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 Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:55 pm
Dense rows of trees shielded the creature as it heaved, moving through the small pools of moonlight that dipped between the few branches that allowed those little droplets to seep through. His only company was the flickering fireflies that danced through the air. They were his friends...his enemies all in one but he regarded their existence with mild acknowledge. There was something at his paws. With a small sigh he raised his head, and then with the swift lifting of his front legs he pulled the hefty carcass from the ground and halfway onto his shoulders, twisting his head harshly as he did so. It wasn't so easy getting another wolf onto your back alone. However, when finished he knew this was the best way to take the body and dispose of it properly; he didn't want a trial of blood leading right to the grave.
With a further sigh, he moved forward, his black paws blending into the dark ground as though he were becoming tangible from the shadows. His head bowed while he traveled, his tail hung out to balance himself. The wolf moved with a fluid motion, only able to be found awkward as the body swayed with his steps. The hips of the old gray wolf were stiff already. The only thing left to do was to dispose of the body, however he wanted that done, and bring back something of the wolf to his employer. A paw maybe? This was always the part of the job he disdained the most. Not only was he disgusted by having to mutilate the body of someone he did not know nor felt any hate toward, he also had to deal with the guilt of having taken the life. It wasn’t going to burrow its way into his everyday life, he had done this enough to have grown bored with feeling regret, but he knew it would haunt him in other ways.
Finally pausing, his pads rested against soft soil finding the perfect place to do his duty. Beneath a rugged mangled tree, his started to study exactly what his method would be. Would he approach this like a human and burry the body or would he leave it here where only the birds would come to deliver away the evidence? Maybe he could settle the carcass within the branches to make a point. His client hadn't specified any want of how to settle with the body so now he was left to use his imagination. Another sigh followed.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:31 pm
 Bijou was walking in a culvert in the expansive forest. Around her head buzzing annoyingly were fireflies. The golden-eyed she-wolf shapped at them, occasionally catching one or two as she mentally grumbled to herself, ranting and raving about the annoying bugs.
She stopped in her tracks, ears snapping up from thier previously flattened position as they caught a sound.
'Well, well, it seems another treds these ground tonight aswell,....' a wry grin appeared on her grizzled maw.
With a leap, Bijou hoisted herself out of the culvert. Her wild golden eyes glimmered with the stray slivers of moonlight that shined down as she looked about for the source of the sound she had heard.
Bijou wasn't of the soundest of mind, but she wasn't exactly insane. She had a lust for killing, and enjoyed it more than anything. If that qualified as insanity, perhaps she was, but that wasn't the word she used for it.
'Having fun.' Yes. That's what it was. She didn't suspect she would get to have any of that fun tonight, however, but there was always hope, in that feral mind.
Soon her nose picked up the scent of death. Curiosity took the place of that hope. Curiosity that qould soon me piqued. For as the moonlight shined down, and the wind whistled through the trees, the female wolf advanced on the scene of the assassin.
"Do you not take joy in causing death? Does the scent of blood not drive your sences wild?" The scratchy voice of the female said, almost whimsically, as she came up behind the unknown male, teeth gleaming in a wolfy grin. Arrogant, this wolf had no fear.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:03 pm
Flicking his ears, he heard her paws before a single whimsical word escaped her maw. His brows frowned...this wasn't good. Every peaceful aspect of the moment (if there was any before) was sucked away leaving instead an awkward silence between the male, the female, and the body which wouldn't be replying anytime soon. This stranger had seen his act. Not the act of killing, but enough to put him at the spot and place him as the culprit and this would warrant death of any other wolf, but perhaps this case would be different. He hoped so by the sound of her voice. Instead of shock she spoke of something far more morbid.
Instead of taking care of the matter immediately, he paused and decided to answer. He wouldn't kill her just yet. "Joy? It's a job and nothing more," he muttered, his blazing eyes calm and narrowed in a scrutinizing way. "Life and death is not something for me to decide, just something I've found profit in order to support myself. And I do not rely on primal instincts to steer my direction." It was true that he fell blind to the blood lust just as any wolf would. But that didn't mean he allowed it to cloud his mind when going after targets of the canine persuasion. Instead he controlled himself until he could release that hunger upon lesser creatures that he would feed upon.
How would the she-wolf reply? Was she the sort to revel in the killing of other wolves? This wasn't exactly an attribute he thought noble in wolves, but it was true that it could be useful. And considering he was banding together a pack...maybe? No. He wouldn't ask her. Instead he would wait for her decision and see just what sort of personality she had to offer. A firefly fluttered past his eyes, illuminating his features before swiping away what little light blessed him.
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Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:14 pm
"Payed to play?" Bijou asked, amusedly.
She by far enjoyed instilling fear in her targets, watching their eyes as they made that split second decision to fight or flight. growing up, she limited her 'fun' to hunting, as being without a pack made obtaining food an iffy thing, though she admittedly wasn't picky about what she caught -- mouse or wolf alike.
She chuckled. "Payed to take the life of others, to bring death upon the unsuspecting,..." She shook her head. "My, my, my, if I had known someone would pay me to have fun,..." Bijou trailed off, amused.
This was perhaps one of her more sane moments,..they usually lasted till her curiosity was satisfied. But her mind was unpredictable. Would she take this wolf's information and run with it? Take it from him then kill him? Or join him?
Bijou sat, and flicked her tail, "And just how does your employer pay you?" She tilted her head slightly with inquisition.
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Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 12:54 pm
His eyes never wavered from the female as she spoke, and continued to stare with scrutinizing distrust. What was he to take from her words? She sounded to be nothing more than a lustful killer, the type who took join and sought out the opportunity to kill. This wasn't the sort of wolf he would have appreciated meeting with in this dark hour of the night...it wasn't that he couldn't protect himself, he could do so quite efficiently, but if it was their destiny to fight he'd have preferred an enemy with less want to rip out his throat.
At her question his ears pulled forward before resting at the side. He peered out from his dark bangs not needing to contemplate the question considering there was only so much a wolf could earn as a sort of payment without currency. "Meat, land, allies, any amount of valuable things," he answered directly, wondering if she took interest in the prospect of becoming a mercenary such as himself. Aguta didn't make any move to make himself comfortable. Instead he continued to stand with the body at his side completely stiff. His tail rested not in the air as an alpha would parade, but instead leisurely hung.
"Why? Are you curious about my career?" he muttered next, speaking the obvious. She wouldn't have asked if she wasn't interested, but that didn't mean she wanted the job for herself. However, if she did then perhaps they could exit the scene without a fight first. Aguta didn't want to consider this stranger an ally just yet.
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Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 4:18 pm
Bijou seemed to think for a moment - one could never tell with those wide golden eyes.
"Payed to kill,.." She said to herself. She could seldomly tolerate others, and she bore no manners for most that she did tolerate long enough to converse with. Such a job meant tolerance. Could she muster up enough? Would the realease be enough of a payoff to make up for it? Bijou didn't care much for allies, and as far as she was concerned, neither did land, but a near-garunteed meal sounded apealing, and the 'valuable things' piqued her curiosity.
"Curious? I think it would be safe to assume so, yes." Bijou said with a swish of her tail.
Aguta might not have seemed to take much joy in his job, but Bijou had no qualms with killing.
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Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:20 pm
That was perhaps the sole thing that created a difference in the two. While he seemed burdened by his career, he could sense in the female that she'd have no issue with it, except for when conversing with the employer. This was both a gift and a curse, as he had thought before, but he wanted to stress this point, even to himself so he wouldn't make a mistake with the female. Could he be so brash as to just come out and ask her to join? Sometimes it was wise to have polar opposites on a team so that they could keep the others in line. But would Bijou be able to do that or would she just contribute to the problem? Would there ever be a problem? Surely there would, no pack was perfect, and considering the intensity of the Tomkin pack he was sure that differences would create social divides between the members at some point.
A small sigh followed from his lips as he shifted, daring to grow closer to the she-wolf. His paws stopped though a few feet away from her, not about to come close enough for her to leap upon him. Those blue eyes of his studied her, observing her markings while taking in her scent ensuring that if they were to meet again he would remember this female. Would he be so brash as to ask her name? Why not? He would offer his own, or at least an alias as he would assume she would offer an alias as well for cautions sake.
"May I ask your name?" he murmured, taking a chance. "It is interesting to see that you're interested. I assume you’re used to the act of killing as it is. Enjoyable for you, is it?" His questions didn't sound condescending, despite how much he differed from her. Instead his voice seemed alluring.
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Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:36 pm
The insinuation of killing made her muscles ripple and the furr down her spine to rise, as a shudde went down her spine - a shudder of sheer pleasure.
As he studied her, she did the same, plans already forming in her mind -- this was a job she could enjoy, and rivalry made it all the sweeter,. She never suspected the male to be at all interested in forming a pack; Even if she did, she wouldn't have made any more a show of submission than she already was - none. Rebelious? She really didn't know, having never experience any 'authority'. She figured so long as she wasn't challanged a relative,..harmony, of sorts, could be achieved.
"Names, names, names, does it matter?" She tilted her head slightly. "I'm Bijou, the heartless. The one whom not even her own mother could love, for even as an 'innocent' pup, the call to kill brought me to slay one of my own siblings,..but I guess that's enough, when you come from a pack that preaches 'love' and 'compassion'." Bijou said with the roll of her golden eyes, with a mocking tone, and a bit of a growl.
From then on, her hate had only been fueld further,..the lust to kill her own kind,...... She'd grown up with it,...learned to pacify it, if only for a little bit. But now with this opportunity,...her hate could be used in such a way that was more constructive for herself.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:40 pm
Well at least she showed some sign of reluctance in her name, but it was clear to him she had not hesitated to say it and jumped swiftly to answer. This wasn't wise, not for this pack, but it was obvious that she had no fear in giving the name and thus was not worried about the sensitivity of it. Maybe she didn't need to be cautious. Maybe she felt herself capable enough to take care of herself if anyone decided to pick a fight with the very high sprung killer. She was a dangerous commodity. A rare find.
But would it be wise to let this Bijou into his territory? Would it be wise to let her leave? If she were to join the pack she could instead be used as an ally, a sword and shield alike, but if he were to let her go, the murderous she-wolf was then a threat to him and his pack alike.
She didn't ask for his name, so he didn't give it.
Sympathy wasn't something he passed out often, and often felt it character building to only aid someone with a problem by forcing them to deal with it themselves. But for Bijou, it seemed psychologically she was scarred from her experiences, the betrayal of her pack even though Aguta saw the logic in not trusting a pup who was capable of killing one of their own siblings. Then again, he hadn't heard the whole story and reserved judgment for the time being knowing full well the consequences for taking a life, having done so dozens of time before.
"Well, Bijou," he started, still staring at the female, "Your injustice is unfortunate...however, do you think it wise to kill without reason? Is it just for pleasure, a selfish whim? Are you capable of controlling your impulses?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:56 pm
"I haven't killed you, have I?" Bijou let that stand as her reply.
Bijou did, indeed, think that she could very well take care of herself, and likewise showed no fear. Had no fear. She asked for no sympathy - her past had made her who she was today, and that didn't seem likely to change. Besides, sympathy was laughable. To offer sympathy for a killer? That was a death warrant right there. Aguta was smart to hold tight to it.
Bijou was heartless, and lusted for battle, but she was smart, in her own disfunctional way. If there was any alignment one could designate to the wolf, it was certainly Chaotic-neutral. Her morals were anything that worked for her and that could change with the flutter of the raven's wings, but as of right now, and current cercumstances? They were certainly in the male's favor.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 4:29 pm
Aguta offered her a slight smirk, something rarely seen upon his usually stoic proud muzzle. "I suppose you have a point. However, it's unlikely you would have been successful," he commented, wondering if his reply would cause any sort of reaction. It wasn't intended to be instigating, but it was often that a few choice words could turn around a whole situation for good or bad. Bijou was intelligent, not a push over, and her lusty words were enough to make any wolf grow curiously cautious. Aguta was no exception.
"Have you ever contemplated joining a pack? Putting those skills of yours to use?" he asked suddenly to his own surprise. A confrontation here was not something he looked forward to, but perhaps they could part on lighter paws. And it would be even better if they parted together, pack mates instead of feral enemies. Of course he realized that if he brought the she-wolf to Tomkin there could initially be some confrontations, but at the same time he saw the profit in her working for him if she would accept it. At least in Tomkin she could kill to her heart’s content as long as the wolf she was after had a bounty on their head. Though he disagreed with her methods, there was no doubt he could see worth in the she-wolf.
He shifted slightly, staring at her while he listened for her reply, wondering just how she would take the silent proposition.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:30 pm
The initial provocation Bijou felt at Aguta's first statement bade her tense a little, flicking an ear in a manner similar to shrugging off a goading comment. Soon as the tesion left her paws, she replied in a cool manner;
"Discretion is sometimes needed when one is looking out for their best interests."
..
"There is no such pack as would take someone who thrills in the sight of blood and the scent of fear, no matter my procision or skill. However if there were, I can see that there a benifits in it that, despite the effort to socialize myself, would make it worth my while. Just what do we speak of? And Assassin's guild? A band of mercinaries? comrads at arms, all in the name of killing?" Bijou seemed to mock the thought, voice growin in volume, then lowering as a grin spread upon her face. "Count me in."
Her golden eyes gleamed. The pros outweighed the cons, in this matter. Bijou might be selfish, but she was not dumb.
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Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 4:08 pm
The feisty reply was most certainly intriguing. At first he was sure the female was mocking the very core of the Tomkin pack, though he wouldn't act against her, allowing her an opinion, but as soon as she turned the statement around his interest seemed to grow. A slight smirk breached his maw, forcing him to take a step closer to the female as his tail lifted into the air, hearing her statement as an application rather than a statement. "I'm glad to hear that," he murmured in little more than a whisper, "Very glad. If it so interests you then I ask if you would be interested in joining my pack. It's description...well, pretty much just as you said it. An Assassin's guild, a band of mercenaries...this is the Tomkin pack."
He wondered what her response would be. And if so would accept how would this affect the pack with currently only two other members. Would they be accepting for the unique female? All the same, the wolf believed she could be a benefit and he would rather have an ally with him than an enemy out in the world alone.
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Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 3:15 pm
"It would only be benificial for us both, now wouldn't it?" the golden-eyed she-wolf said. "Very well. I'll take you up on your offer." Bijou finally accepted, giving a swish of her tail.
Things would be different now. It was sure to be interesting, to say the least,..for all parties involved.
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:51 am
Aguta gave a small smirk, almost devilish in appearance but it flashed away flicking by as fast as it come. His eyes traveled over the interestingly marked female as he listened to her acceptance, forcing him to feel a little more proud in the decision and her assistance. "I'm glad to hear that," he murmured, "Welcome to Tomkin." Looking down to the body he knew he had to dispose of it fast before escorting Bijou to the territory and introducing her to the few others.
But first a thought came to mind. "Do you have a preference of code names? Due to the nature of our career, you will need an alias. If you have any ideas please feel free. You may refer to me as Wraith," Aguta spoke suddenly, not bothering to give her his real name just yet.
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