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Post by Paint on Apr 13, 2008 13:00:17 GMT -5
I spy with my little eye something that begins with 'I don't care'
As darkness enveloped the land, Duke was moving jerkily through the thinning snow, dragging something. His head snapped up to see if anyone was around. When nobody was, he returned to dragging his brother's dead body. Kai was gone. Every tie Duke had to his old family was gone, besides Heru and Jaeger.
That this song, has a melody.
It was so sudden, so soon, and yet he'd completely seen it coming. Kai hadn't been right for a long time. When he'd left, Duke thought it'd be the last time he saw him. And there was nothing he could possibly do to save him at any point.
Or that the beats are not complex
He remembered growing up with Kai, the perfect wolf compared to Duke. Kai was stronger, larger, more powerful- everything Duke could never be when they were the same age. Kehu, their father, was so stupid that he didn't even care that Duke was perhaps smarter than Kai. All he cared about was the fact that every time his sons fought, Kai came out on top every single time.
I'm just trying to make you sing
Hot tears rolled down Duke's face as he felt Kai's cold, lifeless body between his teeth. He pulled him closer and closer to this huge tree standing out above all other trees, towering over the land. It doesn't even matter. he thought angrily to himself. Kai would never be happy without Kaya.
And not be perplexed
He remembered when Kai came to tell him about Kaya. She was new in the pack, her mother had joined as a loner and brought her with her. Kai had fallen head over heels for her and they spent every moment of every day together. He remembered Kehu's expression when they announced they were mates, he was fit to burst with pride. Once again, Duke watched from the sidelines, witnessing what he hadn't achieved. Even after Kai left, Duke was never good enough. He heard his father going on at his mother about how he was stupid, small and weaker than Kai.
It doesn't mean any less
Duke finally stopped dragging Kai's body, feeling the tears roll hot and salty off his cheeks and land on his brother's dappled fur. He closed his eyes against the tears and the sight of his unmoving brother, because it was easier to face things with your eyes closed.
"Maybe I never told you, Kai, but I love you. You were an inspiration to me, and I never hated you for being better than me. I just hated our father." Duke said quietly, as if Kai could actually hear him. "I was honoured when you brought your family here, to my pack, and I am so completely sorry that it lead to your downfall. You never deserved death, Kai, you were always so full of life."
"I wonder if Mother is still alive. She'd cry if she knew you were dead, Kai, I know it. I've never cried before in my life, Kai, and here I am, weeping over your dead body."
"I wish you the best in the afterlife, brother. Give me strength to lead my pack for a long time, give luck to my daughters and sons when they take over for me and Anevay, and I promise you that if I can, I will find Kaya and our mother, Joli. They deserve to know."
Duke stood up, and away from the gnarled roots curving around Kai's body. He looked so eerie in the moonlight, and it cut Duke down to the core. He stopped crying, and simply sat, watching the body as it began to snow again.
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Post by Smilies on Apr 13, 2008 13:28:59 GMT -5
OOC:// Can Anevay interrupt?
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Post by Paint on Apr 15, 2008 11:01:50 GMT -5
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Post by Smilies on Apr 21, 2008 14:42:15 GMT -5
Anevay stood by from a distance. This was one of those rare times that she showed the emotion of sadness on her features. When he finished murmuring, she moved forward slowly, trying not to scare him. "You okay?" she asked, sitting down beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. Her ears were open, ready to listen to anything he needed to let off his chest, off his heart. Up until now, she hadn't really known anything about Duke's past, but she decided not to bring it up. He'd talk about it in his own time.
There were still a few things she needed to talk to Duke about. Like the pups Raiden and Rose were planning on having, and if they wanted to have pups of their own. But obviously now was not the time. Spring would last a while. They had time though truthfully she wanted to get all this pup business out of the way. [/size]
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Post by Paint on Apr 26, 2008 6:19:02 GMT -5
Duke blinked in surprise, looking around. He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there. One thing he could see for sure was, however, that the snow was gone. His ears flew back for a second, he was now worried about himself. Had he been staring at his brother's decaying body for that long?
He frowned and turned to Anevay, features softening a little. It was the first time he'd ever allowed himself to look vulnerable in front of her. "Not really." he said, but in such a way that clearly depicted he didn't want to talk about it. "Are you?"
An unusually cold Spring breeze lifted his fur as it whistled past, making him shiver. It was a dark, dark time, and he needed someone around him. His expression was completely vulnerable, and for once, he didn't feel he needed to be strong.
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Post by Smilies on Apr 26, 2008 16:03:35 GMT -5
Anevay let out a sigh, but said nothing. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about his brother's death, about how he felt, so she left at that. He'd come to her if he wanted to talk about it in his own time. She picked her head up off his shoulder, and looked into his eyes, seeing something that she'd never seen before. It scared her in a way. This was obviously effecting him dramatically, and she'd never felt so useless in her life. She didn't know what to do, what to say to make him feel better. Was there anything she could do to make him feel better?
"Yeah, I'm fine, I suppose," she said, voice flat. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked, tipping her head to the side slightly. She knew only time might help this. But for the time being, maybe she could hunt for him or accompany him to the lake or something. She wasn't so sure how long he'd been sitting here. He could be starving for all she knew. She kept her eyes on him, expression soft, awaiting his answer. [/size]
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Post by Paint on Apr 26, 2008 16:12:41 GMT -5
Duke's eyes were soft and dull from his lack of food, and he still couldn't remember how long he'd been sitting here. He wondered if he'd fallen asleep at all, still sitting there, but he decided it was better not to wonder. He felt weak, and he hoped Anevay wouldn't mind. He hoped she still loved him when he was so weak.
He felt a few tears begin to roll out of his eyes again and he leant forward, pushing his maw up against the side of her head, snuggling into the fur on her neck and crying gently for a minute, silently. "Just being here is helping," he said truthfully. He sighed quickly, pulling away from her and lifting a paw to his eyes to dry his tears. He felt suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.
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Post by Smilies on Apr 26, 2008 16:27:03 GMT -5
She felt a small pang of pain in her heart. She hated seeing him suffer so much, and she frowned, allowing him to hide his tears in her fur. There had to be something she could do. She eyed him as he pulled away from her, and she leaned towards him, licking a stray tear off his face. "It's okay," she murmured, before gently nuzzling him and then pulling back. "C'mon," she said softly. It'd probably be best to tear him away from the dead body. Pushing herself to her feet, she began to walk in the opposite direction from where the corpse lay, glancing over her shoulder to see if he would follow.
"I'm gonna get you some food," she told him, lifting her nose to the air to take a quick whiff, wondering if there was any prey around. She caught the scent of a buck, but that'd be too hard to take down on her own. She could also smell rabbit. Easier. Maybe she'd catch two for him, for she was pretty sure one wouldn't fill his stomach. Lowering her head, she looked back again, expression softening. She could only hope that he'd be alright. [/size]
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Post by Paint on Apr 26, 2008 17:37:52 GMT -5
ooc- D'aww! -D'awws- I love Anevay and Duke (:
bic- Feeling like a pup which had just been told off by one parent and was being comforted by another, Duke slowly stood up. He watched as she walked off, and talked about getting food. He nodded gently, realising how much he needed it. His legs were a little shaky.
"Of course," he nodded again, and then began to pad after her. His legs were still shaking every now and again as he walked, but he tried to hide it. He'd do anything not to collapse in front of Anevay. She was so beautiful, and sometimes he still wondered if she wanted another mate. He wondered whether she would have wanted Kai, if she'd met him first. The thought made him even more upset and withdrawn, but he tried to hide it.
"Did you come to talk to me about anything?" Duke asked, trying to change the subject, get his mind off Kai. Perhaps she was thinking pups, then again, seeing him like this probably put her off that idea completely.
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Post by Smilies on Apr 27, 2008 0:42:27 GMT -5
Ooc:// Me, too! ^^ They're so cute together! Bic:// Despite his efforts to keep the shakiness out of his legs, Anevay caught site of it and made a small circle so she was beside him when she came up on the right. She placed her body next to his, offering her support. She hated seeing Duke like this, because it just wasn't Duke. Someone who seemed invincible to her and probably to others, so weak. But in another way, it made her happy that he was able to trust her enough to show that vulnerable, weak side that he kept buried inside of him. She wondered if she was the only one who'd ever seen this soft side of Duke.
"Yes, but I'll get the food first. You listen and eat, and I'll talk," she murmured gently as not to offend him with all the orders she was giving him. He probably wasn't used to it, but she thought now he might need it. It was obvious he wasn't up for thinking, so she'd do it for him for the time being. When they were far enough away from the carcass, she came to a slow stop and gave a curt nod at the ground. She pulled away from him with much effort, not really wanting to leave his side for a moment. Before going, she looked into those sad vulnerable eyes once more her own expression reading sorrow and pain. "Wait here and I'll be back." She planted a small kiss on his maw. "I love you," she whispered and then bolted off out of site.
A small while later she returned with two plump rabbits that were just barely fitting within her jaws. They hadn't been too hard to catch, because they were so large it made it harder for them to escape Anevay's muscular legs. Speed and agility was something was something that was definitly on her side, always had been. She placed the rabbits at his feet, and moved away to sit beside him, not bothering to say anything until he asked, giving him time for his brain to register the food. [/size]
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Post by Paint on Apr 27, 2008 1:36:25 GMT -5
When she left his side he sat down slowly, automatically back into the position he had been in for god know's how long. Realising this, he settled into a laying position, feeling exhausted and more weak than ever.
But there was Anevay. Sweet, despite what anyone thought. She somehow knew exactly what to do, all of the time. Duke closed his eyes for a minute, but didn't fall asleep. He was waiting for her.
When she arrived again, he opened his eyes and stood up, a little gingerly. He moved forwards and thanked her in his gruff voice, but it was affectionate. Then he began to eat.
After he had eaten both rabbits, having torn one to shreds and eaten half of the other, he realised how rude he had been. She'd just caught them and he hadn't even offered her any. "Sorry," he shook his head, and sat down, feeling the energy return to him slowly. "I didn't offer you any, and you caught them..." he frowned, at his own stupidity. Still, there was enough meat left on the other rabbit, if she were hungry perhaps she could have that?
He looked over at her, ears flicking, and decided to change the subject. "So what did you want to talk about?" he asked. He wondered if it were about the pack, their pups... or perhaps future pups. His curiosity made his ears flicker again as he looked at her brilliant green eyes.
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Post by Smilies on Apr 27, 2008 10:01:25 GMT -5
She sat off a bit, and peered away from him while he devoured one of the plump rabbits and half the other. She looked at it and lifted a brow. Not being a fan of eating others wolves half eaten meal she shook her head slowly. Anyway, she'd already eaten before she left to find Duke by the decaying body and wasn't hungry anyway. "I'm fine," she said, noting the fact that his energy was slowly returning. She was glad. Now, it probably wouldn't be long until he put on that tough-guy act again, hiding his weak, vulnerable side somewhere deep inside him.
It amused her in a way...She'd never realized it before but they were a lot alike. Anevay often kept her soft side out of her personality. Duke and her pups were probably the only ones who had seen how sweet she could actually be. The other times, she just remained a sarcastic, mean bitch. That's just how she was and truthfully, it was too late to change her ways. And she wasn't sure she wanted to.
Her ears pricked, her thoughts being interrupted by Duke's gruff voice. She said nothing for a moment, thinking of how to begin, how to word what she was about to say. Well, maybe it'd be best to get the worst out of the way, and then go from there. "Well," she began, going for the most casual and traditional way. "Rose and Raiden have asked to have pups, and I gave them my permission," she said matter-of-factly. Duke wasn't the only one who had a say in this and she wouldn't back down just because he said no, and her expression said that. [/size]
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Post by Paint on Apr 30, 2008 16:10:11 GMT -5
His dark eyes studied her expression for a minute, but he slowly let the surprise creep onto his features. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, but he couldn't help it. It was just a little... it was scary. He was going to be a grandfather. His eyes grew wide and he shook his head to rid his head of such odd thoughts.
"That's fine, I guess," he shrugged, gruff voice returning strongly on each word. He raised a brow at her expectantly. "I'm guessing Seta and Deppene will be next. Tala and Dachian, too," he rolled his eyes, still thinking Tala and Dachian were together. He frowned slightly. "Tessar and Iris, I have no idea. Onisim as well. I suppose they don't have mates."
He sighed as he realised he had no idea what was going on with his pups. "Thank you for the rabbit," he said honestly, soft side showing through again. He sighed and settled into a laying position slowly. "So... anything else?" he smiled at her.
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Post by Smilies on Apr 30, 2008 16:35:04 GMT -5
Anevay frowned as he mentioned Tala and Dachian. Word had gotten around, and Anevay knew that the two weren't together anymore. Tala hadn't told her herself, but she knew it was true. Tala seemed to be more withdrawn lately, out of it...Heartbroken. Anevay sighed feeling sorry for her pup. She was a late bloomer. Everyone else seemed to be getting mates with the exception of Tessar, Onisim, and Iris. Truthfully, she didn't know much about those pups but was determined to find out one way or another. "Tala and Dachian aren't together anymore," she murmured, frowning, trying think of a reason as to why Dachian would break her heart like that. What female stole his heart now? He just seemed to keep moving from one to the next, not really seeming to care who he hurt. She felt the urge to find him, and maybe rip out his throat for every female he had caused pain.
But she was happy, overall, that Rose and Raiden would be allowed to have pups. She hadn't expected him to take it so well. But maybe it was just the shock of losing his brother, he was just too tired and upset to protest or make a fuss about it. And so she figured he would allow the others to have pups as well. Seta and Deppene. And the other pups if they found a mate at the last minute. She was thinking about another family meeting, just so she could keep up to date with all her pups. But that was impossible. She couldn't expect them to come to her with every bit of information. As they grew older, it slowly got easier to let them go and do their own things.
"Your welcome," she said, though her mind was distant. Her ears pricked when she heard his next question and she turned her head to look at him. Leave it to a mother to be so wrapped up in his pups to even consider herself. She'd also come to talk about having pups of their own, but got a bit sidetracked. "Well, I was wondering if you...Wanted to have more," she said, still feeling a hint of embarassment when an awkward question came up. [/size]
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Post by Paint on May 4, 2008 20:11:33 GMT -5
Duke looked up sharply at Anevay. Tala and Dachian were not together any longer? He quickly felt his blood beginning to boil, and he scratched his claws into the dirt angrily. While Anevay was saying it all in her head, he was displaying it outright.
"I'm going to kill that little bastard," he said, dangerously quiet and controlled. But his anger would have to be saved for later, it seemed, for she was talking again and the embarrassment was enough to stop his throaty growling.
He frowned for a second. More what? he thought, Rabbit? It took him a moment before he realised their topic was no longer rabbit, or any food for that matter, it was pups. More pups. He straightened up and looked skyward, wondering on the thought. More heirs to the throne? Why not? he mentally shrugged.
"That sounds fine to me, I do miss the little pups," he admitted, watching Anevay carefully for a reaction. Did she want more?
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