she herself not caught a glimpse of such a mindset after returning from the brazen peaks where you danced with the stars? they were adaptable if anything and...she blinks back to the bleached sentry, certain things may well make it worth it. 

letting a smile linger along charcoal lips, she blinks and lets her tail touch lightly against the ruffling figure of bertók tucked against tense hindlegs. "so is this the part where i start listing my worth for rusalka?" she eases into the joke a little stiffly as her eyes catch the silvered light with the shift of her head, flashing back to the man as fangs prick lightly at her lips.

Something was coming, something was building. Tension in the air, ever-rising, like the winds before a storm. He could not place the origins, could not determine what was going on—but there was something to keep him up, to make him restless. Pacing along the shore, his gaze shifted back and forth from the sea to the skies, searching, searching, searching—

A sound, a song. Someone was there, calling for… Rosencrantz? Curious, the Inuk turned his back to the ocean and sought instead the owner of the voice. Why was someone there for Rose? Whilst he was normally easygoing in every aspect of the word, Aningan now wore a hardened expression, uncertain. And when he arrived, he discovered he was not the first to do so, finding the male in question to already be conversing with their guest. But who was she, and why was she there?

Approaching, Aningan stopped within earshot and called out to his packmate, “Who is she?” Whilst normally welcoming, the northerner could not help but feel skeptical—a side-effect of his unease, really, a result of unknown tension from the impending birth of children.

A chuckle, soft, quick, A lack of faith in my charm. he returned with a little self-deprecation. Her wandering eyes only had him imagining what she might be thinking, perhaps something similar to what he had thought too. The openness of the moors was a strange place to call home, but it was not his choice. He much preferred the plateau's position than this, but the others seemed happier here. He himself would rather find some snow-covered woods, mountains, and frosty creeks, but he was in Rusalka now. He wouldn't' leave simply due to scenery. 

As she continued her jest he smiled. Just as he was about to return with his own quips, Aningan approached. The Alpha's tone was offputting. He didn't see Aningan often, and a frown formed along his torn lips as he casted a glance over to him. A friend. He stated as a matter of fact. Of all the times they needed this side of Aningan, now was not that time. The paladin shifted and stood closer to Tundra in order to speak with her, finding her a much more pleasant companion than the Rusalkan leader lately. 

Keeping quiet, Tundra was able to speak for herself and didn't need Rosencratz to speak on her behalf - no, instead, he would support her and vouch for the woman... and in all honesty, should she be rejected, this would be his final straw and talk with the Betas might be imminent. It all weighed on the young leader's current attitude.

her disagreement lilts forth with a little hum as she arches an amused brow at him. "is that your job around here? go out all sharp and chiseled and lure the women back with the polite gestures of a handsome gentleman?" the grin to curl at the sides of her slender muzzle has an uncanny, feral aspect to it whilst eyes remain as darkly sibylline as ever despite the light tease to prance across her tongue. jest is good, makes it easier to ignore the tightening fist in her chest as the swish of her tail fails to cease and her flighty gaze continues to skip from man to shadow and back again. yet their time together is short lived as ears swivel to catch the telltale noise of grass being disrupted by the gait of another. it's easy to spot him, tremendous and phosphoresce as the shadows roll back to make way for the cutting light and eyes narrow at the question to be directed at rose. her pelt prickles with indignation; wishing to cut in and assure him that she's very well capable of speaking for herself but she stands still and impassive. 

it is all too easy to slip into the caress of being incognito, in fact it comes more naturally to her than the joking, uncertain woman rosencrantz had been exposed to. now she is the soldier, cool, respectul and aloof; watching the conversation from afar. she nods when rose falls quiet, obviously agreeing that she should be the one to speak and that gesture as small as it is, sends a soft warmth tickling through the safely tucked parts of her chest. blinking slowly, she regards the young man calmly and when her jaw opens it snakes forth a smooth set of words "i'm tundra and yes i've known rosencrantz a while now. i am without a pack at the moment and so decided i would join rusalka since i know someone here, that is if you'll have me" she casts a sidelong glance at bertók as the raven shifts from the cover of her figure; tensing very slightly as the bird casts a peculiarly pointed look at the new man. she follows his gaze, curious as to what he sees and yet wary as ever when the fragile creature was in the presence of unknown wolves. in blackfeather the ravens were never treated as prey but she could not confidently say the same for the rest of the wolves roaming the teekons. she inspects him closer now but there's nothing all too significant about him save his impressive size. he is young but she's not all that phased by age, if he is a leader so was maegi and she had respected the woman without a doubt for her youth. plus, fighting and killing as a yearling with other teenagers told her a lot. still, she is aware of a strange energy buzzing from rosencrantz as he eyes the man and she can not help but feel it rub off of her, so the frostbound gaze that blinks at him is consistently vigilant.

Aningan could not help but to watch his packmate more closely than the stranger, uncertain; he wanted to speak with him, to clear the air, but finding the words to do so wasn’t so simple—and his unease made things even worse, anxiety building. Settling for focusing on the conversation at hand instead—anything else could wait until his mind was clear—he was about to request the woman’s name, right before it was offered. Tundra, a friend of Rosencrantz—Rose had friends beyond Rusalka? Curiosity had a way of overshadowing all else, serving as a great distraction for the worries that plagued him. There was more he wanted to ask, gazing closer at the woman now, especially when her interest in joining was expressed. “Did Rosencrantz ask you to come here?” he asked, tone easing up. If he could focus on the present, perhaps the scenarios inside his head would die out.

As his eyes swept over her form, he noted the bird poking out. “Tulugak,” he pointed out, attention drawn to the bird—birds he was familiar with, he felt most at ease when they were around. “Is he your companion?” It made him think back to the uppik, her disappearance still a mystery, yet to be solved.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her own teasing - if only she knew of how many women he had scared away rather than lure since his time here in Rusalka. Rosencrantz wasn't all that charming despite her beliefs and was rather picky with whom he associated himself with. There was no time for him to return the jest with his own as Aningan cut into their little meeting. 

The paladin had nothing to add other than be the outsider watching their conversation, ready to jump in should it be necessary but not finding it so just yet. Even as Aningan may have eased up a bit with some of the explanations, Rosencrantz couldn't help but remain coiled and keeping his sharp attention on the other male in this interaction instead of relaxing himself. 

He doesn't have much to add I'm sorry! I'll let you guys know if you should skip him next round!

something within the ashen adjudicator seems to loosen as the hard look passed her way abandons some of its intensity. well that's certainly a relief, she wouldn't be thrilled at the idea of having to beg for a spot within this pack when so many of her instincts already shied away from the idea of it. had it not been for the silent sentry at her side drawing some of them curiously towards him, she would likely have blanched and retreated by now. away from the prying eyes of the sneering sea and its jeering birds. the impassive look passed his way is subdued slightly in an effort to meet his own neutrality as a small nod is offered up. "when he realised i was no longer tied to a pack, he suggested i find a home here yes." a little bird like movement tilts her head as curiosity twirls across tenebrous eyes, was there a signifiance to the man's invite or was it merely self interest that drove the question forth. 

silently, she focuses on his glance to bertók's betrayed presence yet her own frigid stare does not once shift from the man. she roves his figure quickly for any signs of tensing muscles that may betray a potential lunge at her feathered friend when he opens his mouth to utter one foreign word. tulugak. although most definitely a new word she'd not passed by before, there is an odd familiarity to it that she can't quite place. how exactly can a word roll forth in such a adventitious yet reminiscent manner? curiously, she tests it on her tongue; echoing a lilted "tulugak" not quite a statement and yet not reaching the level to be confidently deciphered as a question either. just a curious uttering. her head bobs in affirmation to his query "yes, i'm not sure why he chose to be but he's always there...his name's bertók" she cannot hold back the fondness to taint her words as she blinks back at the ruffled creature, confident now that the bear like wolf didn't intend to make a snack of him. she's still uncertain as to why the raven seems so fixated on the rusalkan and secretly arches a brow in the bird's direction, but it's ignored and so she gives up and swings her head back to face her company.

she falls into the gentle embrace of silence once more, ears turning to catch the hum of the salty air that swishes giddily about them and casts a sidelong glance at rosencrantz. his focus still seems primarily on the younger man and she follows suit so that inky pools settle on him once more.

As the invitation was confirmed, he glanced at his packmate curiously, wondering. Was this woman important to him? A friend—or family? The latter seemed unlikely but the former… he wondered how it came to be, if it proved true; for what other reason would someone invite another to their pack, if not due to friendship? “I see,” he commented, albeit somewhat absentmindedly, thoughts preoccupied. Slowly, his gaze shifted back to the woman, all the more curious now. If they were friends… how? Eventually, he decided, he would ask her—but for now, there were other matters that took precedence.

When his mother tongue was repeated back, a flicker of surprise passed through his expression. She was not the first to try her hand at the language, no—but she was the first beyond those few northerners he knew to speak it appropriately, the ghost of an accent clinging to the syllables. “Are you—?” he paused and gave a slow shake of his head, the sentence lost. “Tundra and Bertók,” he repeated their names instead, testing the bird’s. “You can both join us. A friend of Rosencrantz’s is a friend of Rusalka, too.” He wanted to trust his Gamma’s judgement of character, despite everything.

skipping rose w permission

eyes narrow on the forsaken question to hang in the air as his head opts to simply shake away whatever may have been about to escape from his tongue. am i what? her lips part somewhat yet words do not surface as caliginous eyes probe gently at the glint of his gaze, seeking what he could possibly wonder about her. curiosity twirls sly fingers throughout the stoic arrangement of her current mindset and it takes an exhausting amount of will power to keep from questioning, 'am i what? what am i?' yet having grown softer over time as the peace of the teekons slowly eroded at the sharp edges stacked up to defend her from hissing monsters of the past, she allows her figure to loosen completely as pearly fangs fumble with her lip. a nod is offered idly at the repetition of their names and even the ghost of a smile flits daintily across ashen features when he permits her to join rusalka. "thank you i-" i what? nostrils flare to catch the true extent of freedom lingering giddily on such hyper breezes, buzzed from whatever energy one would pick up upon rolling with the crashing sea in the distance. a quick swallow as her head nods once more and a quiet murmur simply repeats "yes thank you"

she blinks up to the hulking man once more, silently vowing to seek him out again and discover what truly had wished to dance free from the confines of ivory jaws before turning to cast a coy smile at the marred man by her side. "can't wait to see how long it takes until you're sick of me" she lilts softly, chuckles huffing forth as her weight shifts to shoulder him. bertók is quick to take to the sky with a disdainful caw and she sighs after him, he'd come around.

Easing up finally, he turns slowly, coyly at his companion as she shoulders him with a coquettish remark about ever being sick of her. Offering a toothy, elated grin, he chuckled and replied - for a moment forgetting of Aningan's presence as now, Tundra, was a part of Rusalka and he could see her any day. You'll be waiting a long time. He purrs playfully in return, believing truly, that he would never be sick of her - he'd be mad to after all this work in getting her here in the first place!! 

Though... how will she feel once the truth came around that Rosalyn may be carrying his child (he still isn't confirmed daddy yet IC, just speculation), would she turn away? That would have to be a conversation for another day. Watching as her feathery companion flew off with what he could tell was a... scornful caw, he looked up to the bird with a bemused huff. I don't think your companion is too happy. Turning his gaze back onto her, again, more focused on Tundra than he was with Aningan. I can show you around if you'd like?

Thanks parted from her lips and he couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the words—the language—chosen. Perhaps he was reading too far into it, seeking something that wasn’t there simply because he missed that part of him—maybe the necessary accents weren’t as hard to replicate as he liked to believe. With a slow shake of his head, he rid himself of those thoughts for the time being; eventually, he would seek her out, once she was settled, but for now…

“I’ll take my leave now,” he said, looking between the pair. “Rosencrantz has a lot to show you.” And a lot to tell, he was sure, as the shore was its own world. “I hope we can talk more after you settle in.” He had questions that begged to be asked, a curiosity that must be satisfied, even if not by the words he hoped to hear. But until then, Aningan nodded to them both then took his leave, as he said he would; there was no point in him tagging along for the tour, after all.

gonna go ahead and archive here!

a sound of approval rumbles deep in the back of her throat at the croon to tickle at her ears, eyes catching the magnificent slants of moonlight as the ethereal orb winked down on the three that bathed in her glow. they focus wholly on rosencrantz as the seconds sweep past with playful lilts and giggles, allowing a smile to be tempted to the foreground. a long time sounded nice, how tired she'd grown of living a life so transient in nature. the idea of escaping the clutch of the fly-by-nighters that had so far narrated her story and hide behind the conspicuous sea to live a life of solidity sounded....nice. 

she blinks back to the curious man as he speaks once more, a dip of her head offered in response as lips part to murmur "yes definitely" and vigilant eyes did not shift from his form until the looming figure was but a miniscule blip on the rolling landscape. shivering at the stroke of the breeze, she cast full attention to the man at her side as he offered to show her around and embracing the hiccup of her heart; she offered up another nod and whispered breathlessly "i would love that" before she'd follow him across the invisible line and into the open embrace of their home.