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 Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 10:57 pm
He mulled over her words thoughtfully. "It is religious then," he observed. "In such a perverted sense. Setsurei acknowledges many gods and goddesses for the faithful, but never have members taken their faith as far as that . . . As for the lower class, servitude was the most they could aspire to as well, if not a stud or broodmother. My mother was slated to be one before Father decided to intervene."
But Chou couldn't help but frown when Kamiya mentioned that even someone as bright-colored as herself might share the same fate as her earthtones. "Are their strict rules within your pack as well?" he asked, wondering how many parallel lines they could draw between them. "Rules about what rank a wolf may attain, what families they can mingle with, whose mating arrangements will be formally cemented?"
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Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:34 pm
Kapu'Moana recognized other gods, but none of them mattered. Indeed, there was a certainty that they would lead a wolf astray, seducing them to darkness the way that mingling with the wrong wolves would.
Her eyes followed him curiously, surprised at how easily he divulged information, doubly surprised at all the similarities drawn between their packs. They were one of the same, she thought, in a way. It made talking about herself easier.
"Yes," she said. "Outsiders were feared, but necessary. Purity of blood was everything. I'm first-generation pack-born, so I could be nothing more than a scout. My pups, if I ever have them, can be guards. But my mother was...well, as you say, a broodmother."
Her nose wrinkled.
"The upper classes would have their choice of females, though, and their spawn could be whatever they wanted. The king and the prince both had sizable harems....although Kai never bred with his. He seemed to think the whole practice was demeaning.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:08 am
To that, Chou shrugged. Whatever Kailani's preferences were, he had no room to judge. Royals were entitled to be picky after all.
His long ears flicked forward in interest the more Kamiya spoke, and it generated within him a series of questions that he did his best to keep to a slow, steady stream. "What makes one 'pure'? No earthtones I'm supposing. Being so restrictive would cause inbreeding, though, unless Kapu'Moana was large."
And then he paused in thought, frowning slightly as he recalled . . . "Hmm. Ranks. Sutōrīterā: the keeper of the pack's history, whom younger hikki, scribes, learn under. Hantā: they who provide food. Yoi Shikyū and Yoi Koshi: broodmothers and studs. Shūdō-shi: wolves who commit themselves wholly to the path of enlightenment, forgoing all carnal ties and status." Another pause, and then: "I remember a time when I wanted to be one . . ."
His eyes went unfocused for a moment, and then Chou shook his head and continued on.
"Sukauto, what I am - what I was: those who specialize in gathering information and running quickly enough to relay it fresh. Our most menial job sending love messages between the upperclass, our most dangerous infiltrating an enemy pack's land. Kizoku, the nobles. And Roiyaru, the royal family."
Another pause. It was too tempting for his tastes to fall back into memories.
"Did you disapprove of your mother's rank, Kamiya-san?" Chou asked suddenly. Her wrinkled nose had not gone unnoticed. "She must have been a beautiful specimen indeed, if your pelt indicates anything."
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 3:47 am
"When the bloodlines grew too close, they would send out a raiding party to bring in fresh blood," she said, in a somewhat dull way. "Like my mother. If you were lucky, you were picked by the king after capture and your pups could hold rank among the nobles. If not, your pups would be low ranking. But it wasn't so bad, honestly."
She grinned. "It sounds stupid now, after everything. But growing up, I always wanted to be part of the wandering guard -- the wolves who steal new members. It sounded so exotic. That was the reason I was so eager to volunteer to search for the prince. I thought it would be such an adventure."
She soaked in the details of his pack, finding the foreign words fascinating. She wondered about his religion -- or, anyway, the religion of his pack -- but wondered more about why he had left, and whether he planned to return. She opened her maw to ask that, and then blinked at him, taken off-guard by the compliment and its accompanying question. Kamiya had never thought herself particularly attractive. She had definitely not thought that Chou would say such a thing. It was doubly strange for such things to be stated like bald fact, with no intention (so far as she could tell) of making a pass at her. "She...was not cut out for that sort of rank," she said, carefully sidestepping responding to his comment on her appearance. "I've been told that I can be...free-spirited. Or blunt. Or abrasive. She....is much worse than I, so far as that goes."
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:46 pm
"Worse?" The inflection was amused, the closest Chou had ever been to being so. Imagining a more brash Kamiya . . . He shut his eyes for a moment. "Hmm. I can only see the bear-wearer when given that description."
Albeit a much brighter-looking one. And more conformed to Kamiya's body build. But he could still see the beady eyes watching him.
His eyes opened again. "It reminds me: she has been more attached to the herb-smelling one lately. I suspect the relationship will cultivate pups soon, as a warning. The idea of a pregnant Marion is . . . frightening, I admit."
He wondered how Mars's "brother" would take to that. Or even what the pups would look like; Marion and Mars seemed, well, almost like clones in the realm of patterning.
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:04 pm
Her eyes widened. Somehow this had caught her by surprise. "...you're joking," she said, and if wolves could go pale, she surely would have.
Sure, she had been gallavanting around with every decent male she could come across, but at least she hadn't touched Mars. She had standards.
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:25 pm
Chou frowned. "Do I joke of what, your mother or of the budding relationship?" he asked, wanting clarity. And then he figured it would be best to answer both.
"If there was any offense about your mother, I did not intend it, Kamiya-san. It was simply an amusing comparison." He bowed his head apologetically.
"As for the pairing, I would not jest about such a thing. Whether it is shallow or deep, I sense it is heading down that route. Should I intervene?"
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:32 pm
She shook her head dismissively. "Never mind about my mother," she said, brow furrowed. She thought about it...thought about how Mars had disappeared for awhile, and then how Marion had disappeared to look for him...
"...No," she said, after a moment. She was baffled and a little disgusted, but she was also fascinated, sort of like watching maggots on carrion. "No, they're adults and their choices are their own." Then, before she could stop herself, "And not like any of it will matter soon enough when I go home and they're not my problem."
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 5:30 pm
Ah, another crux he had hoped to touch upon before the morning grew to noon. Chou nodded a little, his expression sobering. "How long do you believe it will takes us to reach the borders?" he asked, taking on a more business-like tone. "And would you mind if I accompany you until the journey is finished?"
He had no rush to continue his journey.
He thought to ask perhaps . . . But no. If he asked permission to assimilate into another pack's ranks, he would forever be branded a traitor - perhaps not to Setsurei's knowledge, but most certainly his own. And Chou knew he would never be able to live with the added weight on his soul.
But it was tempting all the same.
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Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 10:26 pm
She had a difficult time getting certain unsavory images out of her mind. Her imagination was, perhaps, fueled by memory, and it made everything far too vivid for her liking. She wasn't sure she could look at Marion with a straight face now, not that she'd really been likely to do that before.
"Depends how fast we travel," she said, shaking herself to try and rid her thoughts of that distraction. "But you're welcome to come or go as you wish. I'm staying once I get there, but I think Kai has it in his head that he will be able to leave once he's given his father a good talking-to. If he actually manages that, you can wander around with him on the way back if you want. Or stay on the beach with me. You'll be a servant, but you might catch somebody's eye and find your way into a harem. You're nice-looking enough."
Her brow furrowed, then. "If I didn't know better, Chou, I'd think you were trying to hide from something. Or run away, anyway."
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:35 pm
The harem made it less enticing to stay. Chou could not imagine the life of being in charge of so many willing females - he was more of a follower than a leader. He might take control of the channel of information, but that was as far as his influence would be taken. At least, consciously and purposefully.
"Arigato, Kamiya-san," he said politely with another bow of his head, though when he straightened his eyes were once more locked upon hers. "However . . . Perhaps I could say the same for you. I gave you the courtesy and opportunity to reveal your secret without judgment and received nothing: do not expect me to be as open with something as equally personal. If not moreso."
He turned and began to trot away, only saying, "I shall wake the others now. We have a long way to walk."
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:55 am
And so he had. She hadn't honestly expected him to respond -- indeed, she would have been shocked if the mysterious wolf had divulged his information willingly -- but her curiosity was roused. She shrugged.
"Well enough. You're right, we had best be going."
She watched him head off and, after a moment's hesitation, followed after.
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