welcome home [crux/toiro]

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Kujo's day had been an eventful one--he had met the older wolf, Crux, a few moments ago. Their encounter was somewhat rocky at the start, and it was totally understandable--Kujo was alone, and he met Crux, also alone. They both were incredibly nervous and untrusting of each other--the thing is that one showed dominance, and the other full-blown nervousness. However, they grew to be the quickest of friends once their differences were settled. This was weird, however, since Kujo has had trust issues with males in the past. Passing time with females most of the time, he is usually weary of males unless they are part of the pack. However, Crux had shown to be a good sport, so Kujo was a little bit more tranquil with his presence around. Walking closer to the dens, Kujo could not wait to introduce Crux to his father, the Alpha of Airila. 

Reaching to the den, Kujo looked behind him to make sure that Crux was there. Smiling and then turning his head, he howled to call his father's attention. Once finished, Kujo turned around to face Crux face to face, and he smiled. "Okay, Crux, here's the deal. When dad comes, please remain calm. Be friendly, and above all, act natural. Be yourself. He may be the Alpha, but he's a nice guy--hey, he's my dad. I know him." Kujo smiled, feeling confident and excited for Crux. He really wanted his dad to welcome him into the pack. Kujo knew that Crux would like it here, and from the happiness Crux showed back in the forest, he knew that he would be content in the pack. Facing to the den entrance, he put on his best smile for his father and hoped for the best.

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@crux & Toiro Hey jay! This is a thread in which Kujo introduces Crux to Toiro so he can get accepted. I hope that is no trouble at all! :>

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He followed the pup in silence.

His mind was elsewhere, dedicated to the task of memorizing the terrain and all the sights and smells it offered. The amount of land Airla owned was a lot more than he had expected. It seemed to stretch on for miles upon miles all round, and it was daunting trying to make heads and tails of the twisting paths. Yet, he loved it.

It was a large amount of land that seemed completely safe and protected. There was nothing dangerous about the place, as far as he could tell. And he could honestly find himself falling in love with the area and calling it home.

He dragged his attention back to whatever the kid had led him to. The den, it seemed. A large cavern that led deep into the base of the mountain ridge. From it came many smells of wolves, all different yet marked with the same distinct scent of a tight-knit pack.

It eased his nerves. The familiar smells of home, of a pack. He relaxed, his tense muscles loosening and a lazy smile finding its way to his lips. His ears flicked distractedly as Kujo howled, signaling for his father to come and meet them.

For the most part his mind was still lost in the warm, earthy odours that lingered in the air. This was something he definitely forgot about during his stint on the run. It was the little things like this that made him want to melt into the soil and just make himself at home.

And he nearly did just that. But he caught himself, and instead settled for simply resting on his haunches. He found that the ground was still too cold and hard, but it seemed that it was something he'd have to get use to. For so much of the territory and lands of this island seemed cold and foreboding, only the warm scents keeping him grounded and interested.

As the kid turned to face him, their howling done, he gave them his full attention. His ears turned forward, perked and quivering in complete interest. Their words, although light and friendly, made him want to slink away in shame.

It seemed his anxiety was more obvious than he had thought, for their words carried the simple message of calm down and try to act normal. Or however close he could get to it.

Friendliness came natural to him. It was like a second skin to him, something he could slip into without any hesitation. It was the part of him having to act calm and natural that threatened to mess him up.

Because as much as he tried to hide it, anxiety and paranoia riddled his mind. With a deep breath, he gave out a shaky laugh.

"I'll try." His words came out forced, heavy and uncomfortable on his tongue as they rolled out. And as hard as he tried to make them sincere, they still came out more nervous than anything else.

"No promises though." He finished awkwardly, his attempt at humour coming out stunted and flat. And it soon dwindled into thick silence as he resettled himself on the forest floor, his gaze moving from Kujo to mouth of the den.

With a tired sigh, he took to waiting. Stubbornly ignoring the little whispers of how maybe this wasn't as good as he thought it would be, or that he wouldn't be good enough. He shuffled awkwardly, trying hard to get comfortable. His paws twitched and itched, and he had the overwhelming urge to run.

As old and tired as he was, he could run when he deemed it needed. With a muted sigh, he focused on the task at hand. Which was to not have another panic attack, and not make a total fool of himself.

With one last shuffle, he rested himself firmly on the floor. Just act natural, and with that thought, he forced himself to breathe.

Words: 664 Tagged: Kujo, Toiro
Notes: n/a

[Toiro]

The big grey alpha of Airila lay asleep in his den, his dreams peaceful and filled with images of green forests and large plump deer bountiful in numbers and ready for his family to feast upon. Outside of Toiro’s imaginings, in the real world, Shyia was heading into a deep winter, yet the ruler of the northern land was confident in his hunters’ abilities to catch the pack enough prey to sustain them during the colder months despite the herds’ tendency to travel away from the snowy realm and into the warmer territories further south.

A small summoning howl broke through the calm silence of Toiro’s slumber, and the proud father instantly recognised the call’s owner as being none other than his son, Kujo. So - being as wrapped around his child's little pinkie as he was - he lifted his bulk from the cavern floor and made his way through Lerelm (at a decent pace for having only just woken up) until he reached the entrance. There, he was greeted with the sight of two wolves – one the familiar smiling face of his beloved boy, and the other a stranger.

Toiro went to the young white-furred male first, affectionately nuzzling his shoulder in greeting in the way many parents do even when there is company present. “Hey son,” he smiled fondly. “Who is this you have brought with you?” The massive alpha’s head then raised to regard the newcomer in his pack’s dens, his steel grey eyes guarded just in case he needed to protect his son, but polite and certainly open to the idea of a new member who seemed at least to have been found worthy by Kujo. “Greetings, and welcome to Shyia.” Toiro told the male with a cordial nod of respect. His fluffy grey tail waved behind him in a gentle friendly manner to show his open-mindedness towards the foreigner’s presence, a grey male who looked as though he had a few years on him but was more than likely still younger than the aging alpha.

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A few minutes had passed since his howl, and now he was waiting anxiously for the arrival of his father. He was very close to his dad, and something inside of him screamed utter and complete admiration for him. He wanted to grow up to be like him--wise, fair, caring and amazing. He always saw his father with starry eyes, and one of his deepest desires was to be alongside him in his journey, and be his Shaman. It would be a huge honor, but all he wanted right now was to start low--perhaps being a gatherer was best. He just wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps, and he wanted to be as useful as possible. Even if he thought that he didn't deserve such titles, at least he could try--he would do anything for his father, and he was willing to prove it just to see his father smile. 

Kujo's eyes closed in delight, and his tail wagged delightfully when his father appeared and nuzzled him on the shoulder--it was a greeting that he had grown up to, and it always made him feel loved and safe. "Hey dad," he said lovingly. Smiling, he looked over at Crux and then again at his father. "Dad, I'd like you to meet Crux. We met a while ago, and he wants to join Airila. I can assure you he's very nice and he's very happy to be here." Kujo smiled at his father with sincerity, his tail waving like a banner, showing happiness to reassure his father that Crux was no threat, and to ease the possible nerves of his new found acquaintance. Looking over at Crux, he signaled him for him to say something. Breathing in and sighing in happiness, he waited patiently for Crux's introduction.

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@crux  Toiro