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 Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 5:13 pm
 Risktaker strode from his den, after excusing himself from not only his lifemate but the new additions to their family. He made sure every single one of them was okay with him stepping out before actually leaving, not wanting to take a breath of fresh air at an inappropriate or inconvenient time. Once he was outside he stretched his long legs, shaking his head and looking out over the dark lands.
Smiling, happier than he even knew how to be, he drew a deep breath and decided to go on some rounds of the pack lands, just to see what his fellow pack members were up to and see if there were new faces to be met. He did his best to keep up with every member of their ever growing home, but sometimes his schedule kept him from his goals.
Still, his best was pretty good.
Humming a wordless tune, he nodded hello to familiar faces as he passed them, engaging in some idle chatter before finding a quiet area to sit and bask in the contentment that washed over him every time his mind strayed to his family. If he were a feline he would be purring. Instead he continued to hum, thinking himself alone, eyes turned to the stars.
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 3:25 pm
 Zaafarani was still getting used to the whole 'pack' thing. She was getting even more used to being called Saffron when she had become so accustomed to her old name. Sometimes someone would speak to her and she wouldn't even realize it because they called her that... but she liked to think that she was getting better about it. She had just never been very good at... 'change', and the pack was new for her. Especially since everyone was so... friendly. She had never experienced that before. It was unnerving, really.
But she liked it. It was so odd to suddenly have other creatures call her a 'friend' or note how useful her tracking skills were. She wasn't sure she could deal with it one moment, and was perfectly fine the next. Her face remained impassive but in her heart she felt that she had made the right choice. She was a little different than the others true... but she finally felt as though she mattered. And that was a good feeling.
She saw Risktaker and opened her mouth before she realized it. Then she closed it again. It was so odd for her to go out of her way to speak to anyone... and though no member of the pack had ever seen her smile, she had come close several times. She wasn't sure what to do with herself in those moments when her face came so close to displaying... emotion.
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:26 pm
Risktaker was lost in his little song. It was happy and his tail wagged with the beat. He tilted his head back and howled a few bars, the last note trailing long and then exploding into a laugh. The new father was beyond happy, positively glowing with pride and excitement. Sure he was nervous, but who in his position wasn't? That was part of what made it so great!
His head still tilted back from his laugh, he opened his eyes and noticed a yellow form nearby. Grinning, his head upside down, he curled himself around and stood, now everything about him rightside up and facing her. He grinned as if he was proud of the slightly off tune song he had just sung, trotting over to her with his ears perked forward.
"Hello there, Saffron!" He said warmly, plopping himself down near her. But not too near. He knew she was a bit uncomfortable with company, as were a couple of other members of this pack, and he tried to respect that.
"How are you doing tonight? Out for a walk? Or maybe you've come to join me in singing!" He grinned with goofy expectation.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:23 pm
Saffron had listened to him for a moment. She didn't not exactly understand what his... 'song' was because he had never listened to singing. She had never exactly been cultured. Her pack hadn't been very big on the more romantic aspects of living. She was happy, she supposed. If she had known what happiness was, but she had never really been a big fan of those things. Expression wasn't her greatest asset.
"Ah, hello Risktaker..." She said with her slow sure words. She was never exactly positive on how she should speak to one of her... leaders? Was that what she should call him? She wasn't sure what all the rules were yet. She was stilll getting used to it... before she had been led by generals. Which Risktaker didn't really strike her as.
"I was just... ah... getting my bearings. It is a new area for me... and as I am a... Finder... I should know the area... I think anyway." She tried to explain, unsure of his goofy expression. She didn't know much about jokes either. She would have to work on that. "And I do not... sing." She said, her flat voice seeming a little more emphasized when she said that. She really didn't have much of a tone... so much as a monotone. She probably wouldn't have been able to change that even if she had tried.
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:31 pm
Risktaker smiled and nodded, "that certainly makes sense! Well, if you need a tour I'd be happy to give you one. I was pretty much in the same place as you, though I got to explore a little bit more before the journey. Still, I'm discovering spots... so I guess you can't ever know every place."
He nodded, humming a bar of his song before tilting his head at her.
"Everyone sings," he said, sagaciously, "it's just a matter of finding your voice. We howl in celebration and mourning, and to some ears that is our song. So if you howl with us, you sing with us. See? I mean, not everyone has an amazing, musically inclined voice like I do."
He grinned, very aware that he was a tone-deaf.
"Maybe you'd be good for a metronome," he laughed playfully, jabbing at her. He thought everyone was open for teasing, and if he kept his attitude light enough there would be no need for hard feelings. He had an honest air about him, making it impossible to take him seriously, "or providing a base beat. You never know! But I won't make you sing. So. Uh. How are you liking it here?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:42 pm
"Right... perhaps I'll get the tour from you... later. When it's light out." She told him slowly, mulling it over and deciding it would be easiest when the sun was up. That way she could get the best view and know for certain where everything was. Or maybe she should try at night. Things got lost all the time in the dark.
"I... don't howl." Saffron mentioned slightly more bluntly than she had intended. But then, she always sounded blunt, so it could hardly be called intentional. But she had never howled... even in her old pack, it had only been a battle cry. That was hardly a song. More of an eerie reminder of days that she would rather not remember. No. She would never care much for songs and singers. She would much rather stay in the quiet.
"I do... though... like it uh... here." Ani tried her best to explain, her voice still moving slowly at her sure and steady place. "It is... not so much like the pack I... used to live with. They were... less peaceful... I could not remember... a day like this... where everyone spoke together so... kindly. That I enjoy. I am not used to... so many dogs. But I do... they seem..." She searched the the right words. "Everyone seems so happy."
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:15 am
Risk grinned.
"Sun up, huh? I'll have to keep myself awake, but I'm sure it'll be fine. I usually see the sun rise, anyway. And you're right, it is better for seeing everything, if you're eyes haven't adjusted to the night. And even then, you lose the color of Father Tree's bark."
He smiled wistfully for a moment before shaking his head and returning to his usual grin.
"You don't howl? Well, you'll definitely be learning how. We howl in celebration and in mourning. It's part of The Way, really," he seemed oblivious to her tone, whether it was intentional or not. He seemed to understand her habits already, and was accommodating them in his fashion: by making them seem all too natural.
"They are happy. And you will be too, if you're not there yet. This is a good home. I like to wander, I've been doing it for most of my life. I even helped take some of this pack out into the world. But this is more of a home than I've ever known, and I'm already used to it. I think it's the magic of these lands, and the call of The Way. I know you'll find your home here, too."
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Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:26 pm
"Ah... yes. I do like the moonlight... and sunise and sunset are... pretty, when I see them..." She didn't really put any effort into seeing a sunrise or sunset, but if she happened to be awake for one or the other, she would watch them. But she didn't exactly keep schedualed hours. She woke up and slept when it suited her... but she assumed that was bound to change a bit. She would just have to make due.
"I see... it just seems so... loud." She mentioned, not liking the idea of howling or making a fuss for any reason. Better to use quiet reflection. "I'm sure you must enjoy it to do it... but I am unused to such things. They remind me of... battle cries." The last words left a foul taste in her mouth. The howls of battle... she had been too young to take up the cries back then. And she hadn't ever done so. "I'm sure The Way will... find a way."
She looked around herself thoughtfully, "Yes... I wandered for a great deal of my life... except when I was born. Forgive me. I cannot say I have ever been unhappy... or happy. But I think if I can be happy... it will be here. If you understand... for it seems like a good place. If my home is here... then I think I will find the happiness of which you speak." Saffron explained with a short nod.
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:35 pm
Risktaker laughed, but not in an insulting way. He laughed because he was amused, and because he was happy. He smiled at her, genuine in his warmth and fondness, without a trace of judgment in his demeanor.
"It is pretty loud," he nodded, sagaciously, "but I think when you're in it, doing it, you don't notice. There's no rush or pressure, of course. You'll howl when you feel it, that's what they're for. You don't have to howl unless you're comfortable with it. Like I said, this is your home. And what kind of a home would it be if you couldn't be comfortable in it?"
He nodded back at her when she nodded at him, which might have looked a bit silly from someone at a distance. He wagged his tail and hummed a bit, looking over the lands and smiling. He always wanted the best for everyone, and though he was well aware that there was no such thing as a perfect place, he imagined that with Wisdom leading them this pack would be able to get pretty close.
"So, have you made any friends around here? Besides me, of course."
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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 6:44 pm
Saffron watched him thoughtfully, wondering how a person could be so happy all the time. But she guessed he must have been a pretty happy dog all things considered. Maybe she would laugh more as she got used to all the happiness around her. Even though she had never really laughed before... but who knew what the future would bring? It was hard to say.
"Perhaps..." She told him. But when she thought about howling, all she could remember were howls of war and fighting. One could have said that she suffered from a degree of post traumatic stress in that reguard, but she would never admit it. "Maybe I just need to find a way to make it... happy, instead of unhappy... I don't know... I'll think about it. I want to... I want to fit in." She was a little sick of being different, but how else was she supposed to be?
She did like Risktaker though. In a way, she looked up to him for being so cheerful and finding so many good things to be happy about in a world that she had always seen as being rather ugly. She did consider him a friend for that, if she could find a way to be like him. "I... know Gin... uh, Silvertongue. We met before. When we lived outside. And some of the pups from around... I... like the pups... they are very friendly... and don't seem to think I'm... strange. Some asked me to... play with them. I liked that."
She had. The pups who had been kind had been very good to her.
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 12:17 am
"Don't worry too much about fitting in," Risk said, wagging his tail. He nodded with confidence, dropping his smile in order to look sagely. His eyes were still bright and happy, though, so he wasn't too outside his character, "you already do."
"The Way speaks to us all differently. Let it guide you, and you'll find you're not all that different from any of us, because we're all family here. Whatever quirks you have, the pack will accept, and you don't have to worry about changing a thing. Believe me, there are other quiet members of the pack. I have a dear friend, Phantomsoul, who doesn't like to speak. She grew up not knowing anyone, not speaking to anyone, and has some aversions now to conversations with others. But she's still managed to make friends and has a family. I wouldn't worry, I really wouldn't."
He smiled again, unable to go too long without doing it.
"I'm glad you're meeting others! Pups are great. There are a lot running around, and soon my own will join them. I'd be glad to introduce you to my family, when they're old enough. Puppies are the most innocent of us all, and I sort of admire them for that, you know? They just accept things, and they love it. It's not hard for them. There needs to be more pup in all of us, I think."
He wagged his tail again, clearly having enough of his inner child still in tact, "it'd make this place a bit wild, though, all of us running around like pups."
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Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 1:00 pm
"Ah... alright." She nodded towards him, glad that Risk took her at face value and didn't seem to care that she wasn't really like the others. She was certain she would get better over time... but she did like the way she was. She didn't really want to change too much, to forget who she was and why she was the way she was.
"Yes... we're all a family here." Saffron nodded, doing her best to accept what he told her. "It is good to know that I am not the only one who has such difficulty with talking to others... I was a hermit for a long time. But I find back life much less... lonely." She tried to explain. She had found friends... and who knew? Maybe she would have a family someday.
If she had known how to smile, she might have then. But she couldn't even really manage much of a facial twitch when it came to her emotionless face.
"Yes... the pups have all been very kind. They don't seem to mind that I... don't talk much. Content to talk instead, I suppose..." She mentioned, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. "None of them seem to care who I used to be..." Even the older dogs didn't seem to mind. She was glad to let the past go. Even thouh it seemed to be doing it's best to hold on anyway...
"I hope all the pups here... have wonderful childhoods." She said, letting her shoulders relax as she sat down. "They deserve happiness while they're... so small and young."
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Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2009 11:03 pm
Risk grinned, struck with a silly thought.
"I can almost see you and Phantomsoul meeting. Just the two of you standing there, or sitting if you got comfortable, not talking to each other. It's almost sweet, in a way, though I'm sure others would find the silence awkward at best. Ha, sorry. That's a silly thing to think, much less bring up, but it's probably the best mental image I've had all night."
He wagged his tail, chuckling. His laugh was a bit husky, in his throat, the end tapering off into a soundless hiss. He shook his head, gold eyes shining brightly in the darkness.
"Pups don't really notice anything, which makes them great. I'm sure they're all going to be happy. I'm certainly going to do what I can to make sure of that. And you will, too, in your way. Whatever tasks you do for the pack will help ensure that every young life is touched and happy. Everything we do is important, no matter what rank we have. You know?"
He grinned, "I think everyone deserves happiness, young or old. Heck, I'm not a pup any more, by any means, but I like being happy. Pups just have a way of bringing that youthfulness back out. I think as long as there's life here, there's going to be happiness."
He looked fondly out over the lands around them, turning his head toward the great tree that looked over them. He drew a deep breath, looking as sober as he was wont to be, his eyes filled with his respect and love for his home and, ultimately, the life he lived.
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 3:41 pm
"I wouldn't mind that... being with someone and not having to speak, I think... would be very pleasent. Especially when I'm never exactly sure... what I should be saying." Saffron mentioned off-hand. She liked to think that she had improved, as far as her ability to hold up her end of a conversation went.
But sometimes she still loved to hear the sound of silence. It was amazing what you could hear when no one spoke. And that was the only part of being alone that she missed.
"Yes... I do like that about the pups. It doesn't seem to matter to them... who you are... where you came from... they accept everything you tell them. I sometimes with... adults could be that way." She said quietly, heaving a sigh, though her face, as always, remained the same.
"Everyone deserves to be happy... I just never thought it would be... me." She admitted, and she would have smiled if she had known how. Or if it wouldn't have been something bizare and frightening to see on her usually stone-face. "But I think I will be happy here. For the first time... I belong."
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:42 pm
'You and young Phantomsoul should meet some time! She's a good kid. A bit awkward, but I think she's on her way. Has three puppies of her own, which, as we just discussed, are very fun," Risktaker laughed, shaking his head. "Not that I'm trying to make you meet other people. That's up to you, at your own pace. Just putting the suggestion out there."
He grinned.
Risktaker watched her, tilting his head. He didn't seem ruffled by her stoic nature or the unwavering stillness of her facial expression. It didn't stop him from wagging his tail and he smiled enough for the two of them. His mood was particularly high today, though he was rarely in a bad one anyway. He nodded.
"I'm glad to hear that! But I bet it feels better to say it," he nodded sagaciously.
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