Alone in the Cold

[[Midnight]]

{Should I respond or is she really done?}

[Malo]

ooc||Oh yes, please do! She's hoping he won't follow, but Toboe's too much of a sweetheart. He'd be like her little brother ^^

[[Midnight]]

{Okay, yay!! I was hoping you'd say yes, role playing them has been fun }


The twins had stayed quiet, so Toboe took the initiative to bring Malo back. He stood up and raced after her, running faster so that he ended up in front of her to block her way.
"Hey, where are you-"
That's when he saw the wet streak on her cheek, and he frowned, more confused than ever. Did he impress her or did he make her cry? WHY DID THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO HIM?

"Hey! Hey, why are you crying?" he asked desperately, crouching so he could try and catch her eye. He wasn't sure why, but he just seemed to attract all the really emotional females. For some reason, Malo hadn't seemed like the type who would break down like this, but then again, Toboe barely knew her.
"You can't just walk without at least telling me what the matter is."
He splayed his legs in each direction, his posture showing that he was planning on blocking her way if she tried to escape.

[Malo]

A low growl was emitted from the orange fae, and she lifted her paw to wipe the streak away. It was too late of course, it already stained her face with a wet line. She would have never thought she'd be the fae crying, the kind that she despised for their weakness. This wasn't her, this wasn't the Malo she had been as a pup, or the one she'd grown into. But the memory of her family, her only family being torn away from her, was just so much to handle.

She looked away from him, holding her head higher than hers, though she had no ranking to call her own. She gave a saddened sigh, and soon found herself able to look at the young brute, this male who was like Dusk. Dawn had taken after her older sister, Malo knew that, but Dusk was a total sweetheart, so kind and caring. So naive when they were pups, in the pack...and this Toboe male was like him. In a way, it scared her, because she didn't want to get attached. Especially since he was a Dancing Star. What would Hood think?

She shook her head, not knowing whether to trust this male or not. She decided to give as little info as possible. It's my brother...my little brother Dusk...you remind me of him,but...he died, a long time ago.

[[Midnight]]

"Ohhh..." Toboe replied, sitting back hesitantly. He looked away, feeling more awkward than ever. But he couldn't help it if he looked like her little brother, could he? That was his parents' fault.
He scratched at the dirt with a claw, his ears pinned back, and thought of something to say that wouldn't upset Malo even further. But he was drawing a blank.
"Uhhhhmmm. I'm sorry to hear that?" he said with his apologetic, blue eyes. Boy, if only this loner did come to Dancing Stars! Then she'd never feel sad again because she'd have a huge family. "I have a brother, too. His name's Takumi."

[Malo]

Malo's gaze averted Toboe's, and for a long time the fae remained quiet, silently gathering her thoughts. Soon, she had recovered from her temporary lack of control, and she looked at Toboe with deep blue eyes that no longer showed the immense pain she had just been through only moments before. She gave a cough, trying to clear her throat. You do, do you? Tell me, young Toboe. What's he like?

It was an innocent enough question, and one to take her mind off things, even if she truly did not care. It was not as if she'd join these Dancing Stars, no she had decided to stay a loner and live in the lands between both packs, able to talk to whoever she felt like at whatever moment without having a wolf of high ranking breathing down her back. She didn't necessarily like being a loner, but with the loner lands smack dab in the middle, it made her choice of living much more interesting She gave the younger wolf an encouraging smile, to get him going.

[[Midnight]]

Now that they were on the topic of his family, Toboe stretched his muscles casually and spurred up thoughts about the subject.
"Takumi? Ahh, well, he's nothing special. Hard-headed and probably stupider than me. He lets Sapphire do whatever she wants! At least from what I've seen. Sapphire is my sister, by the way. I'm not sure why Sapphire likes to tag along with Takumi all the time, it's like, they're the ultimate duo or something. I've seen them bicker before but it doesn't matter, they still hang out all the time like they're the best of friends. But Takumi probably takes after my mom, Crystal. I like to think of myself more as my dad. Frosty is my dad! He was the brother of the older leader, Xaka, and Xaka's son is now the alpha of Dancing Stars. Which makes me the alpha's cousin. Isn't that cool?"
He talked so fast that he actually realized he sounded like a girl. Which irked him, because females were the hardest things to understand now that all of them had matured by now. He smiled at Malo innocently.

[Malo]

A small giggle erupted from her throat as she listened to his voice reach new heights, literally. She gave a little smile, as it reminded her of how young he was, and how grown Toboe seemed to think he was. She gave a nodd at his question, and decided to give him some new information, to maybe impress this young male. You know, your siblings sound like me and my own. We argued all the time, we were so different. But the three of us were the best of friends.

So you're related to the alpha, huh? That is impressive. But you wanna know a secret, lil' Toboe? She moved closer to him, and whispered in his ear. I was the heir in my pack. I would've been alpha. Now isn't that cool? She pulled her head back and gave him a warm look with her deep blues, reading his expression carefully.

[[Midnight]]

Toboe's entire face beamed, as expected. Knowing this detail made Toboe look at Malo in a newer way. She was from a proud lineage, and not just from a smaller branch like Toboe was. No, Malo had the big trunk! It was so cool!
"Wowww! I think that's awesome! You could be a leader!"
His tail wagged, but stop short at once. Okay, she could have been the alphess, but, why was she here? Instead of leading her pack?
He sat back down on his rump, calming down at once and his respectful curiosity returning.
"Why didn't you stay with your family, Malo?"

[Malo]

The fae gave a smile as she looked at the young male. She stood proud for a moment, her body filled with pride; she knew where she came from, and she would forever hold that dear. The daughter of the alphas, and heir to a throne. Most wolves couldn't say that. She and her brother, however, could. But her mood dampened quickly as he asked his question, and her blue pools saddened slightly.

She sighed, and shook her head. Ahh, little Toboe...she looked away, wondering how to say it. You see Toboe, bad things always happen to every wolf, no matter what your status is or who you are, or how royal your bloodline is. When I was young, I was playing with my friends, and we wandered away from our densite, which was against the rules because the adults were gone. While we were playing, a bear came, and he attacked us. We ran, and screamed, and cried for help, but no one came. I was able to hide, but my friends, and some of my littermates, were not as lucky...she took a pause in the story, bad memories flooding into her mind as she remembered. The bloodshed...the helpless, bloodcurling cries as she watched her brothers, sisters, and friends being ripped to shreds..she shuddered, her body becoming cold with the horror. She took a deep breath before continuing.

I stayed and hid, and finally, finally, our babysitter came. He had heard our cries, and ran to tell the others. They came a few yards behind him, and killed the bear. It took all of them to bring it down, he was so huge. Then they found me in the darthole I was in, and waited for me to get old enough, before banishing me. I left, feeling unwanted and unloved. But I couldn't survive on my own. So I returned, ready to challenge my parents, or at least my mother for my right back into the pack as Alpha, but when I returned, I found our lands desolate and lifeless. I also found something else, little Toboe...my packmates bodies-including my parents-in shreds, all of them dead in one of our dens. I could not find Dusk or Dawn's bodies, so I assumed the rival pack had carried them off...she could feel her heart aching, but if he wanted to know, she'd tell him. It was painful, remembering the scene she had come upon when returning home. and it was something she tried over and over to forget, but somehow, it just kept coming back to her. No matter how hard she tried.

[/center]

[[Midnight]]

It was a sad story, and when Toboe compared it to the life story he had, he realized that it wasn't very bad at all. Because, although many wolves had died and they lost their home to Falling Moon, Dancing Stars was always full of wolves who cared about you. A Dancing Star would defend a family member to the death. They took friendships seriously, above all else. Even little Toboe was starting to think that he'd die for his new friend, Malo, too, if something ever came up.
But Toboe had always been protective.

His eyes swirled with sympathy but he did not look away.
"I'm sorry about your life, Malo. That's not very fair at all. In fact, I should be banished by now, I've broken the rules so many times!"
He sighed gently, finally glancing at all of the mists around them.

Malo was really nice for a loner. She was a bit on the weird side, but not nearly as arrogant and obnoxious as most other loners and FM's were. And as far Toboe knew, she wasn't bloodthirsty.
He thought of something and his eyes narrowed. He looked back at Malo with a very serious expression.

"So... If you ever had the chance to talk to your family again, would you forgive them?"
She hoped she didn't take his question the wrong way, like he was testing her holiness. He also hoped she answered the way he planned it out.
"Or would you forgive the thing that killed them?"

[Malo]

A silent pause was given, in which Malo spent her time contemplating what she would say. She looked at Toboe, eyes emotionless. They were my family. I would forgive them no matter what, though of course I'd give them a hard time, being me. But that thing...that pack...they had no right Toboe. No right to take everything away that was dear and precious to me...The twins, my parents and friends. Everything, gone. I would hope you will never come across that in your lifetime, for you are young and have much to live for. Now, enough of depressing tales, what is there to do in this valley of yours?

She looked around, green eyes able to see a little better, with the sun shining through the mist now. She stood up and stretched, her long hindlegs extending just to about her tail tip. Shaking herself off, she wondered where'd those obnoxious look-alikes had run off to, but decided they weren't that important. She quietly waited for Toboe to speak.

[/center]

[[Midnight]]

He would have gotten to his point, he would have practically smacked her right in the face with a snide remark about Falling Moon and how they had no right to kill his family, either, when she asked him a question. He closed his mouth shut and looked away, almost feeling ashamed of the mean thought that had crossed his mind. Why was he trying to prove Malo wrong? What would it accomplish? Absolutely nothing, he realized.
He sighed and let his tongue fall out of his mouth casually.
"What's there to do? Nothing, really. Eat, sleep, poop, and wish there was something more to do."
He chuckled and shook his head at his own words, which he sometimes found true and sometimes found not so true. But after a few moments, he thought of something exciting and his practically lept into the air.

"Hey, wait, you're a loner! So that means that you have to defend yourself a lot, right? So, why don't you teach me something good about fighting? Teach me how you survive out here all on your own!"
There was an innocent glint in his dark, blue eyes, the kind he often got. Especially when he had been a young pup. His but wiggled as he wagged his tail.

[Malo]

Malo chuckled as he explained the valley, and she wondered just how big it was. There was a large forest, grasslands, mountains, a river...a river? When there was a river, if you followed it long enough there would be a beach, with the ocean. She hadn't seen a beach since she left home,(possible expansion for valley?) and she had loved feeling the cool water, seeing the waves lap up against her. And watching the sun setting and rising on the beach had been one of her favorite passtimes.

But she snapped back to reality, and her ears perked when she heard Toboe's question. Malo herself had been an established fighter, and no one had challenged her so far since she arrived in the valley, but she saw no harm in showing the young wolf a few of her tricks. She nodded and gave a grin, seeing the glint in his eye. Sure, I'll show you Toboe. What do you want to learn first, how to defend or attack? She stood up, realizing it would be hard to fight in the mist, but then thought of this as a good training spot. It would help him learn to use his senses more acutely.

[[Midnight]]

Toboe's smile widened. So, she would teach him, after all! Boy, this chick was the coolest loner he had ever met! He wanted to get lost in the mists more often.
"Attack, of course!" he said. Such an obvious answer from a one-track-minded male.
If he didn't know how to attack, how could he take down an enemy? How could he protect his family? Quite a silly question of Malo, actually.

Poor Toboe didn't even think of the benefits of defending, so he gave no other second though and crouched low to the ground, waiting to be intructed by his new and only favorite loner.