Xisyn, the temporary home to the Tassos pack. Probably the last place on all of Anikira that Riptide ever wanted to step foot in. Even when the summer heat grew to be too much for the Ethiopian male, he would only venture a short distance into the sinkhole, never as deep as he was now. But with the Ocassus half-buried in cooling lava, Riptide couldn’t exactly escape to a different location. Not to mention Aveline’s inability to fly at the moment. She would never allow him to carry her around like a pup, or a kill, nor would he ever offer to do so. Instead, he had to wait for her to heal.
Then again, it wasn’t that simple. He was part of the Tassos pack now, courtesy of Aveline’s pushiness and Rasalas’ willingness to accept such a useless creature. He couldn’t just up and leave the pack without good reason. And simply because he didn’t like the territory was not a good enough excuse, not for a brute like Rasalas.
Riptide sighed softly, looking all around him. The boulders in the area had shifted just a bit from the volcanic activity, but it seemed to be safe enough to walk across. Still, Riptide’s movements were careful, hesitant. The last time he’d wandered through the boulders, he had nearly lost his foot. And this time, Aveline wasn’t with him to keep him from being devoured by scavengers. The pack was not all that far away, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to call for help. Especially not if he wound up pinning himself beneath another rock. Just. No.
Mixed feelings swirled around within the Ethiopian brute’s heart. This was where Cyrion had left him for that loner pack, and though Riptide hadn’t seen lick of him since, he felt as if his brother had remained within Xisyn. There was a part of Riptide that wanted to meet his brother again, to see that the other brute was alive and well. And there was another part that hoped he had died long ago to the fang of some stronger wolf. Yet there was another part that wanted to cause Cyrion so much pain that he wished to be dead, to take his brother as his prisoner and make him pay for everything that had happened to Riptide since going their separate ways.
It was conflicting, to stand there and wish to see his brother, yet not, yet want to, yet not. Before he knew what he was doing, Riptide had lifted his crown to the sky and was calling out. To Cyrion. To anyone. Even as part of a pack, Riptide was alone. While Aveline was still there for him, her company wasn’t the same as the company of another wolf. There were things she didn’t understand about him, and he about her. Riptide wanted a friend, someone he could talk to about whatever he wanted to. Someone who understood his pain.
He wanted his brother to return to him.
words:: Five-Hundred and Fourteen muse:: Good tags::Open ooc:: Lonely Rip is lonely </3
Riptide was not the only creature within Tassos that felt alone. The Alpha shared the same desire for his family; however, he had to resist the undying urges to go and search for his sisters. Last time he had wandered off to look for them he had returned to a practically disbanded family. That was when he was the Beta, now he was an Alpha with no others of a high ranking to care for the pack while he was gone. Additionally, the recent events required him to stay. His family needed him, if he wandered off things would likely not go well - even if he did let them know or temporarily place someone in charge. Thus, the brute struggled to put the haunting past behind him and look towards a potentially bright future. Some days passed with ease, while others were a fight every second of the way.
Today was one of those days. The Alpha's mind felt cluttered with thoughts and possibilities, millions of 'what if' questions taunted him. Golden eyes held a glassy glaze as the brute padded around the boulders. Once hesitant paws were now transporting a muscular frame with quite a bit of speed. Still, Rasalas had allowed his mind to wander far from his body. He let the chaos consume him once more, despite the numerous times he had convinced himself that he would never let the madness surround him. The brute really only had one close friend and he was quite busy caring for the other pack mates. What was he to do? The shaman was doing a phenomenal job; yet, here was the Alpha being selfish and craving someone to converse with. It had taken the red brute months before he had considered Scout a friend, he knew not how long it would take with the others.
Eternities had passed before a song cried out, one which would break him from his mental stupor. Rasalas lifted his crania high between his shoulders and swiveled his audits, all the while praying that the other brute was not going to bring him bad news. 'The worst of news would at least bring me company,' his thoughts were slow and forced. Days were beginning to become more of a challenge, his darkest interests were beginning to peak into his actual life. The Alpha feared admitting that he was afraid, the last thing he ever wanted was to hurt another - especially if it ended up being a member of Tassos. He had sworn that he would protect them, the mere concept of causing their demise frightened him. Despite his nagging concern, the Alpha turned and slowly trotted in the direction of Riptide's call. 'After all, I haven't seen much of him since the eruption. I do need to make sure that he is okay,' sorrow tugged his heart strings, the Alpha did not need to justify responding to another's call. Especially not within his own pack lands.
The rocks beneath his paws were becoming all too familiar to the red brute, then again if he expected to forget the fear that the volcano instilled upon him then he was stupid. Despite the shocking déjà vu, the Alpha pressed himself onwards. Amber optics greedily scanned the horizon waiting for the distant silhouette of the brute who had cried out. He could do little else but hope that some of his despondency would dissipate with another's company. Shivers raced across the brute's spine as a pleasant breeze swirled throughout his short pelt. For once the feeling felt foreign to the red canine, as if something was not quite right. Alas, he had been around long enough to know that it was merely his mind complicating this situation even more. The wind was the same one that always blew throughout Xisyn, there was nothing peculiar about today. Rasalas merely wanted company and had subconsciously begun to over analyze every minuscule detail surrounding him.
A rush of adrenaline flooded the Alpha's circulatory system as his eyes finally located the silhouette of Riptide in the near distance. He gave a brief howl in a delayed response to the subordinate's, merely announcing his upcoming arrival. A bit of an edge was fading away almost instantaneously from merely seeing one of his pack mates, it came as quite the relief to the brute. Pace finally slowed and eventually the brute stopped his motion a few feet away from the other canine. A soft grin managed to spread across the red canine's features as he mentally stumbled to speak. "Hello Riptide, how are you and Aveline doing? Are you both recovering well," concern edged itself into his words. Perhaps he had jumped into conversation rather quickly, but Rasalas knew not what else to do. He was desperately trying to clear his mind without the other realizing it. Typically the brute was fairly skilled at hiding his mental wars, but today he felt worn down and older than usual.
words:: Eight hundred and forty muse:: Not as good as it originally was tags:: Riptide ooc:: I hate losing posts >< this is my second time typing it lol.
Last Edit: Feb 19, 2013 12:03:34 GMT -5 by Deleted
The desperate call of the lonely brute echoed loudly off the many boulders of the area. But as it faded into nothing, auds perked forward, swiveled back, stood erect once more. Waiting. Hoping. Wanting. Riptide’s eyes locked forward, anticipation and excitement filling his veins, though the pit of his stomach dropped in contrast. Cyrion wouldn’t come. A part of him knew that. Yet he still wished. He still prayed that his brother would come crawling around the corner at any moment, a goofy smile on his face.
Oh how wonderful it would be. All of his conflicted emotions would right themselves upon seeing his brother’s face; Riptide simply knew. They were brothers. Family. He just knew that once he saw Cyrion’s stupid face, he would feel better. He would be happy again, and everything would just be better. But it was foolish to live solely on hope. Just because he wanted more than anything to be happy with Cyrion didn’t mean his brother would magically appear. Riptide had long learned that lesson. It was what made him so cynical and solitary in the first place.
A long, wavering sigh escaped Riptide’s lungs, bringing with it a wave of exhaustion and sorrow. What was he doing? Standing out here, calling for a wolf that may very well be dead. There were other things he ought to be doing. Hunting for the others, for Aveline. He shouldn’t be fighting his past like this. He was stronger than this! Even so, Riptide couldn’t get his muscles to respond to him. He remained standing, perched atop a large boulder, staring toward the bend up ahead. Waiting...
Moments later, he caught sound of a brief call. Auds perked up, tail began wagging. Cyrion! He was alive! But as the call registered into Riptide’s mind, he realized it wasn’t his brother. It was Rasalas, alpha to his new pack. He almost couldn’t understand why the other brute had called out in the first place. But then Riptide realized how loud his own howl must have been. A flush of heat rose beneath the Ethiopian’s pelt, and he jumped down from his perch. How desperate he must have sounded! How foolish! Riptide hung his head in embarrassment, hoping to flee the scene before his alpha could appear and see him at his lowest.
But he wasn’t quick enough.
Rasalas appeared shortly after his call, startling Riptide. Had he been close by? Or was he simply quick-footed? Surely more so than Riptide himself, given the alpha didn’t seem to have ever encountered shortcomings. A low growl formed at Riptide’s lips, but he swallowed it back down. No. Those who had yet to encounter physical shortcomings often had the worst psychological damage. Perhaps the alpha was in worse shape than he let on. He was, after all, the alpha. Showing weakness would only give room for manipulation. No doubt he wished to keep a lid on all of that.
The smile on the red alpha’s face startled Riptide just a bit. During their first encounter, he had seemed just as friendly, but... Riptide just wasn’t used to being accepted so wholly. He generally pushed others away so heartily that they either got the message or were just emotionally wounded, and left him alone. To have Rasalas smile so warmly at him... Riptide turned his gaze away, ashamed at his own pettiness. The pack was recovering from a terrible disaster, yet he was too busy in his own pathetic world to give a damn. He was part of this pack now. He had to learn how to cooperate with others.
His focus was brought back to his alpha at the question of Aveline’s condition. His own as well, but Aveline was his only real concern. “I am fine, Alpha.” He spoke curtly, as if nonverbally telling him not to worry. “Aveline will be earthbound for some time, and she isn’t too pleased.” A dry smile appeared on his maw as he watched a lizard flit across a rock in front of him. “I was thinking of bringing her some food, as she wouldn’t dare eat anything brought to her by anyone else. She’s such a pain...” Yet he loved her with all his heart, and his true feelings showed only in his actions. Blue orbs lifted to meet the alpha’s golden ones. “How are you faring, Alpha? And the others?” The question felt odd rolling off his tongue, but he needed to at least act as if he cared. If he tried hard enough, perhaps one day he really would care for others.
words:: Seven-Hundred and Eighty-Six muse:: Awful at first, but it got better <3 tags::Rasalas ooc:: He and Amy are practically the same character right now -.-
The Alpha struggled to shake the clutter from his mind, desperately he needed to find freedom. The night relaxing with the huntress had further stirred the sensation of being utterly alone within the world, awoke a piece of him that he had managed to suffocate. Denial was the best route to avoiding the bitter truth, Rasalas was struggling to hold onto the past. His family had contained the only wolves that he could trust. It seemed that any time another drew near him it was only with ill intentions. The russet brute shoved the pain away, forcing it into another pained coma in order to focus on the brute before him. Madness was momentarily resting; however, Rasalas knew it would not lay still forever. Simply, it was waiting until a proper time to show it's ugly face once again. Then the sick, twisted cycle within his brain would restart.
Perhaps Riptide needed something important, his attention could not be roaming away from his subordinate. Mentally the brute beat himself, forcing away the prancing agony of abandonment. He had company now, is that not what mattered? It was real company too, not just feeble memories that only brought about more rage and disappointment. This was an opportunity to escape it all, to set his body at ease. The Alpha was disturbed at himself, usually his brain did not go into overdrive like this. Stress had worn his mental state down to nearly nothing, it would take a few more weeks of things going smoothly before he would gain some levelheadedness again. At least when it came to emotions and his past. 'You were doing so good with moving forward too,' the brute longed to snarl at himself, to viciously express his inner anguish. Such relief would not come, especially not before another canine. Everything could be rebuilt, his own stability regained - the past repressed once more.
'Done now!' he mentally screamed at himself and it was gone. Any thoughts of his family and Aries dissipated, leaving the brute surprisingly more content. He was unaware how long such blankness would consume his mind, no overbearing thoughts; yet, that was good enough for the Alpha. Silence inside of him was more than welcome, hopefully now he could find a cure to his troubles. A strange, soothing calmness swept across his russet figure, inching its way into his bones. The anxiety attack that had been daring to occur all day had come and passed. Once again he could breathe and feel somewhat alive. 'At least I don't think Riptide noticed,' the Alpha hoped his momentary frigid state had been overlooked. Somehow he doubted it.
The brute nodded, eyes sincere towards the other canine's remarks. It made sense that an earthbound bird would be quite displeased, the Alpha was unsure if he should pay Aveline a visit or not. "Hopefully she will recover quickly and Riptide, you are both more than welcome to catch and eat anything you would like. I need everyone to get as healthy as possible," the brute averted his gaze towards the direction of the Occasus. He could not help but wonder if someone was trotting around arrogantly upon his lands. Expansion crossed his mind once more, Tassos had been living within Xisyn for nearly two months now - it was practically theirs. Should they not make it official? After all, the Occasus was likely making enough of a recovery that they could stay there if they wished and not die. If Rasalas was being greedy, he didn't care. After all, Xisyn was a fantastic back-up territory in case the volcano erupted again.
"I am doing fine, a bit stressed - but it is nothing to be unexpected," the brute laughed lightheartedly. Had Riptide noticed the momentary glaze of Rasalas' eyes, that comment should explain it enough to the other. At least he prayed that it did, the Ethiopian brute did not seem stupid. Rather, the canine seemed rather well composed for living the way he had before joining Tassos. 'We all shield our demons from public eyes,' the rumbling thought captured the Alpha off guard, but he did not fade away like earlier. Rather the brute tuned his mind in both directions, attempting to give attention to both internal and external situations. "I do believe the others are getting along quite well, still a bit sore or stiff; however, everyone is recovering quickly. We got lucky, it could have been much worse," the brute could not bring himself to speak of what the outcome could have been. Riptide knew the same as himself, the volcano could have easily killed them all.
Cocking his head to the side, the brute tossed an idea throughout his brain lightly. More or less whether to bring it up to the Ethiopian or not. It took a few moments before the Alpha opted to inquire the other's opinion. "I have been considering expanding our territory to include Xisyn as well as the Occasus. It gives us more room in general and plays as a safe haven should the hellfire ever rain down upon us again. I am curious, what do you think about this?" The russet canine cared little who he should and should not ask, rather he was simply looking for an opinion. There was a chance it would not match his own thoughts, but it could bring up another topic for him to consider. Slowly the brute's tail began to wag, golden orbs lightly resting upon the subordinate.
words:: Nine hundred and thirty-six muse:: Decent tags:: Riptide ooc:: I feel like this could have been better
Last Edit: Feb 25, 2013 13:31:29 GMT -5 by Deleted
Kibeti had been stalking a small rodent around some boulders when she heard the mournful howl. It sounded so sad, as it filled her own soul with heartache. Who called? She lifted her head and peered around. She did not immediately see anyone around. Glancing back down, she watched her prey scurry into a narrow crevice. For a moment she thought to try and dig the little creature out, but then she heard another howl. Perhaps she recognized it. Rasalas? Growling toward her prey’s hiding spot, she leapt up on a higher boulder to take a better look around. Since the vision in her left eye was lacking, she relied on her right, but things in the far distance still appeared faint or out of focus.
As a recent addition to Tassos, she was still trying to get used to calls, and names, and faces. Rasalas had not specifically called out to her, but she decided to go investigate, especially since she was not going to get at the rodent. Kibeti leapt from boulder to boulder, turning it into a game. Perhaps it was a danger game, as a misstep could lead to serious injury, but she tried her best to find joy in the simple things in life.
After a few moments, she caught sight of her Alpha speaking to another wolf. Instantly, her jaw dropped. The wolf Rasalas was speaking to had his back to her, but it was an Ethiopian wolf like herself. “Lok?” She cried, as she circled around them, eager to see her brother again. But on coming around and seeing the male Ethiopian from the front, her hope died away. He had blue eyes. This was not her brother.
Immediately, she felt foolish for having mistaken him for her brother and for having interrupted their conversation for nothing, rather than a potential family reunion. She lowered her head and peered apologetically at Rasalas. “I am so sorry I interrupted your conversation,” she replied. She glanced over at the male Ethiopian. “I mistook you for my brother. Please accept my apology.” She thought to run away, to cry in her disappointment, but she did not want to appear even ruder. She lingered, hoping to at least be properly dismissed.
There seemed to be something...off about Rasalas. Riptide couldn’t put his paw on it, but there was just...something. Blue orbs studied the alpha brute subtly. He looked tired. Not that Riptide could really blame him. It hadn’t been that long that they’d all been driven from the Ocassus to flee for their lives. It was one thing to up and leave when you were all alone, but to have many other lives in your charge... Riptide couldn’t imagine that sort of responsibility. He hadn’t even been able to take care of Aveline, and she’d gotten burned pretty badly.
Just knowing that the alpha was tired caused Riptide’s heart to squeeze painfully. He really shouldn’t be doing this, worrying over a ghost. A possibility. The pack was recovering, and he was part of the pack. He had to help in whatever way he could. He went to ask for an order, to be told to hunt or assist Scout with herb collecting, anything. But as he opened his mouth to speak, the alpha seemed to grow irritated. Riptide’s mouth snapped shut, and the Ethiopian took a wary step back. Had he done something wrong? Worrying about himself like this... Of course the alpha would grow angry! He was so conceited!
Yet as soon as the aura of irritation had surrounded Rasalas, it seemed to fade away. Riptide gave the alpha brute a wary look, but said nothing about the odd change. He was a lowly subordinate. To question the alpha’s state of mind was rude, not to mention way out of line. A sincere look crossed the alpha brute’s expression, and he wished for Aveline’s quick recovery. Pushing the strange behavior to the back of his mind, Riptide nodded briefly. “Her mouth still works well, so she’s healthy as ever. She’s just bitter that she can’t fly around and nag me all day.” A wry, teasing smile spread on Riptide’s maw, as if he was quite pleased by the lack of babysitter. But the lonely gleam in his eyes gave way to how much he truly missed his bicker battles with the black kite.
The alpha brute then went on to ease Riptide’s worry. He himself was stressed—as if the moment of irritation hadn’t been evidence enough—and the others were doing well. A sigh escaped Riptide’s lungs. It could have been far worse, as Rasalas said. They all could have been killed, buried beneath the lava. Just knowing that they’d all made in relatively one piece was enough to quell some of Riptide’s fear. This was his family now, as much as he feared allowing others so close. If anything were to happen to them...
A sudden cry from behind him caused Riptide to jump, nearly losing his footing in the process. He turned to see an Ethiopian female bounding towards them, a look of pure joy on her face. But as she grew closer, that look faded to disappointment. A confused look filled Riptide’s eyes. That was...towards him, wasn’t it? The female apologized to Rasalas before turning to him, claiming she thought he was her brother. That word. Brother. It brought an icy chill to Riptide’s veins. She was searching for her brother too? “An honest mistake,” he said bluntly, coolly. The brute flinched at his own cold tone, but said nothing more to the femme.
Rasalas gained the Ethiopian’s attention once more as he spoke of conquest. He wished to take Xisyn? Riptide’s heart came to a halt for a moment before pounding painfully in his chest. That was...good, wasn’t it? If Cyrion was still around, his odds of finding him would increase with more land under Tassos’ reign. And Rasalas had asked his opinion. Pride swelled within Riptide’s chest, easily quelling the pounding of his heart. “Then let us take it, Alpha. If any pack deserves an expansion, it is Tassos.” His tail swayed gently behind him, a sparkle in his eyes. Yes. This was something. Something more. His home in the desert had been destroyed, but he could make a new home here. With or without Cyrion.
words:: Seven-Hundred and Fourteen muse:: Urgh... tags::Rasalas, and Kibeti ooc:: I'll throw him in the conquest thread sooner or later =P
Rasalas could not totally settle the waves of internal warfare cascading within his skull. He could simply not shake the sensation of being alone in totality; however, the other side of him felt completely self-centered for daring to think of himself. He was a life the same as any of the others, if his desires were strong to care for their needs didn't that mean he should care for himself as well? The russet creature was lost within his own mental chaos, desperately grasping at strings in an attempt to stay afloat. The last thing he needed was to drown within the darkening abyss inside, the others deserved great things - not to witness their Alpha self-destruct. For now he was able to dissociate himself from these thoughts; although, he still retained awareness about their presence. The fighting merely left him with a dull throbbing headache, nothing that he could not overlook though.
The brute chuckled slightly towards Riptide's comments on Aveline's mouth. The bird did always seem to state her opinion regardless of the consequences, the Alpha did find a strange comfort in such honesty though. It was strange, perhaps something that could threaten his leadership in the future; yet, as it was with his current members their was no need to fret. There was enough upon his plate already, no need to add an additional worry to his lengthy list. At least they both seemed to be recovering quite well, there was improvement of everyone's health lately. Soon spring would be here and hopefully all would be thriving once more, especially when the heat of summer was upon them. That was when the prey would really flee from the dessert heat, desperately trying to survive - until another pack consumed it. The brute nodded in regards to the brute's final words, "It seems you are free from the nagging for a little while now, until she catches up to you at least." The Alpha extended his own teasing smile alongside a few gentle wags of his tail. The image of Aveline waddling after Riptide was playing within his mind and he found it rather entertaining.
Audits perked as the sound violently struck his eardrums, resonating lightly within his head for a moment. Instinctively the brute inhaled sharply whilst turning towards the eager Kibeti rushing towards them. 'That is why I did not sense something unfamiliar,' relief washed over him, relieving the tension that had built up in a matter of seconds from hearing the cry. It was only a pack mate, that is all. The look of disappointment that stole her excited aura was a bit perplexing to the Alpha; yet, it was explained quickly after the femme had arrived near them. It seemed that they all were longing for something more than they were achieving within Tassos, at least himself and Kibeti were. It brought a stab of pain into his chest mixed with a feeling of failure. The red wolf already doubted himself as the Alpha, this event merely added another reason to his collection. He was not a miracle worker and all of their pain could not be instantly erased.
The ice that cascaded over Riptide's tone had not been the response that he expected from Riptide; although, the Alpha could make an assumption that the other male took some time to warm up to others. After all, their first meeting had not been the simplest of acceptances that Rasalas had done. Things were different now, but the brute still harvested the slight confusion. Hoping to smooth over the situation some, the Alpha extended out a short few words. "Greetings," he attempted to reassure the femme with a gentle smile, she certainly did have quite the tendency to run into him. She had stumbled across himself and Maitryi in nearly the same fashion not that long before. "I hope you are getting along well in Tassos," his gaze danced between the two subordinates, "Riptide, this is Kibeti another subordinate here." For a few seconds the Alpha bit his tongue, hoping to give them an opportunity to perhaps make their own introductions or strike up a small word of conversation.
The pace of his joyous tail increased as the male offered his opinion on Tassos' expansion. It was a relief that at least one other member would be eager to dwell within both territories, and the way Riptide worded his statement made Rasalas' chest swell with pride. Once more he doubted his worries, believed them to be nearly null and void. It was a constant switch inside of him that often brought about much of his anxiety. The brute found himself feeling confused and indecisive when it came to making large pack decisions, but the others seemed happy so far. Maybe he wasn't doing such a bad job after all? He would never be able to tell. "I am glad you agree, it will certainly benefit us I do believe." At least there was some reassurance within his life, perhaps that was what he needed to rest. Swinging his amber gaze to the distance, the brute silently studied the expanse of land that would soon belong to them.
words:: Eight hundred and eighty-one muse:: Good tags:: Riptide/Kibeti ooc:: I am finally trying to catch up, sorry for the wait
Last Edit: Mar 27, 2013 17:45:54 GMT -5 by Deleted
She cocked her head at hearing the male Ethiopian wolf’s response to her apology. At first she was angry. She had apologized, after all. Maybe there’s something bothering him, even before I came here. With a smile, Kibeti dipped her head to him. “I am sorry,” she repeated, then turned her focus to Rasalas.
The red brute briefly introduced the two subordinates to each other. “It is nice to meet you, Riptide,” Kibeti said. She figured since she was already there, and escape was not an option, that she would at least get comfortable. She pounced onto a low boulder and sat down. “I’m still meeting the other members of Tassos. But you’re the first Ethiopian wolf I’ve encountered since I left my family.” Her eyes misted a little at mention of them, but she continued. “But Tassos is my new family now. I hope to get to know everyone better and to serve the pack well.” Perhaps it was a little too formal, but she was getting used to being in a real pack. Some things, like the rank, subordinate, would take some getting used to.
Rasalas had apparently been discussion the expansion of Tassos. Riptide approved of the taking of the territory. Kibeti felt that she was too new to the pack to have much say, but nodded in agreement. This land did have its appeal. She noticed that Rasalas’ tail was wagging in pleasure, perhaps at their agreement to expand the lands Tassos controlled, or simply at their presence. It was good to see the alpha in a good mood. Anything that would benefit her pack, Kibeti would support.
Sitting on the rock, watching the two males, Kibeti surprised how at ease she felt. Though Riptide was a little reserved, perhaps that was simply because they were still strangers. So far, Rasalas had accepted her into the pack and been very pleasant to her. Overall, her life seemed to be going in a good direction. She felt her tail gently swaying behind her.
