One Of Us [Zohartze]

[Deleted]

.  If you want to get to heaven, get out of this world  .

Despite the looming winter, the weather was fair, almost pleasant on the island of Ina’mos. The northern sands, pale and fine, were warm beneath the female’s dainty paws, warmed by the sun that crept slowly across the azure sky. Judging by its position relative to the bright aquamarine ocean before her, Datura guessed that it was late afternoon. The sun would set in a few hours time, but for now, her pelt seemed to soak up the sun’s rays like a sponge as she lazed at the water’s edge, petite form resting on the shore. A lethargic yawn parted her jaws wide, ears placid as the she-wolf assumed she was alone for now. She had spent weeks just across the waters on the out-jet of land called Tas’alea, skulking about the newly claimed territory that now belonged to Goliath. Growing tired of the task, Datura had finally resolved to return to Ina’mos to again reunite with her alpha, closer to the divine. He was like the sun in her otherwise pitiful world – merciless, burning brightly. Thoughts of him stirred a part of Datura that had not existed before, a heat within her that burned like embers, even when she was not there by his side. Just thinking of the brute made her feel savage, and his presence was a thrill.

For today, however, Datura was alone, and enjoying every moment of solitude. She had convinced several wolves to seek out Goliath, to join Kairos and be part of something much grander than themselves alone. Each time she found a stranger, Datura played a different part, wearing the mask that best suited the situation, as if each encounter and every interaction were all part of some game – and indeed, life was a game in Datura’s mind, and survival remained the ultimate prize. She spoke of Kairos truthfully to the strangers she had encountered, and each one was intrigued by the possibilities waiting for them on the banks of Ina’mos, but for different reasons, depending on what Datura decided to plant in their minds. For Tala, Kairos was the promise for acceptance and safety, a place she could hunt and belong to a pack. She would also bear the offspring of a Kairos warrior – or at least, the timid white fae was expected to do so, though Datura had only vaguely alluded to this idea. For a strong, experienced female such as Xena the warrior, Datura painted the image of a mighty army, something that Kairos would have very soon, and something that most of Anikira’s ragtag packs were lacking. Without warriors, the other packs would be the hapless victims of Goliath’s future conquests.

And without warriors and hunters alike, Kairos lacked direction and a future. Each new pack mate equaled new blood added to the ranks, and the pups born on Ina’mos woud be raised to be the perfect killers that Goliath and Datura both envisioned. It was the diminutive fae’s duty to secure this superior future, ever devoted to her alpha’s lofty goals and his vision of a better, more privileged life for himself and his followers. And Datura – she would be there, lingering as close to the top of the hierarchy as she could manage. She was confident in herself, and her faith in Goliath was unwavering.

Her uneventful afternoon spent alone came to a swift ending when a different smell caught her attention, wafting from very close by. While Datura had not encountered Titan often, she recognized his heavy, masculine smell, and her dark nostrils wrinkled in distaste. But the beta’s brutish scent was mingled with another light, foreign smell that Datura could not place a name to. She stood, shaking the granules of sand from her auburn-kissed fur as she glanced about, her even expression concealing her curiosity. This was not one of her own recruits, but someone else – someone different, and undoubtedly female, in spite of Titan’s overpowering smell. ”Who is out here? Show yourself, girl. I know you are here.” Twin pools of bright chestnut searched the beach for any sign of the newcomer, narrowing suspiciously as her lips pursed tightly in anticipation. Here, she was safe. She was not worried for her safety, for this was her home. For the first time, Datura belonged somewhere.

words: 723
tag: Zohartze

[Zohartze]

Zohartze could smell herself as she walked. Though they hadn’t actually mated, the small female had certainly touched him enough to gather his scent—completely intentionally. With every deep and purposeful inhale, she felt her eyelids flutter involuntarily and a rush of heat travel from her chest, rush under her spine and gather in her private regions. It was euphoric.

She wasn’t alien to the obsession. It had happened before. What she wasn’t accustomed to was that this obsession seemed to want her back, and she’d talked to him, and she’d touched him...

Another flush trickled through her body.

It simultaneously thrilled and terrified her. Something inside her trembled like a singer holding a high note, but she was running out of breath. She smelled his scent on her fur.

As she explored the territory and walked onto the beach, the warm sand annoyingly sticking in between her paw pads, she spotted a small female in the distance. Instinctively she went to hide in the brush, but then thought better of herself. You’re in the pack now, remember, she told herself, but the uneasiness stayed on board.

All of her pleasure melted from her frame, though she noticed that it lingered in the pit of her stomach. The new posture was replaced with something bored and cold. Zo would never be the warm one first.

She felt her jaw clench, her teeth falling together like a puzzle and her temples fill. She let the sore muscles pull her mandible up and together, closing much too tightly and grinding slightly from side to side. It fascinated her.

Zohartze licked her lips and let her jaw fall to normal tension. Though she’d heard the voice, she wouldn’t decide how to act until she could examine the female further. Zo stepped further to the beach and looked down into the waters, noticing the reef in the water to her left. The coral was rock painted by gods, and the clear water hung like a glass case for the beautiful artwork. Tiny rainbow fish swam about the atoll in schools, gently brushing one another with tiny scales. She watched a bird scoop a fish up in its mouth, her nose stinging in the salty breeze. This place was miserable.

Upon closer inspection, the female in front of her was approximately her size, though Zo was certainly built with more bone and larger features—it was only her legs that held her in her small-bodied prison. She was still beautiful though, and Zo knew that they shared breeds, for their similar looks spoke for themselves.

She caught his scent on her fur. A fluttering bird struggled in her stomach.

Zohartze fleetingly wondered if she was beautiful. Did Titan think so? The moment made her mouth go dry and she felt as if she were choking, but she stifled her panic quickly and efficiently. What the fuck is happening? She swallowed hard, the dryness making her saliva feel like dull blades raking down her throat as she slowly walked towards the other.

She realized that the silence in the air would soon be made awkward and stagnant if she didn't respond to the female's acknowledgement. “My name is Zohartze,” she spoke aloud to the Mexican female, bowing her head slightly in respect, though keeping her eyes fixed on her. She relaxed slightly at the suspicious look on the wolf’s face, falling back into her usual routine. “I was just exploring the territory,” she said unapologetically, the words lazily slipping from her maw.

She smelled Him on her fur.

( words ) 604
( tags ) @datura
( muse / ooc ) Good, though the post was short (oops). But watch the capitalization of "his."

[Deleted]

The stranger wore a pelt splashed with dark shadows and a blank expression. As Datura had guessed from the scent, the new arrival was indeed female, a recent guest on the shores of Ina’mos. Interesting, she noted, that this one was not one of Datura’s foundlings from the main lands. She was small, much like Datura herself, with her distinctive black markings that washed down her spine. Silence lingered heavy in the air as Datura watched the other’s earthy brown eyes and poise. The newcomer resembled Datura’s own kin, now long dead. The stranger was the first of Datura’s breed she had encountered on Anikira. Zohartze. A strange name for a quiet little thing, but somehow, without ever uttering a word, it seemed to suit the mixed breed female.

This one offered no threat to Datura and her ambitions. From the mingled smells alone, she could guess that Titan had already met Zohartze. The beta of Kairos would not allow some random bitch to wander the island freely. This one had to be one of their own now. She was not shy, but regarded Datura respectfully, and the vague semblance of a smile began to spread across her muzzle as she returned the gesture with a stiff nod of her own. The stranger was pretty in an exotic way, and difficult to read.

As she regarded the other with a tinge of interest shown on her façade, Datura recalled her countless siblings that were born into her wandering tribe, only to end up dead in a few short months. She could scarcely remember their names now, but Zohartze’s markings brought the auburn tinted fae back to another time and place. Briefly, she wondered if this was some distant relative. But they were all dead, their pack eliminated by the human beings for existing in the first place. They had been an anomaly wandering the African savannah, out of place and always running, until the two-legged beasts snuffed them out for good. All except for Datura. Destiny, it seemed, had other plans for her.  There, she had no future, no promise.  Here, the future was hers to claim.

Strong sibling relationships had never been established. The others never seemed to live long enough for Datura to bond with, and the benefits of growing attached were nonexistent. How could she care for the others? It was their lives or her own. There was never enough to go around – not enough food, or water. In those lean months of meager kills and intense competition, sharing meant starvation. Her long-departed brothers and sisters were useless to her. Their parents had been the alpha pair of their ragtag pack, but none of that had mattered in the end.

But that was old news, part of a history that Datura was not inclined to share with another living creature. Those dead faces, twisted in horror and suffering, and the dismal places she had left behind were as insignificant as dust in the wind. They had given her nothing more than her life, a name, and a bleak sense of reality that she retained to that day.

No fantasies. Life was not meant to be easy... Unless, of course, you know the right wolves.

Finally, after several minutes had trickled by without further conversation, the petite Mexican wolf cracked a sickeningly sweet smile that took considerable effort – being a gracious host was not in her upbringing, but she knew she had to gain the support of her newer pack mates if she ever hoped to climb higher up the pack hierarchy. Ultimately, it was Goliath’s decision, but it was better to have allies rather than enemies within the group. Datura broke the silence, her tones low and silky. ”You have met Titan,” she concluded, nose still testing the breeze as it swept by, rustling the fur of one fae to the other. It was an observation on Datura’s part, not an inquiry. Zohartze’s origins were inexplicable, her scent fused with Titan’s and carried along by the petite female like a prize. Datura padded closer to the new female, eyes exploring her muscled physique. She was small, but a hunter did not have to be massive to be successful.  A hunter did not even have to be smart or brave, but this one seemed undaunted by Datura's presence.

”Please do explore the island. You will need to know Ina’mos intimately if you are now part of the pack.” An eyebrow arched questioningly as the female continued her slow approach. ”You are Kairos now, are you not?”

words: 759
tag: Zohartze
ooc: yesss >3

[Zohartze]

Zohartze relished the silence that stood between she and the nameless Mexican female as they stood near one another. The quick, unspoken agreement of peace between them comforted her, and Zo turned to mindlessly watch the waves lap gently at the shore, their pushing force tamed by the reef in the distance. There was something about their mutual apathy that she could certainly understand—and it felt better than the panic that had been dancing in her stomach moments earlier. She didn’t even know the pack female’s name, but there was something of a quiet affinity, the closest she might ever feel to the beginnings of a friendship, taking root between them.

“You have met Titan.”

Zohartze’s mouth turned upwards at the corners, a tiny smirk becoming a fixture on her lips as she turned slightly to look at the female out of the corner of her eye. “I have,” she said, her small smile making her voice ring quietly with a different tone. She wasn’t sure what else she should say on the matter. The opposing female didn’t smell of any other scent in particular, but Zo understood enough of dynamics between wolves that mutual affection was sometimes a problem. Wars had been waged over less. She watched the female closely for signs of aggravation, but upon finding none, her suspicion grew into tiny blooms of curiosity. She sat on her haunches as the other closed the distance between them, turning to face her.

“Yes, I am Kairos now,” she said, more softly than she had spoken before. “Subordinate.” She decided to parrot back the words that Titan had spoke, though she didn’t truly know what it meant. Though she had observed the pack dynamic, she’d never been so close to it and within the ranking system. It bothered Zohartze that she didn’t have a reason for coming to Ina’mos. It bothered her more that she was justifying her stay with the likes of a large grey beast.

She shook her coat, and though it appeared absent-minded, the attempt at freeing herself from her cracking consciousness worked temporarily.

Deciding to spend her energy on reaching out in conversation, she found the Mexican female’s gaze again. “I heard the rumors of war,” Zohartze said with a small grin, “so I found my way to what I believe will be the winning side.” The words escaped her mouth with a quiet undertone of pride. “Though, I’m a hunter by trade.” Wordlessly, she had asked the other female a number of different questions—she wondered how alike they were, not only in body and skill, but also in mind.

She mindlessly watched the waves.

( words ) 454 x_x
( tags ) @datura
( muse / ooc ) Wow you know... I just have no excuse for this. xD Nothing else wanted to come out of my brain. But for utility purposes, it's a reply.

[Deleted]

Absently, she wondered how many females Titan had ”met” so far, and her mind strayed to Goliath, as it seemed to do with greater frequency when he was far off as her heat fast approached. A vice grasped her chest at the thought of what else her alpha could be doing as the hormones flared from coast to coast – or who else, if some half-witted runt of a bitch caught his attention before her own time arose. She had never experienced jealousy before, accustomed to taking what she pleased, but the feeling that seized her made her blood boil. Some things in life were inevitable, but that did not mean Datura had to like everything that accompanied pack life, and belonging to an alpha who would never truly belong to her.

She was there for a reason, and it was not for cheap romance and frilly words of undying love. Though the conflicting emotions that surfaced when she thought of the time they would spend together existed, Datura kept her feelings tucked beneath the surface. Ignoring the burning rage that ruminated within her at the thought of the other faes that would soon gain her alpha’s approval, she turned her attention instead to Zohartze once more. If the mixed scent of male and female tainting Zohartze was any indicating, she belonged to the pack’s beta instead, so she was no threat to Datura’s personal ambitions.

Her interest in the female piqued at the mention of war as her eyes locked with the other’s chestnut orbs, so like her own. Datura noted the hint of pleasure that presented on the other’s façade, the vague grin that accompanied her admittance. So word of impending war was spreading like brushfire, even before its first battle. A tiny smile of her own crossed Datura’s pale maw, but she was more pleased with the notion than her expression conveyed. ”Whether or not the rumors are true, you have chosen the best – and the biggest – that Anikira has to offer. I would not be here myself if Kairos was anything less.”

She had no inkling of Goliath’s plans for dealing with the outside world, but she assumed he was gathering the strong and the willing to his pack for good reason. Whatever the future held, Datura was similarly confident that she had allied herself with the most feared, the unconquerable.

Not a fae known for her social talents, Datura could go through an entire conversation without giving her own name, but the thought occurred to her this time. The newcomer could prove to be useful down the road, and she wanted to start off on the right paw. ”My name is Datura, one of the founding pack members of Kairos. And your name is...?” Words tapered off into thin air to allow the other to respond in kind, since she had offered only her position within her pack instead of the moniker she carried. The she-wolf did not bother to explain her own place in the hierarchy of Kairos. Her importance would be apparent soon enough.

words: 527
tag: Zohartze
ooc: just glad to have you back!!

[Zohartze]

        At Datura’s knowing smile, Zohartze dipped her head in agreement. “I’ve been on this continent all my life,” she said, the brief insight of her own history sounding like a foreign language on her tongue, “and I’ve never seen anything like the beasts that tamed this island.” She refrained from calling them gods, despite what her conscience may have told her. Though, somehow, she had a feeling the other Mexican felt similarly.
        “Zohartze,” she repeated blankly, not at all offended at her forgotten calling. She would have done the same. A semblance of a smile pulled across her lips.
        She laid down on the sands, the sun crouching lower as night began to fall. The two sat together in silence for some time—Zo couldn’t decide whether she enjoyed the company or couldn’t be bothered to move away from Datura. Part of her was afraid it was the former. She looked at Datura, and studied her for a moment, cocking her head just slightly before the other noticed. Maybe it’s refreshing, she told herself. The calm that rested in the energy between the two females flowed as a cool stream, not the inferno that stood between she and Titan.
        The female was questioning more and more whether it was good for her to have come to this place and joined the pack so readily at the whim of a male. She wanted to have a taste of the life, hunt game within the confines of pack territory—the unclaimed lands only had so much variety, after all—but what else? Zohartze never thought about her brothers or her family, and as soon as the thought began to rise in her throat, she swallowed it quickly. This wasn’t about them. This was His fault.
        It was then that she decided she would have to stay away from Titan. This was, she guessed, what something healthy felt like. The raw emotion that was drawn from her chest when He was near was certainly not. Zohartze had no concept of desire, no concept of longing, and no concept of love. She had no words to describe what she felt except for a dull ache and a fluttering in her stomach, and it made her physically uncomfortable. She wouldn’t allow herself the opportunity to be cracked by his presence. She would hunt, she would eat, she would sleep—she knew better than to leave the pack, but she could certainly could keep her distance.
        And so she sat in quiet contentment, fighting the scratching in her stomach.
        As the sun began to crawl back into his den for the night, the she-wolf stood and shook out her coat. “Back to the dens?” she asked nonchalantly, meeting the eyes of the other Mexican. Her body felt refreshed from laying on the warm sand, but she was hungry. Zohartze turned towards the sea, feeling the sand and salt that the wind had whipped into her fur.

        She would be fine. She just had to keep her distance.

( words ) 501
( tags ) @datura
( muse / ooc ) Short. OOPS.