Quote:

You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise;
You’re spilling like an overflowing sink.
You’re ripped at every edge but you’re a masterpiece,
And now I’m tearing through the pages and the ink.

Everything is blue:
His pills, his hands, his jeans.
And now I’m covered in the colors
Pulled apart at the seams-
And it's blue. And it's blue.

The wound on his shoulder didn't hurt, per se, but it still stung. Its presence was a reminder that he might have... gotten himself in over his head this time. When Tjenu had finally disbanded- the years of drought and the oasis completely driving up, forcing its denizens to seek a more habitable land- he'd gone his own way, while his family had gone theirs. It didn't feel like a bad separation, but rather a natural one that most children went through as they moved out on their own. The Hawk at the border had been... accommodating enough, though very direct and seemed to have zero patience. Ah, well- no turning back now, he supposed.

Stretching, the blue guy roamed through the thickly treed forest, winding past gigantic roots and towering redwoods as the newly accepted wolf made his way towards the heartland of the pack. He paused for a moment to drink at a stream that cut through the wood, its waters clear and cool on the hot summer day. Dunking his head in the water for a moment to cool himself off, he came back up for air and shook his ruff to get the excess water off. 

Neptune was looking forward to what his future in Oukoku Kai had in store.

Quote:"Ouch," hummed a choir boy's voice sympathetically as the fellow neophyte threw back his head from the river. "That looks fresh."

The melodic sound was interspersed with the splishing and swishing of disturbed water as from beyond a high bed of rocks that jutted out just downstream and tucked his body out of sight, Tibet emerged and wound toward Neptune, water drizzling from the long snakelike abdomen, from the drenched tip of his tail, from the underside of his chin and throat.

Had he been spying on the other boy? Why, that would be rude. Not that this sheltered, amoral creature always knew too well what rudeness truly was. He'd simply been lying in the shallows, basking like a gator, because high noon in Oukoku-Kai was brutal, and it seemed Neptune was already learning that.

"Mine was on my chest," he continued, slinking closer, the lipless lizard's mouth smiling serenely, the emerald eyes perceptive of every movement, for this was his view of the stranger... that, and the fading smell of sandstone. "You're very new. What brought you here?"

Maybe it was the desire for goodness and light. Tibet could relate.

Quote:"Ouch, that looks fresh."

Ears swiveled before his head turned, and Neptune gave a wry smile towards the sound of the voice. "Quite so," came his reply as Tibet snaked into view. What a queer looking creature, the blue wolf mused as moved closer to the hellion himself. 

"Mine was on my chest. You're very new. What brought you here?"

"Hail, brother. A drought struck my homeland, and since we lived in a desert, when the oasis dried up there was neither food nor water to be found. My family went elsewhere, but I decided to leave on my own and wound up here. Whatever fate or fortune has in store for me, I await it with open paws."

Head tilted slightly, and Neptune gave a friendly grin, "Anyway, I'm Neptune, and it's a pleasure to meet you." The blue boy's tail wagged as he regarded how calm this fellow seemed. A cool demeanor and a friendly attitude? Neptune thought they would get along just fine.

"You said your scar was on your chest- does that mean you weren't born here either?"

Quote:Tibet had never known the cruelty of drought. He'd known many other cruelties, to be sure, from fires to hungry reptilian predators to war to even his own almost-murder, but drought... nope. The wetlands held that moniker for a fitting reason.

"We all take care of each other here," he reassured the other boy dutifully, for this is what he believed, and certainly what Neptune, poor young Neptune who'd faced down the barrel of starvation, needed to hear at this moment. Right? Yes. "You'll have a new family in no time. It didn't take me long!" Smile.

Tibet slithered up beside him, settling down, gingerly laying his tail across the earth -- its plumed tip twitched catlike as they conversed -- and laughed merrily at the greenhorn's question. If only!

"Oh no, I was born in a swamp. I used to be sort of a prince, you know? But this place is..." He sighed fondly. "... much better."

(There, just nearby. Was that a flash of wintery blue on white?)

Quote:"We all take care of each other here. You'll have a new family in no time. It didn't take me long!"

While he wasn't entirely certain about having a "new family", Neptune nodded politely in return. When Tibet slunk closer, settling himself on the ground, Neptune moved out of the water to sit himself on the bank next to the hellion. "I look forward to it," the blue male smiled in return. 

"Oh no, I was born in a swamp. I used to be sort of a prince, you know? But this place is... much better."

"Would you... mind telling me about it?" Neptune asked, glancing for a moment at the streaming water before eyeing the Priest beside him. "I mean, the Hawk gave me the basic idea- but perhaps you could give me a more personal view of Oukoku Kai?"A flash of a smile in that moment, blue eyes seeking green.

Quote:(... Nope. Guess not. Don't rely on Tibet's blind eyes, folks.)

"The swamp? Oh," blurted the dragon boy, looking sheepish at his presumption. Who besides him would ever want to hear about that murky places, anyway? He saw things... differently than another creatures. Saw beauty where they'd mostly see an ugly, wet, dangerous cesspool of mosquitoes that would bite you and crocodiles that would do worse. Anyways.

"Oukoku-Kai is..." And Tibet paused, seeking the right words. Maybe they were down in the river, in this wavering reflection, which the moving water painted for him. "... unlike anywhere I've ever been before. The wolves here are so wise. They know things that everyone outside doesn't. They told me you can be either good or bad... I didn't understand that for a long time." Voice dropped to a low whisper of confession. "Sometimes it's still a little confusing."

He dipped his toes thoughtfully into said river, letting it weave through the webbed digits.

"The Rosa watch over everything here. I'm sure one of them gave you her blessing when your hawk led you in. Oh! Was it a lovely pale wolf with blue eyes...?"

She was kind of the bomb, of course. His own personal deity.

Quote:"The swamp? Oh."

Neptune blinks, then gives a small smile in return to the other's sheepishness. It hadn't occurred to him to ask about the swamp, but now he was curious. This dragon child- a prince? Neptune wanted to know more about this other fellow now- what had made him and caused Tibet to make the decisions that he had.

"Oukoku-Kai is..." a pause for breath and consideration, "... unlike anywhere I've ever been before. The wolves here are so wise. They know things that everyone outside doesn't. They told me you can be either good or bad... I didn't understand that for a long time." Words pitched lower as Tibet whispered, "Sometimes it's still a little confusing."

"Morality... has never been my strong suit either," Neptune replies, a little surprised at that particular similarity. For all that Tjenu had touted its moral superiority, the necessity of his father as an assassin was jarring at best, but mostly just downright confusing. Tjenu wanted to pretend that it was a haven- the epitome of righteousness- but it wasn't honest. It was just as dirty under the surface as any other place.

The most intricate lesson Nightfrost had taught him, despite learning pleasantries and how to be diplomatic, was that it was okay to be the monster in the night, so long as it was for a dedicated purpose.

And Neptune always had been good at assimilating.

"The Rosa watch over everything here. I'm sure one of them gave you her blessing when your hawk led you in. Oh! Was it a lovely pale wolf with blue eyes...?"

"Yes!" he said, lips curling upwards, "She didn't say much, other than to welcome me in to Oukoku Kai. But actually meeting a God is quite something, isn't it?"

An electric thrill ran down his spine, and the blue boy gave a contented sigh.

"I wish my parents or siblings could have come with me," Neptune pauses, worried as the thought occurs to him. "I don't... want them to die godless..."

Quote:Neptune concurred, this boy who'd been raised by a hitman and a codependent woman. Good and evil, evil and good, they were more elusive ideas to those who'd never even been exposed to the bricks lain to that shaky house.

"I used to think everything was..." He wasn't sure how to explain it, but grew emphatic nonetheless, pleased to have someone here with one foot still in the wild dark. The priests were good people, but... their teachings still surpassed his own for the most part. It was nice to finally be the mentor for once. "... everything was... just as it happened. And that was that. My father raided a neighboring pack, burned the land, and took the children away. He's alive, he's strong enough to do whatever he wants - did that make him good? I wasn't allowed to go on raids because I was too soft, they said - did that make me bad? It was only ever about who was eating who."

A rare glimpse into the boy's psyche, into the gruesome past, beyond the gentle smiles and lovely mien. And could his new brother-in-arms sense the vile baseness in Tibet's genes, see it lurking somewhere behind his blind eyes?

"But it goes so much deeper than that, brother."

Lipless mouth quirked upward yet again. One might wonder if it was all so much genuine happiness, or if there was a survival method lurking in there as well. I'm small, I'm sweet, not a threat, you don't need to hurt me. "Oh yes," he purred, "it's something indeed." One decorated paw reached out then to lay over Neptune's shoulder consolingly. "Sometimes we go out into the world and find lost souls who need our help. Maybe someday you can lead us to them."

(You still just don't get it, do you, kid?)

"My name's Tibet, by the way. I'm a priest here."

Quote:"I used to think everything was... everything was... just as it happened. And that was that. My father raided a neighboring pack, burned the land, and took the children away. He's alive, he's strong enough to do whatever he wants - did that make him good? I wasn't allowed to go on raids because I was too soft, they said - did that make me bad? It was only ever about who was eating who. But it goes so much deeper than that, brother."

Neptune nodded, but an alarm rang in the back of his head. Had this fellow's original pack been at war? Raiding, pillaging, kidnapping... surely there must have been some reason behind those actions? It seemed impolite to ask, so the son of Nightfrost filed that information away in the back of his mind. Perhaps another day, in a different conversation...

"Oh yes," the Priest purred, "it's something indeed. Sometimes we go out into the world and find lost souls who need our help. Maybe someday you can lead us to them."

"Thank you," the blue boy murmured in response, "I hope one day we can make that journey. I am certain my siblings would take up the righteous path of the Rosa." A thoughtful hum resonated within his chest, and he was content to leave the comforting arm of the hellion where it was. Tilting his head slightly, Neptune regarded the other for a moment before adding, "Perhaps you could let me know before you leave for your next mission? Hopefully I will have learned enough to be an asset and can join you." 

"My name's Tibet, by the way. I'm a priest here."

"Well met, Tibet," Neptune replied, a pleased smile inching its way up his face. He was beginning to genuinely like this fellow. "What brought you here- away from your homeland and princehood to Oukoku and Priesthood?" A short pause of consideration before the Kyuu added, "If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Quote:"I used to think everything was... everything was... just as it happened. And that was that. My father raided a neighboring pack, burned the land, and took the children away. He's alive, he's strong enough to do whatever he wants - did that make him good? I wasn't allowed to go on raids because I was too soft, they said - did that make me bad? It was only ever about who was eating who. But it goes so much deeper than that, brother."

Neptune nodded, but an alarm rang in the back of his head. Had this fellow's original pack been at war? Raiding, pillaging, kidnapping... surely there must have been some reason behind those actions? It seemed impolite to ask, so the son of Nightfrost filed that information away in the back of his mind. Perhaps another day, in a different conversation...

"Oh yes," the Priest purred, "it's something indeed. Sometimes we go out into the world and find lost souls who need our help. Maybe someday you can lead us to them."

"Thank you," the blue boy murmured in response, "I hope one day we can make that journey. I am certain my siblings would take up the righteous path of the Rosa." A thoughtful hum resonated within his chest, and he was content to leave the comforting arm of the hellion where it was. Tilting his head slightly, Neptune regarded the other for a moment before adding, "Perhaps you could let me know before you leave for your next mission? Hopefully I will have learned enough to be an asset and can join you." 

"My name's Tibet, by the way. I'm a priest here."

"Well met, Tibet," Neptune replied, a pleased smile inching its way up his face. He was beginning to genuinely like this fellow. "What brought you here- away from your homeland and princehood to Oukoku and Priesthood?" A short pause of consideration before the Kyuu added, "If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Quote:"I would say the same for my siblings, but I'm afraid I don't remember much about them anymore..."

Mused thoughtfully, no real grief or nostalgia in the words. They'd never been close, he and Twilght and Xanthe, who resembled him well enough, but had gone on when the trio was all still quite young with their brutal father when he decided the horde had outlived its potential for entertainment. 

"We're of poor breeding," he whispered conspiratorially, maw brushing briefly close to Neptune's cheek as he admitted what Kanji had sneered to him so many moons ago. "Rosa Chinensis was very kind to take me into her fold, but maybe bringing more like myself in would insult her..." A pause, a hum that might bring to mind an echo of Tezcacoatl. "Or maybe they just wouldn't get it." A sigh through his nose. "I'd worry about that."

Tibet could be taught, that he felt was true most days -- but could you teach all anarchic brutes new tricks? He didn't know.

The blue boy made his suggestion; he abandoned that unhappy train of thought and was all smiles again. "Oh, sure! I've only been on one mission so far. A pack of heathens stole away one of our jin. I helped get him back. But someday I want to go back out into the world and enlighten misguided wolves like you say." He set one front paw over Neptune's then, looking with earnest blind eyes into taciturn ruby. "I know you're not like that anymore. But if you ever want me to, I'd share what I've learned. It's hard, being so new and lost."

A show of genuine altruism, for he really did like Neptune so far, but as the story he'd requested would tell... not everyone here was so kind.

"My pack fell, and when my father took his wives and children out of the swamp, he forgot me. So I tried to find my own way out... I had no idea where to go from there."

The horror of the tale, the callousness of his abandonment, the savagery of what came next, was spoken about as though it were a comment upon the river their paws still breached. 

"Then he came. A black wolf, one eye like the sun, the other like the moon. He broke my horn. He had my throat in his mouth. I knew he was going to kill me. But... I talked to him. I got him to talk back. I asked why he'd done that, and he said... everything outside the holy valley had to die. And he told me why. And I couldn't believe it. He said I couldn't follow him, but if I found my way there... then I'd understand."

He tipped his severed horn toward Neptune. Showing him his sacrifice. Real gods always required blood.

"So I did. After a long while. And here I am."

The air was brisk and cool as he made his usual patrol of the borders but today rather than making multiple circuits in a row as he normally would he decided he would attempt to find some of the individuals he had accepted previously and check in on them and how they were fairing. They were his responsibility after all both as the Sentry to accept them but also as a Page so he began sifting through scents as he ventured through the more interior parts of Inaria's lands searching for any of their scents so he could follow them to their source. It was taking a bit longer than he would have liked though. Not because he was incapable of tracking but because there were inevitably things he noticed as he progressed that required further attention. Normally he would not have minded the myriad of opportunities to gather information that were being presented to him but as they were interfering with his goal of what he had wanted to achieve, or to have already achieved at this point, he found them somewhat tedious. They were still necessary though, that and he would likely be able to appreciate the intricate details of his observations later after his goal was accomplished, so he paid careful attention to each situation he came upon.

He had just finished with one and was once again moving in pursuit of a familiar scent when a different scent caught his attention and he shifted his attention to it, thinking, contemplating and assessing. There were so many options, so many choices and so many possible scenarios. There were so many different paths and ways for things to go hopefully things would play out in a way that was at least tolerable, but he would be aiming for something better than merely tolerable that way if there were any hitches the outcome would hopefully not be disastrous and if everything went according to logic it shouldn't be..but then not everyone was logical. Even he wasn't entirely logical all the time as that would be illogical in and of itself.

Life was such a curious, complex thing with individuals who were even more complex which could make things rather challenging but it also made things rather interesting. Such were his musings until....

He had heard the rumors of the return of recent members. Hakan was antsy to reacquaint himself with Aylie, Mercury, and Raka. But there was another that he felt especially pulled to meet for the first time. A young girl with a familiar scowl on her face, a specific pattern to her coat. Was she a daughter of his apprentice and his own daughter? He hadn't seen Jase and Sal since long in the exile. Their brood of boys going along with them. Would this girl bring news? Was she his own granddaughter? Or perhaps, like his own Kyra, those boys had grown up and fathered their own children?
Sal was his adopted step-daughter, and not blood related. It made no difference to him however, he had always loved Sal like his own. 

Then there was Raka. He had yet to see the shadow but also had heard of her return. He had long wondered if he could have helped her during or after the birth of her pups. He was half convinced she had taken a turn for the worse soon after her birth. It made sense since she disappeared so soon after. That time of the exile though, was fraught with chaos itself. He had nearly killed himself from neglect trying to take care of the scattered Nardiri with only Jase to help him.  

The chaos of recent events had prevented him from making these meetings, but as things quieted down and he found himself more and more at ease again he was itching to find these women. Guilt wracked him at the thought of the dark queen Mercury. She had fought so valiantly against the White Demon Loathe, and yet when she lost he was too busy with the aftermath of losing their home and caring for the pregnant mothers, his mate and daughter among them, to search and tend to Mercury, relying instead on Alexander, the only other apprentice besides Jase, and brother to the queens to care for her. He had gone missing as well in the chaos.

So much history. So much loss.

He didn't know where to start, he wondered if this, potential Storm relative, girl might be hovering around the Clan dens. Should he howl for her? He didn't have her name, just a description. Raka at least he assumed would likely be close to Byakko. Might as well stop there and see what they were up to. Maybe they can point him in the direction of this girl and hopefully catch Raka there as well.

The clan dens were a hub of activity usually. Even his own daughter had been hanging around it, understandably to stick close to Akutan and heal up herself. He didn't want to just waltz in and demand attention. 

He decided to stop and take a drink from the stream close to the dens. Maybe the ones he was looking for would come to investigate. 

((I suuuuuuck at starting threads omg ))

We've put this off for months, but NO LONGER. Nardir is sending a scout group out into the neutrals to sort of take stock of who else is out there besides our known allies, and see what new relationships we can forge. This group will stumble upon Gemini, and begin what we hope to be a bond of everlasting friendship.

The monarchs and their dog have chosen Becrux to lead this mission, accompanied by a group of volunteers. We don't have a set cap for this party, but we're thinking five ish? Any Core ranks can go, as well as astronomers. Once I get a few volunteers I'll post a leaving thread with Becrux and then an a border thread with Gemini. Adventure party members are also welcome to embark on any personal exploration missions in the neutrals, though they are urged to stay close to the group.

So! Who wants to visit Gemini?

Akutan was heading home from a run of the border. His expression was all business. Every since they decided they were in this for life, Akutan decided it was time for him and Kyra to start planning the wedding. The idea of weddings was somewhat odd to him because when his parents, along with Byakko and Raka, decided to get together, there wasn't much in the way of pomp and circumstance. They just decided to be mates and that was that. Akutan would be the first in the family to have a "proper" wedding ceremony. He didn't see it as necessary but he was open to the idea all the same and wanted Kyra's input on how they should arrange it.

It was funny how it all came to this. He and Kyra hadn't seen each other since their families separated during Exile. Then she and her father return during Sara's pregnancy and she was the only one between the two of them who made it no secret she was interested in him. Akutan had still been caught up with the events in his past that he really didn't look at her differently. He found her annoying initially but over time, tolerance built up and he started to enjoy her company. It wasn't until Sara was reaching the end stages of her pregnancy that he noticed how...all woman Kyra had become during their time apart. It all came to a head when the birthing was taking place and Akutan got spooked. Kyra was the only one to follow him when he bolted and the two ended up starting a somewhat illicit affair. 

Akutan sighed to himself, pausing for a moment. Thinking of that night made his ears burn. Neither of them had been with anyone else prior to them since they were too busy either surviving in the wild or just caught up with past circumstances that pretty much demanded attention from them. Still...Kyra had felt perfect under him. He still had a sneaking suspicion that initial joining was the result of one manipulating the other or even mutually. It was just hard to know what that first encounter actually meant. Were they just blowing off steam and pent-up frustration or had there something genuine there? Who really knew? He was inclined to think it was the former. He felt as if things were spiraling out of control and she was undoubtedly frustrated that he never responded to her own advances. Perhaps that night was the boiling point and things just naturally progressed from there. 

The Maelstrom brought his mind to the present and felt a smile curl his maw. In the end, it didn't really matter. That was then, this was now. He was finally in a good place, he landed himself a hot girl, they were going to start planning their future together, and they were going to make things work. Their personalities seemed like they would clash but a balance could be struck. Upon reaching the family den site, Akutan went to the den where Kyra was sleeping. "Are you awake? I wanted to talk to you about us." he said at the entrance. He sat down to wait for her to come out.

The past was barely on her mind these days, why dwell on what you couldn't change? Short accelerated life had shaped much of her outlook, added fuel to her vanity, and her choice to depart made it seem as if the world was at her fingertips. Of course, in the spontaneous choice to hop ship, the freckled ex-Captain had taken what was rightfully hers. Which in Brielle's proud mind was looting the craftery she had built up from nothing, bringing it back down to low stocks and making off with the more valuable gemstones, paints, dyes, tools of all kinds, a few trinkets, bags, and pelts she'd made. All neatly packed away onto a sled Puffin from Nardir had gifted to Tortuga. 

Her own saddle bags that were shrugged on her shoulders hung neatly with the pockets each buttoned closed. She'd hope to create new bags in a new era of her life, not that the stunning woman had any idea where she was wandering into. Only that the area was rich with materials, life, and her and Pandora were just sick of traveling around watching their backs. Brielle had enjoyed her time wandering about, spending much time calling over borders and meeting new faces. Swimming across lakes, and wandering through muck. The scent trails they'd left behind long gone in storms... Which was beginning to happen now.

Clouds had been growing ominous all morning, and this afternoon lightning streaks across the sky with loud claps of thunder. It was unfortunate that it was beginning to pour, her lovely eyes batting upward to attempt to judge when it would all open up. Pandora shouldn't have been too far behind, after all her curvy hot Wife had just paused with her bundle of goodies for a break. Lowering to her belly to fiddle with a few items from her saddle bags, rewrap some threads, adjust pelts that had been slipping from their places on the sled and roping them down with leather strips. 

Dazzling eyes grazing upward "HellLLoooO, whose there?" Silky confident voice asked, tattooed body shifting to face another direction Brielle thought a sound had arrived from.