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 Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:02 pm
 Iosef was having a difficult time containing his excitement. He was meeting his sister's family soon! The idea of leaving his pack was a frightening one, even though he would be in the company of Terreis the whole time...but the realization that he would soon be meeting a whole bundle of nephews buoyed his spirits tremendously.
He was concerned for his sister, of course, and sympathized with her shame. A part of him was worried that perhaps she was being punished for his...predilections...and it took everything in his power to hide that terror. All the same, a small part of him was secretly thrilled at having nephews. He hoped perhaps that some of them would come back to Antianeira and choose the slave lifestyle, although he doubted they would. Still, he could do with some company...
But before any of that happened, there was work to be done. Iosef wasn't a wolf to shirk his responsibilities even if there was a vacation on the horizon, and he had a substantial amount of work to do. Indeed, Iosef was actually going out of his way to find new work, as the presence of the queen's consort made him a bit edgy. He had grown somewhat accustomed to being the head of the slaves, in his own way, and the fear that perhaps this newcomer would find fault in his work made him exceedingly nervous.
Not that Achilles had ever shown much interest in taking over Iosef's duties, of course. But the possibility was always there...and Iosef believed in constant vigilance.
Humming some song or another quietly to himself, the calico-pelted wolf set about his duties, quietly daydreaming about his approaching vacation.
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:09 pm
 Beelu was unused to pack life.
This could easily be seen as she stuck to the outskirts of the pack. It wasn't that she didn't want to join in, socialize, and get to know her family, it was simply because she didn't understand it. She feared making some sort of mistake or another, something that she couldn't afford to do.The queen seemed to like her, but she couldn't rely on that alone, could she? Besides, the hard truth that had been whipped and starved into her was a simple one. You can only trust yourself.
Her mind played these thoughts back to her, over and over again like some sort of broken, warped record and she folded her paws gingerly over each other as she observed the usual hustle and bustle of the pack. She had it in her mind that she needed to do something to prove her worth. Steal something shiny and valuable. from man, perhaps, or show off her knowledge of the workings of their minds. Anything other than be a bump on a log.
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:22 pm
As Iosef's duties took him toward the less-populated regions of the pack, he caught the scent of another, and paused in his tracks, nose to the air. Was it the vagabond he had met in the woods? He chastised himself immediately for the thought. For one, it was a female scent. For another, he had no business getting excited over such things, and the shame welled up in him immediately.
But never mind that.
To cover for his own awkwardness as much as to extend a warm welcome, Iosef made his way closer, coming into the dark wolf's line of sight. "Oh, hello," he said, and ducked his head in a deferential sort of bow. "You are new here," he said, to state the obvious, but his tone was one of utmost politeness. "I trust you are enjoying your stay?" And then, because he thought she seemed a bit easy, he added, "...Is there anything I can do, m'lady?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:52 pm
She had lulled quietly, her bright eyes closing as the warm afternoon comforted her busy thoughts. The gentle hum of insects and the twitters of birds were pleasant and, before she knew it, she was just on the edge of dozing off.
It was at that moment, when she was the most relaxed she had been in ages, someone approached. She stiffened almost instantly, her eyes opening and immediately settling on the calico male that approached her. She had seen him around, but was unfamiliar with him or his name. Was he claimed already? That entire concept confused her and she didn't want to find herself at odds with her new sisters yet, not when she just arrived, for merely speaking with him.
"Hello, patchy-wolf~"
She stretched out and lifted her head, but did not stand. Instead, she studied him cooly, deciding on just what to do next.
"It is nice here, yes, nice. Very nice. Very peaceful. I don't know it well, no, but nice. Is there something patchy-wolf is supposed to do?" There was genuine curiosity in her voice as she regarded him with a faint grin. What were the males to do, anyways? Never had she been in a situation where they were naught but slaves.
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 2:57 pm
He was struck at once by her odd mannerisms, and his head tilted in curiosity, though he did not ask any more questions, feeling that perhaps he had erred in being too forward. It wouldn't do for him to become presumptuous or rise above his station, even if on accident. "My name is Iosef," he offered, with a self-deprecating smile, "But you, of course, may call me whatever you wish."
At her question, he glanced around himself. "I was on my way to destroy a wasp nest, actually," he admitted; the summer heat was giving him a rough time with the insect population. He'd only just managed to rid himself of the spider infestation. "But if you have anything you would rather I do first..."
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:17 pm
"Iosef~"
The name wasn't too odd, not like the Queen's, who's name she avoided purposefully because she had such trouble remembering it. It was strange, like the name of her new home. Different was unusual and different was her life since fleeing the camp of man. Everything had been new. Was this how packs usually functioned?
"It sounds like man. Like a man name. Kind of."
She sat up and leaned back on her haunches this time, scratching lazily at her leather collar. "Patchy~"
Finally, she stopped, pushing what thoughts that plagued her aside. She could do that for now, she'd be fine, yep. She was home now. This was her home. And this fellow was part of her family.
"Wasp nest... What is it? What is it that others would have you do?" She sincerely didn't know. Why ask him to do anything? She had always been self sufficient.
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:34 pm
"Wasps?" He said, latching onto this question as he had no idea how to really answer her comment about his man-name. Having never met a human, he did not feel qualified to remark on them. "They're very aggravating insects. They can sting, and it hurts, especially the young ones. And with the alpha having pups on the way..." he trailed off, temporarily distracted; he'd almost forgotten about their queen's state, perhaps hoping that if he ignored it they wouldn't be affected by the male-taint. "Anyway. They're a pest. I keep pests out of the pack, most times, and keep things clean. Bury old kills so they don't attract scavengers. That sort of thing."
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 6:42 pm
She knew what wasps, were.
The annoying, stingy things. She didn't like them. If he was getting rid of them, more power to him. That was a good thing. He seemed to misinterpret her odd speech, though, as many had before, and it irked her. It wasn't their faults. She always had trouble with communication.
"So... You keep things clean~ Tidy~ Nice and neat~ Is good, yes, a good thing. What is it others would ask, I don't? I am not understanding things. Why do you do it? Can I watch?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 7:30 pm
His brow furrowed, and after a moment, he smiled. "Ah. You're wondering why it is that I'm tending to the insect problem, and not one of the other pack members?" There was kindness in his violet eyes. "For the most part, the Sisters are generally too busy for such work. And I must earn my keep, by being as helpful as I can, in order to..." to what, Iosef? redress the sin of being born male? earn his basic value as a living creature? If it was never spoken aloud by a pack member, it was certainly in his mind. He shrugged, and allowed the sentence to die. "Of course you can come watch, if you really want to."
Smiling encouragingly, the calico-pelted wolf gave her a respectful bow before heading toward the wasp-infested tree. first the spiders, now this...Iosef would be quite glad indeed to see the end of this summer weather.
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Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 12:00 pm
"Yes, that's it."
She bobbed her head, the small ridge of a main along her neck and head flopped lightly as she did so. It still baffled her and probably would for quite some time, the way the males worked so hard and diligently for the females. Still, she wasn't about to complain. He seemed happy with his lot in life, serving the sisters of the pack, and she wasn't going to make any notion that she didn't appreciate his work, because that was just plain rude, really.
She stood and stretched, leaving the comfortable resting place she had selected earlier. She popped each limb luxuriously and sighed contently, happy to be were she was, despite the dangers that the wild held.
"What is it? Doing with the nest? How do you get rid of it?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:08 am
Iosef always took pride in his work, although by rights he probably shouldn't. He was, after all, a slave, and it was hardly his right to gloat about the quality of his efforts. But he kept it quiet, and the satisfaction it brought him allowed him to face each day with eagerness.
Iosef was good at his job, which many a free wolf could never say for itself.
"Fire's the best, really," he said, conversationally, glancing around to assure they were alone -- he didn't want to appear too casual to the other Sisters with this new member, but she seemed genuinely interested. "But hard to control and not readily available, obviously. So I do the next best thing, and smother them with dirt."
He approached the nest delicately, eyeballing its position inside of a fallen log. At least it wasn't hanging from a tree limb; that always made his life much more interesting than he should like. He crouched down, as though stalking prey, and crept up on the nest, debating the best access point to pack it down.
He glanced back over his shoulder and offered a reassuring sort of smile to Beelu. "You may wish to stand back for this part, Sister. They tend to get very angry, and I wouldn't like to see you stung."
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Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:45 am
"Fire..."
Yes, she remembered fire. It was a good, yet dangerous thing. It hurt when it bit, but from a distance, it was comforting. And it was always hungry. Ever consuming whatever it could reach. Man tamed it... But wolf? It peaked her curiosity that some used it instead of ran from it when it was in the forests.
She observed his actions with keen interest, her dark green eyes watching his every move. The way he circled it reminded her of a hunter, but then again, he was. He was just hunting thousands of tiny, angry insects, instead of something larger and tastier. As he spoke to her, she bobbed her head again.
"Stung? Won't you? Get stung?" It hurt, she knew it would hurt, and she sounded slightly worried as she watched.
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:51 am
"Well, maybe," he admitted, going around to the back of the log. The rear face of it was solid, and he stared at it contemplatively for a moment before backing up, crouching as though preparing to spring forward. "But hopefully not."
In a sudden, well-orchestrated movement, the calico-pelted wolf leapt forward, thrusting his forepaws into the log, rolling it over. The wasp-infested cavity pressed down into the earth, and immediately Iosef jumped into action, digging into the loam and tossing dirt into every crevice and hollow place he could find, trying to work quickly before the angry insects had a chance to escape.
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Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2010 7:25 pm
"Hopefully... Not..." She repeated slowly as she watched Iosef with great interest as he tackled the wasp infestation. Oddly enough, she felt a bit bad for the wasps. Of course, they couldn't be left around the pack's den site, but it must be none too fun to have your home destroyed and covered in dirt. What if there was something big enough to do that to wolves? That would be scary... Of course, her home had been destroyed when she was only a small pup and flashes of memories bothered her as the calico wolf went about his work.
Wisps of flame, the stench of smoke...
She shook the thoughts from her head and returned to spectating, blinking her curious, emerald eyes.
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Posted: Sat Oct 16, 2010 12:19 pm
He didn't notice Beelu's sudden thoughtfulness, as he was currently elbows-deep in frenzied digging to get every hole sealed up. The log, thoroughly rotted and not accustomed to such rough treatment, caved in quickly, and he used that to his advantage as he buried it in moist earth.
After a moment, he stepped back and admired his work, sides heaving as he panted out his exhaustion. There was some angry buzzing beneath the dirt, and one of his paws felt swollen in a way that suggested he'd been stung at least once...but for the moment, the wasps didn't seem to be escaping, and he could survey the area with more care as he considered the next step of the mission.
Remembering he was not alone, he glanced over his shoulder at Beelu and offered a bashful smile.
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