[Scout | Nuka] A Guiding Star

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Night had fallen over The Occasus -- a thick, voluminous night that invaded and coated the heavens like ink seeping into fabric. It silenced all below it, save for the hushed, periodic tremor of brush as moving air swept through. It was a bone-chilling midnight breeze which pervaded the territory, dragging the temperature down with it. It was sometimes easy to forget, in the dead of night, that this land was a scorching, arid sandtrap during the day. Such was the nature of a desert environment; one must be easily adaptable and familiar with the contradictory nature of its climate.

The sky above was black as pitch. The only discernible body was a single, brightly-gleaming star, obvious and dramatic against a colorless backdrop. Its brothers were obstructed by the dense, cloud-thickened air; even the moon could not be seen, or was hiding elsewhere. The brightness of that single star, though, was enough to cast a thin dusting of light on the Earth below. It shone determinedly, proudly, with a light that rivaled the moon itself -- or seemed to. Its body twinkled, trembled with the effort.

The stillness below was disrupted by the sound of an animal's footpads sinking into sand. A maned wolf wandered slowly across the flat stretch of territory, his movements meandering, his footsteps aimless. He did not appear lost, but he also did not seem to be headed in any specific direction. His brown eyes were locked steadily onto the horizon, his long limbs carrying him gracefully from one point to the next. Every once in a while, as the wind made its course through the sparse underbrush, his tall, rounded ears would prick and swivel, checking the air for any sign of unnatural movement. The hopeful glint in his eyes betrayed his desire to encounter someone -- something, anything -- but the late hour of his travels made an encounter unlikely.

He hadn't been able to sleep. The truth was, he hadn't been able to sleep for some nights. He often struggled with insomnia, but this case was worse than most. There was something inside him that kept him from rest. Something anxious. A feeling of anticipation. He felt compelled to keep walking, to search for something. Perhaps it was simply company that he craved. He hadn't seen another wolf in some weeks. Such was the life of a wolf on his own; sometimes he would encounter several wolves in several days -- wolves of varying degrees of amicability -- and sometimes he would go long spans with no one to speak with but himself.

He despised the lonely stretches. They made him antsy. To keep calm he spoke to himself, made up riddles, told jokes to himself or to the sky or to prey animals before he made meals of them. He had a poor sense of direction and feared wandering around in circles. When he could relax enough to sleep, he slept pathetically huddled, curled into a fetal ball, trembling with the cold and with the creeping thought that he might live out the rest of his days estranged from his own kind.

Now, though, he was calm. The light from above attracted his attention, and he tilted his head upward, drinking in the beauty of the single star. He looked daftly at it, eyes wide, mouth slack, as though hypnotized. It seemed symbolic, in a way, though he couldn't think of what it might symbolize. He wasn't good at those sorts of things. Strength, perhaps? No, that wasn't it. Hope, maybe? Yes, that was a good one. He liked that. Or maybe the star wasn't symbolic at all, and was simply a guiding light. A light that would lead him somewhere new and interesting, to something that could fulfill him -- that would take him far from endless wandering and sleepless nights.

word count: 621
tags: @nuka @scout
ooc: Phew! Finally. (:

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Sitting upon a rock surrounded by a sea of sand and the unknown, was a black young female wolf, head angled up at the sky just looking at the single lone star in the sky that shone the brightest while unseen clouds had blocked out the rest of the stars as well as the moon. Though the single bright star gave off some light, it was not enough light, not as much as a full bright moon would give off…which was what was lacking this night.

Left alone with only her thoughts as her only company and of the occasional little lizard that would get curious and scamper over the wolfs paws which had made her yelp and jump up and away the first time that had happened. Strange little critters that were not found in the part of Canada where she had grown up with in the Sleeping Forest pack.

Her head lowered and eyes shut as that familiar ache returned. That ache of the losses she had felt, a blunt reminder that she no longer has what she was born into. A pack, a family, and her brothers. Who she missed more than anything. Koga and Kit.

With a deep breathe that was let out in a sigh, Nuka opened her eyes once she felt that ache was under control. Her head lifted and eyes gazed back up at that single star.

‘Koga, Kit. If only you guys could see this. It’s like the great northern star back home. ’ The black wolf thought as she could imagine Kit saying that they were never too far from home as his ears would be perked and tail wagging as if seeing that star was the most amazing discovery the three of them would have ever seen. It didn’t seem right that she was here alone without the two wolves she wanted by her sides more than anything.

That dull ache returned again, stupid and dumb. Nuka didn’t like when that ache crept up whenever she wanted to think fondly of her family and former pack that once was. It was getting to be too much for her emotionally. Perhaps it was time to lock those memories away and be done with it?

It seemed like the only smart thing to do as it normally put stress on her and distracted things she needed to do to survive….such as hunt and keep her strength up. which was what the black wolf should be doing right about now while it was still cool out.

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OOC: Sorry for the wait, heres mah firt Nuka post.

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A crisp night had fallen over the land of Tassos. This had not been Scout's first autumn here and knew that soon the food selections would be getting better. In the desert, most prey animals headed north during the summer for more a hospitable climate. But during the fall and winter, they all moved back where it was a perfect temperature during the day. However, at night it got very cold. Scout guessed it to be about 60 or maybe 61 degrees out which wasn't all that cold when he thought about it but for the wolf who was used to days in the upper 90s, 60 degrees was pretty cold. He could feel the weather change in his joints. They often caused him pain whenever the weather changed dramatically or was about to rain. This was something that had only recently developed but he had been using it as a way to predict the weather for the pack.

The beta often took it upon himself to check the main territory before going to sleep each night. He wanted to make sure no one was getting in while the pack slept. Being beta wasn't a job he took lightly. He knew his friend trusted him with this important duty and he wouldn't let him down. He caught the smell of another wolf. A male. His large ears pricked to the direction of the smell to try and hear whoever was around. His nose wasn't as keen as it had been in years past but he could still differentiate between individuals and he knew this was no wolf that he knew.

As he approached the male, he noticed it was a maned wolf. He hadn't seen many, if any, maned wolves before. He was odd looking for sure. Long black stilts for legs and ears the size of dinner plates coupled with bright orange fur did not make for a good disguise. However, Scout shouldn't be thinking about the males ears as his own ears were quite large. Maybe not as large but still large nonetheless. "Greetings Stranger," Scout greeted the male. Scout had learned how to hold himself in a quietly dominant position. Not so much so to overpower the other wolf but just enough for him to know that this was his home. "What brings you to Tassos?" He asked in a curious but questioning tone.

Since he had realized he had developing feelings for the beautiful subordinate of the pack, Maitryi, he had become more... apprehensive.... of other males. He knew that Rasalas had already chosen a mate and knew his friend to be loyal and truthful but what about all the others? Would they try to take her from him? What if she fancied their affection more than his own? Even if she did, it would be his own fault. He hadn't even confessed his feelings to her. She probably had no idea how he felt so why wouldn't she long for the affection of other males? This love business was tough work. He felt between a rock and a hard place in his relationship with Maitryi. He only hoped that it would get easier.

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As the minutes slipped past, the single star remained poised in the sky, looking down with indifference over all who gazed back at it. Its image was burned into Riffraff's mind -- an omen or a charm, he couldn't tell. The single star could lead him to joy or sorrow; doom or salvation. Whether he followed it or not, would he soon regret his decision? How different would his life become based on that one simple decision?

He chided himself internally for thinking far too hard about something that was altogether a silly idea. Stars are stars. They don't mean anything.

While he'd been hoping for company, he certainly hadn't been expecting it. Riffraff's enormous, saucerlike ears caught wind of Scout's arrival some time before his form was discernible against the dark horizon. The maned wolf halted his movements, his tall ear-stalks swiveling and twitching with an excited fervor as they absorbed the unmistakable, characteristic sound waves of another being's footsteps. Though the bitter night wind was blowing in the wrong direction, making it impossible for him to get a scent on the approaching creature, he could tell from the gait and heaviness of the steps that it was another wolf -- male, most likely.

He trained his brown eyes in the direction of the muted sound, his body rigid with anticipation and, to a lesser degree, anxiety. He slowed his breathing, trying not to allow himself to get too worked up. No, that would be bad. Too much excitement was a bad thing -- everything had to be under control, calm, collected. Orchestrated, like a grand symphony. Not that Riffraff knew what a grand symphony was. His paws dug into the sandy earth, pads sinking into the loose, arid soil. His long, tassel-like tail swayed back and forth as the wind nudged it, as though it were a weighted pendulum marking the passage of time. It seemed to swing for a millennium before Scout's form broke through the shadows and approached, his dominant and assured carriage marking him as a fellow of importance. Riffraff assumed automatically that he was an alpha of some sort -- or perhaps some sort of self-important loner who'd laid claim to the lands he was wandering in now.

Remembering his manners, Riffraff lowered his posture slightly and drooped his extremities in an expression of polite submission. He felt his interpersonal skills rush back to him in a wave as he opened his mouth to greet his new acquaintance. "Hello, there," he said, his voice rich with measured amounts of courtesy, sociability, and charisma. "Greetings. I'm Riffraff." A nonthreatening expression fit comfortably on his face, rounded out by a slick, easygoing smile.

"I'm very sorry if I'm trespassing -- didn't mean to. I've been traveling alone for some days, and I'm not entirely good with directions, so I really have no clue where I am. I haven't seen a soul in about... well, a few weeks, at least." He chuckled gently at the ridiculousness of his own situation. "And I'm a bit starved for company, to be honest. It's been too long since I've seen another friendly face. Nice to meet you." His voice was quick and a bit silver-tongued, but genuine, and he looked at Scout with a hopeful expression. Perhaps this fellow was linked to a pack after all -- if he was, well, maybe the magic of the star had some weight to it, after all.

word count: 568
tags: Scout Nuka
ooc: How far is Nuka from the action? Maybe the wind could bring the boys' scents to her and she could come along?

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Like a shadow in the night with the only star at her back and seeming to guide her way, Nuka was on the move. It was the perfect opportunity to find herself some food while it was tolerable. Ears perked, eyes open and her senses overall had shifted into hunting mode.

As some time passed, perhaps an hour, more or less. Nuka had somewhat filled her belly with a couple of rodents as well as small strange reptile like critters. It was nothing like the bucks and buffalo back in Canada. But it was food and it would give her strength. But it wouldn’t give her warmth, the warmth that a closely bound pack would have.

“No! Stop with those thoughts Nuka” The black wolf said to herself with a snarl and shake of her head. “They are gone and not coming back, your alone and will be so for a long time or until you join them in death” She said to herself again. It was strange hearing her own voice as she was still in her hunting mode so her own voice was sharp to her own ears. Nuka had also stopped walking and stood still as she just blinked into the darkness ahead of her then turned herself around and lifted her head and gaze up to the single star again.

Her ears lowered as she let out a heavy sigh though her snout “Now you’re talking to yourself Nuka.” Her head lowered again as she steeled herself. But then something caught her attention. Something she didn’t think she would ever smell again. Nuka perked up from erect ears to sticking her nose in the air in the direction the smell….no. Smells were coming from.

The breeze had shifted and brought the fresh scents of others. Not stale, day’s old and faded scents of others. This was fresh and the wind brought it to her. Though her tail seemed unsure whether or not to wag or be still as it was kind of doing some of both, swaying a little bit then still. Then wag then still. This action from her tail repeated all the while Nuka herself was torn and in a mental debate with herself.

What if it was her nose tricking her? What if whoever would have been long gone? What if. That was the big question .

Though some more eternal debate, her paws had a mind of their own. With each step, her paws took her forwards more and more. With each step her ‘what ifs’ went silent and replaced with the need to be with another wolf. She was born a social pack animal and that was her main drive this very moment. Was the need to be social.

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He smiled as the other male greeted him in return. He had introduced himself as Riffraff, an unfortunate name but he didn't plan on saying anything about it. This wolf seemed courteous, kind and an all around decent wolf. The beta male didn't feel as if this other male was a threat to the pack. The younger male reminded him on himself sort of. Not the old self but the new self.

"Ah, trespass isn't the word I would use. Let's call it an unexpected meeting." Scout wasn't the kind to pass down hell and brimstone on other wolves for an honest mistake. Scout believed the other male when he said that he didn't know he was trespassing. Scout was the kind of wolf that believed others until they gave him a reason not to. "It's nice to meet you too, I'm Scout." He smiled kindly and warmly at Riffraff. He was still unsure if this male would ask for acceptance into the pack or if he would chat for a little while and then be on his way. There was nothing wrong with either so Scout guessed that he really shouldn't be worried about it. If Scout were being honest with himself, he would say that the pack needed a few more males. Right now, their numbers were even (if he were not going to count the pups) but a pack of only 9 wolves wouldn't be able to protect themselves against a pack that had 14 or more members. And from those 9, 3 of them were pups so that left them with 6 adults. Scout knew that Rasalas was a smart wolf and would keep them out of battle no matter the cost but Scout knew that sometimes invasion can't be avoided. He had seen the destruction of two packs in his lifetime and he didn't want that to happen to Tassos.

Scout got a whiff of another strange wolf around. This time it was a female. He looked at Riffraff, "Do you have a female companion traveling with you?" He asked with a curious look on his face. Something like that would have been nice to have known before. Scout's eyes were on the Maned male but his nose was on the approaching female.

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The friendly expression never once faded from his mouth; the pleasant glint held fast in his dark-colored eyes. And yet, the maned wolf looked completely natural. Genuine. When it came to Riffraff, smiles and small talk were never forced. In spite of his relatively lonely upbringing and barely-exercised communication skills, it was clear that sociality came naturally to him. He had been born with it, he supposed -- the adults involved in his upbringing had contributed little to his social education. He liked to think that his father had been a wolf of great charisma and charm. It made sense to him. From what he could remember of his mother, she had been a she-wolf of few words. Then again, with six squealing pups to take care of, perhaps she'd just never had the time for much conversation.

Riffraff grinned with his mouth closed at the sandy-colored male before him, keeping his eyes on Scout's face as he spoke. Ah, so he had been trespassing. The fellow was just being polite now, is all. The maned wolf appreciated his kindness. He didn't care much for wolves who got all up in arms about the slightest things. A territorial fight wasn't what he'd been looking for this evening. He'd been looking for -- what had he been looking for again? His memory failed him for a second. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of that single midnight star again. Oh, right -- a home. A home was what he had been searching for. Would he find it here? Or would he be turned down? Would this dominant male accept him, or tell him they had no room for one more? His stomach cramped anxiously, but on the outside, all was cool.

"Thanks for understanding," he said. "Good to meet you, Scout. May I ask -- you are a member of a pack, yes? I was wondering if --" He paused mid-sentence as, suddenly, the night wind shifted to reveal the scent of another wolf, which distracted his thoughts and filled his nostrils. The odor surfed the wind to meet his alert nose, a distinctly feminine smell. A stranger female. He wondered, briefly, if she might be another member of Scout's pack. However, Scout's next question refuted that hypothesis. Must be another loner.

"Nope. I'm traveling alone," Riffraff said honestly, briefly swiveling his ears in the direction of the approaching she-wolf. The motion he sensed was still far away, but he could tell that she was slowly nearing their position. If the wind shifted again, she would be able to smell them. He turned his attention back to Scout. "Like I said, I haven't seen another wolf in, oh, a few weeks. And now I've come upon two at once!" He chuckled good-naturedly at the serendipity of the situation.

word count: 465
tags: @nuka @scout
muse: Could be better.

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Letting her nose lead her onwards. The smell the wolf was following was not of food of any kind but the scents of two individuals. Sure there were other scents that wafted into her snout, but scents that were ignored in favour of the smell of wolves.

The wind, as light as it was, was being rather pesky as it had shifted direction again, blowing in from her back as well as moving the scent she was following away from her. A soft whine escaped the black she-wolf’s throat as she moved, picking up her pace to a quick walk. Almost tripping over her own paws as if she were a pup again learning how to walk. But her speed had picked up to a jog, paws kicking up sand a bit as she moved.

The wind was still at Nuka’s back, the scent she was following pretty much gone. But that did not stop her from moving forwards where the scent first came from. Though she also knew it could have been come fluke, a trick from her mind that had finally snapped after the hardships and loneliness the female wolf had gone though. Could a wolf really lose its mind from being alone after watching your pack die off one by one? That was a strange thought that crossed her mind at this moment.

Nuka was by far not even paying attention to how long, or how quick she had been moving. So before she knew it, two shapes seemed to just loom up out from nowhere right in front of her! Coming to a skidding halt, Nuka nearly let out a startled sound as she was now starting at the two who the scents she was following. The look on her face would resemble both surprise which would have looked laughable as well as….well just surprise.

Brown eyes shifted from one male to the other as she wasn’t sure what to say. She sure as hell didn’t know what to do aside from the fact that she made herself appear small as she then lowered herself a bit and took a step back as if they were monsters in the dark. Nuka was not fearful of other wolves, but in her current situation and status. She had to be careful and watch out for herself.

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As Scout listened to the male's partial sentence, he realized that he had never accepted anyone into Tassos before. Did they have room? Another male might be beneficial and they were just entering into winter which was the best time of year to hunt in the desert. He suspected that many loner wolves from the north may be seeking acceptance in this ever warm oasis. It was only fall so it didn't get too cold at night either.

When Riffraff said that he had been traveling alone, Scout remembered his previous statement that said that he hadn't talked to another wolf in weeks. With age, sometimes Scout forgot things. His brain wasn't as sharp as it used to be but he was still smart enough to do his job. He smiled at Riffraff when he chuckled about meeting two wolves in the same night. "Well it must be your lucky day," He said happily and with joy in his voice. He doubted that whoever was coming was a threat. He always doubted threats. Scout was one of those wolves who trusted very easily, sometimes too easily. Scout wasn't in any kind of position to be fighting anyone with his size and age. He was hardly an opponent in his prime. He would have been defeated without trouble. Scout's only real defense was his speed. Scout had been the fastest wolf around in his younger days but now with his aging bones, he couldn't run as fast or as long.

He decided to address the wolf who was approaching. "Hello? Who's there?" Scout called to the mystery guest. He hoped that whoever it was would approach and introduce themselves. He didn't like feeling watched, it made him uncomfortable. He would rather have a nice conversation than have to stand here, being worried about getting attacked or worse.

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The smile that stretched at the maned wolf's lips was big, warm and genuine. Riffraff was hardly capable of being ingenuine, but anyone who saw him now would know that there wasn't a piece of the fellow's mind that wasn't happy to finally be in the company of his own kind again. "It certainly is," he said to Scout, a chuckle at the back of his throat. A lucky star makes for a lucky day. The queer phenomenon was still shining for all it was worth above them, the only light source on a moonless night. Big, white, and iridescent. So bright, one look could strike you blind.

The tall, ruddy-colored male followed Scout's gaze into the darkness as he addressed the hidden female, who had not yet spoken or made any sound. The idea that she might be dangerous hadn't even crossed his mind -- he was just pleased to have a potential addition to the conversation. Perhaps she's shy, he wondered, peering deep into the dark to try and locate with his eyes what his nose had already targeted. He craned his long neck, squinted with his brow furrowed in a rather silly way, and looked with all his might. A rock. A stump. Another rock.  Ah!

There she was! He'd spotted her! She was well-camouflaged, her black fur creating a shadowy cloak for her in the night. He regarded her for a moment, wordlessly, still struggling to make out her form through all the blackness. She appeared to be cautious -- nervous, maybe? Definitely submissive, with her form pressed in against itself, and her eyes shifting back and forth between them. He offered up another big smile, this one twice as goodnatured and probably ten percent friendlier than the last, and took a small step in her direction.

"Hello, there!" he said to her. "No need to hide out in the shadows -- we don't mean any harm." He hoped she wouldn't run. She didn't look like the skittish type to go racing off without a word, but one could never tell. "I'm Riffraff."

word count: 344
tags: @scout @nuka
ooc: Took way too long for an awful post -- sorry!

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Her brown eyes rested on the one male who spoken first. Her ears perked as his words were heard but it was clear that she was invisible to him. She could feel his eyes searching the near blinding black cloak the night covered the island with. To the stranger, she guessed it was putting him on edge a bit for having her so close, her scent would be strong and her scent would be the only thing to give away her position to them both.

Nuka turned her attention to the other and through the darkness she could feel his eyes on her. She gave a head tilt when the taller wolf had spoken his welcoming greeting after the first. But unlike the first male, who had simply questioned who she could be. The second taller male seemed far more kind and friendly. Or least sounded like it as he had gone as far as being the to introduce himself by name.

Riffraff.

That alone was enough to bring the black wolf out of her shell per-say. A simple and kind gesture that told Nuka more than enough about the tall friendly Riffraff. But the other male remained a stranger still as he didn’t introduce himself like Riff had done. In the darkness, she couldn’t make out much of the appearance of their bodies but the two of their different scents filled her nose.

“Hello” Nuka said, her voice giving the males her exact location, which was pretty much in front of them both but just out of reach just in case things too a bad turn which the black would have to turn and disappear into the night. But for now she stayed put but seemed more relaxed as there was no need to flee or worry for her own safety yet.

“I am Nuka. One part of the Sleeping forest pack in a faraway territory” she said, sharing that tad piece of information with them. Her way of thanks towards the kind introduction Riffraff had offered without being propped to by her or the nameless stranger.

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Notes: Whoo! this post came to me easier than the others.
Word Count: 348
Tagged: @riffraff @scout