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[Cercelee]

[ooc] -- i thought you'd be there. holding daisies, counting stars. -- [bic] The work to arrive at this beach proved to be much more difficult than the other beaches she had explored in these lands. Cercelee wasn’t sure why she had gone to all the trouble really, her own lands had a beautiful harbor, whisper beach was only right outside the pack borders. Even if she was tired of those two, there were others not quite as impossible to reach as this particular beach. It wouldn’t have been quite so hard if not for the coyote clan she had almost stumbled upon. So it seemed that Inferni was alive and well, no doubt they would have kept the name. There had only been one coyote clan in the old lands for as long as she knew, and although she knew better than to ever trust them, there was something nice to be said they were loyal enough to stick together after the fire. How many other packs or clans had survived with the majority of their members in tact? Still, had they not existed her trek would have been all the easier. Instead she had skirted the clan and come to a mountain, the mountain in fact that she had crossed once when running from the blazes. Yet she wanted to know what was on the other side of the coyote clan so she had begin to climb up the side of the mountain to skirt the clan best as she could, despite the long walk it had taken just to reach the mountain itself. Now that she had her answer, she realized just how narrow the land they lived on was now. An exaggerated causeway it seemed, with beaches, harbors and ocean everywhere she looked. That was fine though, Cercelee liked the beach well enough. With the ocean hugging both sides of the land, she felt as if she couldn’t really fun away from this place. Scorched lands came up from behind, water guarded the sides and so if she really did want to run, she only had one direction to choose. Moving closer to the water, Cercelee’s navy eyes spotted the large, colorful flowers that dotted the land a bit away. Sunflowers? A whole field of them? The female found it strange, but beautiful none the less, maybe she would go and investigate more throughly, once she rest. Both her legs and lungs reminded her of just how far she had traveled, and eyes back to the ocean, the female let herself collapse into the sand. The sand was softer than most anything she could think of, and the female always felt very rejuvenated after a rest in the rocks worn so small and smooth they became soil. And so she lay, eyes half shut, watching the reflection of the sun on the water, waiting for dusk.

[Slaying the Dreamer]

Slay had followed her. Bored at first, thinking he'd give her a surprise, then curious after some time, padding some distance behind her. All day he had traveled in her wake, keeping her just in his sights like some bobbing ghost ahead of him. Now that she had finally stopped, in the middle of nowhere it seemed, Slay realized that it was rather awkward to make his appearance now... They were from the same territory, so it wasn't like he could say something clever like 'he was just in the area' or something. Cer would know that he had basically stalked her. But he still didn't know why she'd come here, so far away! Maybe... something to do with her past? Since she wasn't originally from the Dahlia area...

Slay shook his head briskly, realizing in defeat that he couldn't just leave her here. They were both rather weary from the pointless trek, and he didn't know the territory any more than she did. This was an unclaimed area, but apparently it wasn't that hard to stalk a wandering wolf.

"Hey, d'you intend to lay there all night...?" he rumbled, settling on his haunches some lengths away. He stared mulishly at the ocean, rather than look at Cercelee's expression, which would surely be of confusion and disgust. So he had followed her without saying anything, so what? Was it wrong to keep an eye on his alpha? Maybe it wouldn't be if he saw it that way, but to him, Cer was just a friend. Or more than that? It was hard to explain. He just felt attached to her. He didn't feel that way with his other packmates. And he didn't act like a desperate idiot around his other packmates either. On beaches.

"What is it with you and beaches...?"

[Cercelee]

We may have a coyote joining us in this thread later, if she still feels like posting, which will make things interesting. Do you want this to take place before or after Windseeker’s joining thread? Not that it matters much but I just want to have the timeline straight in my head XD. His voice startled her, but she did not jump up. Frozen for a moment and then she turned to meet Slay’s eyes, blue meeting blue. Then the surprise was over, and she smiled easily at the male. What’s with you and sneaking up on people? Her voice was steady and controlled, playful even, as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Not because she hadn’t been surprised, of course she had been, but aside from the initial moment when she froze, which had only last a second or two, Cercelee was skilled at concealing any and all feeling, if she choose to. Still, an uneasy feelings came over her, that too was kept completely within. Certainly he had followed her all the way from the pack, that much was clear. How had she not realized she had been tracked, and for so long? And why was Slay tracking her? Not that she minded, but it struck her as odd, why hadn’t he showed himself sooner? Cer’s eyes stayed fixated on Slay. She smiled again, letting go of her unease. If anything, she was grateful it was Slay and not someone will intended harm. Since you’ve gone through all the trouble of following me, then I suppose that you can come sit with me. You must be a bit tired after the trek, I kept a steady pace. Still she continued to stare at the male. It was strange but the fleeting memory of Red tried to surface in her head again, only for a second, before she pushed it out of her mind. There was no connection and no reason to think about that, not now at least. (Was there?) Cercelee did not allow the incident much time to be thought about, mulled over, so she couldn’t understand why it bothered her, and why Slay made her think of it. Was it only that Red had spoken to her in the same manner she knew Slay to use? Breaking her gaze she moved her eyes back to the water, it didn’t matter, it was of no importance. There were better things to think of, she was sure. Sighing she looked back to the male, her voice softer now, more serious. Did he think her crazy for all these crazy expeditions? How often was she in the pack lands versus out of them? You know, I don’t know why I leave so often. I love the pack, I really do. I don’t want to leave the pack. It’s just easier to think outside the lands sometimes, easier to breath sometimes.

[Slaying the Dreamer]

OoC: Tis prolly easier to say afterwards, that way we don't have to figure out exactly how much earlier it is. :3 Ooh, I hope she does, I wanna meet a coyote! 8D

_{Slay was silent for a moment, a small smile playing on his lips. "I wouldn't feel the need to sneak up on people if they didn't feel the need to seek out bodies of water all the time." He tilted his head slightly to the side, his pale blue gaze meeting her darker navy blue. She seemed... troubled. That would be the best way to describe it, since Cer was normally more... vivacious? Confident? Playful, maybe? Perhaps the best way to explain his spontaneous desire to follow her was that he was worried about her.}

He silently padded over beside her, accepting her offer. At least she hadn't condemned him for his quirky behavior - most likely because her own behavior was just as odd. What a strange afternoon - what would the night bring, he mused, if dusk was on its way already... The big male let his eyes shut, enjoying the sun's warmth on his black-daubed muzzle. No sense fretting over every little thing. Live and let live. He found himself hoping that Cer would confide her troubles in him, since he apparently had a habit now of blurting out whatever was bothering him to her. Maybe he could even the burden up a little, help her out? But that's only if she feels like talking to him, Slay grumbled inwardly. And Cer didn't come across as a touchy-feely girl, so it wasn't likely...

"It seems Colibri has the same sentiments as you. I haven't seen much of her at all lately; seems that she likes to get away to think. I can certainly understand that, though, it's not like I've never wandered aimlessly before. And you have a lot of responsibility on those slender little shoulders of yours, so I doubt anyone begrudges you a stroll every now and then."

[Cercelee]

Cercelee smiled genuinely. Who says my wanderings are aimless? A small laugh left her as her voice became more distant. Maybe I’m looking for something. Snapping out of her dreamy voice and gaze she turned back to Slay. I’m going to find it in the ocean, you see? That’s why you always find me at beaches. I just have to find the right beach. Cercelee swiped at the sand with her forepaw, Slay was right. The burdens that had building up were not what Cercelee had expected. The ordinary duties of leading a pack were a cinch to deal with, but the brewing trouble with Inferni and trying to keep Colibri’s head above water were not what she had envisioned when she accepted Colibri’s request of leading along side the older female. Cercelee shook her head, almost sadly, at the thought of Colibri. The last meeting between the Roseas weighed heavily on the younger one’s heart, even if she did not let it show. I’ve no doubt that Colibri hasn’t been spending much time at home, but I don’t think she has the same sentiments as I. Was it proper to say any of this to Slay? Would Colibri appreciate having her business aired out, analyzed? In the end it wouldn’t matter, because if Slay hadn’t caught wind of the business between the coyotes, Mew, and Colibri’s son, he would sooner or later. And it wasn’t as if Colibri’s depression hadn’t been obvious to all of them, for a while now. Their first pack meeting had marked the changed in Colibri, it was as if as soon as everything had been made official Colibri had lost heart. I’ve the feeling Colibri doesn’t want to stay. Her son has shown up as well, and that’s thrown her off. Between the problems that Inferni seems to want to cause us and everything else, I don’t know if Colibri will stay together. Cer looked back to the water. Although she hadn’t said anything that Slay couldn’t figure out for himself, she felt like a traitor to Colibri for saying it out loud. It was easier facing the water than the face she had just spoken to.

[Slaying the Dreamer]

There was information here that Slay had not been privy to. No, that wasn't right - it was more that he hadn't had his nose to the ground enough. It was good, then, that Cer was being open about it. "Colibri's son... Would that be Haku?" he mused aloud, making the connection with the odd stranger he'd encountered. Haku had gone out of his way to be friendly, it seemed, but the wolf's strangely worded questions had raised Slay's hackles. If anyone's presence had thrown off Colibri, chalking it up to Haku would make the most sense. Hell, Haku's presence had thrown off Slay, too, and they hadn't been together for long. He hoped the chocolate-furred wolf would be the one to leave, and not Colibri. What would they do if they lost a precious member of their tiny pack...?

"I... haven't heard much about Inferni," Slay added, ears back in embarrassment. He was an awful pack member, it seemed, if he was so half-dazed all the time that he didn't know about border disputes. He even slept in the cemetery, but had missed the drama with the wolf corpses. How pathetic...

"If... you need help... Maybe I... could do something," Slay muttered awkwardly, finally looking away. Was he talking about finding the right beach, or about Cer's leadership duties? Even he wasn't sure, but he knew he felt an allegiance towards Cercelee. Whether it was strong enough to take up the mantle of a higher rank, he didn't know. Power terrified and repulsed him. But so did the idea of their haven falling apart.

[Cercelee]

I don’t know if you wanted Haku to tell you about the Inferni stuff in your thread with him, or if you want Cer to, so I’m just going to not have Cer expand on it at this moment. The female turned to look at Slay, having heard Haku’s name spoken out loud. The fact that the two hadn’t run into each other wasn’t surprising, but in a way it made speaking about Colibri’s son a bit harder. Yes, Haku. So you’ve met him? Cercelee sighed. Haku was certainly hanging around the packlands often, maybe for Mew or maybe for Colibri, perhaps he had another reason, but it did not seem like he would be leaving anytime soon. You know... Haku took care of me for a long time. He is Coli’s father. He’s my cousin actually. Mew’s my cousin too. It was not often that Cercelee willingly admitted family relations, but Slay would probably find out anyway, and wonder why Cercelee had not mentioned it. Although they had spoken about her childhood before, she didn’t know if Slay would remember her mentioning Coli’s name, but if he did surely he would see the connection. Coli had been named for her grandmother, Colibri, just as Cercelee had been named for her’s. Fate, or something like it. Cercelee let her eyes stray away from Slay, almost regretting having spoken the words out loud. It wasn’t that she didn’t wish to share with the male, but she worried what he would think of her having been partially raised by Haku. Haku was strange, there was something off about him, he was stirring up their pack and driving away one of their Rosea’s, what would Slay think of her having been so closely tied to that male? But it was best to be blunt about Haku. About everything about Haku. You know, if Colibri or Mew wanted him to stay, or if he really needed a place to call home, I wouldn’t kick him out. Fair warning. Cercelee turned her head once again to lock eyes with Slay, blue on blue. It was only fair to let him know that it was possible, as Slay was probably use to being the only male in the pack, and he could also probably sense the tension that Haku was causing. Still, as complicated as it was, as conflicted as Cercelee felt about her cousin, she did not hate Haku. Not even close. She wouldn’t deny him a home, although she might not make life easy for him at all times. Shaking her head, as if to shake out thoughts of her cousin, because she felt that she had devoted too much of her time to him already, she turned her attention to Inferni and Dahlia de Mai. I don’t have the whole story when it comes to Inferni either, so that makes two of us. I think we’ll be okay though, I mean about everything. I know I seem stressed now, but everything will work itself out in the end. That had always been her philosophy. Live in the present, and if that wasn’t good enough, just wait until life got better. And eventually it would, Cercelee believed that, but there was nothing wrong with taking help from a friend. I may take you up on your offer you know, so don’t promise anything you don’t want to follow through with. She spoke light and jesting, but the meaning was serious. Cercelee could be easy going, she would normally accept anyone for who they were and what they had done, but she dealt poorly with abandonment. That was high on her personal list of sins, and it was hard to forgive one who committed such a vile act as abandoning her. So Slay my boy, do you think this is the right beach, or should I keep looking?Beaches were easier to talk about that family and coyotes and the pack. Much less stressful.

[Slaying the Dreamer]

OoC: Okay, that's fine! I'll assume since this is after Haku's thread, he already knows a little. Then this can bleed into Iskata's thread... *mumbles to self*

_BiC:

Slay met Cercelee's serious gaze, a helpless look on his black-daubed face. She... would accept Haku...? Because they were cousins, because he was her friend's father, and raised her too? But... Couldn't she see that there was something wrong with him? Don't trust him, please don't trust him, Slay's pale eyes pleaded, but quickly looked away. Cercelee was their Rosea. She knew best. She had to. It would not do to beg her... Maybe it was simply that Haku was a male, and Slay had a mile-long list of anxieties when it came to that gender. But... it felt like more than that. He felt himself desperately hoping that their peaceful home would remain peaceful, but perhaps it was already too late for that.

"P-promises... no," he tried to explain softly, watching the slow-moving waves of the ocean. "If you need me... you have to tell me what to do. Then I can do it."

He stood abruptly, shaking the sand from his thick fur. Enough of that. Cer didn't want him to go soft on her! Just because tension made him physically ill, doesn't mean that he should weird out his friend... leader. Cer did have a habit of speaking bluntly, though, didn't she... Slay forced a smile, hoping that he could play along sufficiently.
"Methinks you've found the wrong beach again, dovely. This one just doesn't feel right to me. But perhaps it depends on what you're looking for." He gave her a wink and a swish of his ebony tail, ignoring the twinge of fear he felt in his stomach. It wasn't fear for himself, he realized. He was more afraid that Haku... would hurt Cercelee.

[Cercelee]

You want to make this a shorter thread and make a new Slay/Cer hunting thread that we talked about in the Windseeker thread, or do you want two Slay/Cer threads going on... or you want to keep this going and just wait for a pack thread oooor... XD I don’t want to overwhelm you with too many threads! I must remember that not everyone has as much free time as I. Cercelee flicked her ears at Slay’s comment. The female did not like the idea of telling Slay to do anything, although as Rosea she knew that she had that power over him, over the whole pack. Perhaps she was not suited to be Rosea, or perhaps she would just do the job a little differently. There would be times, she knew, when she had to tell others what to do, and probably times when she would have to enforce that, but she hoped that commands and force would never be used with Slay. How about I ask you, and you do it for me? Asking was so much better than telling. The male jumped up so quickly, Cercelee jerked her body back. But a smile spread on his lips. Following suit, Cercelee rose and shook her fur out, free from the sand that clung to her pelt. All at once Cercelee let the seriousness slip away, and she was back, once again. Just Cercelee, with her friend Slay. So I’ve found the wrong beach, eh? She sniffed the air and looked sideways at the two-toned male. Yup, even smells wrong. Although, we haven’t search the whole beach, I mean, maybe we haven’t given it a far shot? Or should we go looking for other beaches? Cercelee glanced to the sunflower patch again, the oranges, reds, and yellows standing out brilliantly as the sun came even closer to setting. It would have been nice had this been the right beach, but perhaps the next beach would be even better.

[Slaying the Dreamer]

OoC: ahakjhfjsndewnijkujh too many choices aarrgghh... XD I don't mind multiple threads, I just might be a little slower in replying to them. This one might not last much longer, so maybe start a new one...? xP I dunno, I'm cool either way. Erm, any... three ways?

BiC:

"Heh heh, we can search around, m'dear. Maybe we'll turn up something nice after all," he smiled indulgently, ready to play the game. There was more here than he'd first realized - he hadn't been paying much attention when he arrived, of course. It was a pretty spot, with the flowers and such. Everything had so much colour, compared to the snowy arctic. It was nice!

The broad-chested male loped forward several paces, landing with a crash into the sunflower patch. The tall stalks waved crazily as he rooted around with his muzzle, searching for a scent that did not exist. Brightly-coloured petals contrasted with his simple black and white fur, when he popped his head up from within the thicket. "Still not sure if it's the right one, lovey! You wanna check?" A single golden petal had settled onto the tip of his wet nose, and he grinned, leaving it as a fashion statement. His grin froze for a moment, though, as his mind returned to the question she had asked him before. He glanced briefly out to the horizon, where the sun's rays were lengthening to signal their departure - he could never look her in the eye when he was being serious.

"And, eh... I can't... I'm unreliable, Cer, I'll let you down... unless you give me no way out..."

[Cercelee]

XD well then, we can start another in Dahlia de Mai and see where this one goes as well. Because I like lots of threads XD I shall start in the packlands, yes? Cercelee bounced after Slay,. breaking through the wall of tall sunflower stalks. Once inside the patch, it was like a cloud of color, completely encompassing her and her companion within the flora. Coming face the face with Slay, Cercelee let a little puff of air out and blew the petal off of the male’s nose. Huh, you may be right. The beach surely is beautiful, but I don’t think it’s the right beach at all. Besides, it’s quite a walk from home. Cercelee spun in a tight circle inside the sunflower patch, her tail clumsy hitting the stalks. Not much room in here either. Cercelee paused and glanced to Slay as he diverted his attention and answered her question. Oh... Her stomach dropped. But she picked it up quickly. I guess I might just have to use some force with you then? Her voice turned coy, almost flirtatious, the disappointment masked effortlessly. She’d rather he be reliable without her coercion, but Cer would take what she could get.

[Slaying the Dreamer]

OoC: Heheh, sure thing. ;3

BiC:

Slay blinked in mock indignation as Cer cheekily blew off his petal. In a swift movement, he snapped the petal up in his jaws, swallowing it whole. "It is a tad crowded," he agreed, grinning down over her. Cer was so cute when she was playful. "And to have to commute here, yes, it's just such a ways away. I'm afraid you'll just have to find a better one, dove." Slay leaned to one side, deftly biting into one of the stalks until it severed, and he was left holding a sunflower bloom in his jaws. He carefully placed it atop Cercelee's head, perching it like a bizarre colourful hat twixt her snowy-white ears. "But you can keep a souvenir, if you like."

The arctic wolf felt the wry smile playing on his lips again as she offered a coy response to his confession. "Would you, now...? Use too much force, and I might just like it..." They were so close in the tight flower patch that their noses were nearly touching. He deliberately nudged her, smirking confidently. It was so much easier to play the game, than to take it seriously. He meant every word he said, though. He was such an insecure, indecisive beast, that if someone like Cer took charge of him, he'd be happy to follow. And it was true that he was unreliable, because sleep notwithstanding, whenever he felt pressured by decisions or tension, he was more likely to disappear than to solve anything...

[Cercelee]

Bowing her head regally, Cer accepted her orange and yellow crown, the weight of the flower and it’s head of seeds heavy on her cranium. With a natural grace, Cer kept her head level and steady, as to not tip her hat off her head. However Slay’s taunting, and the nudge especially, was too much to stand. The touch sent a spark through her, energy that she suddenly could not contain and Cer began to gather her muscles like a cat readying itself to pounce. And pounce she did. Although she weighed not much, she found that the two of them went sprawling, crashing back out of the wall of sunflowers, her hat being lost in the process. Once the tumbling came to an end and they were both effectively laid out in the sand once again, Cercelee thumped her tail happily, sending puffs of sand into the air. How’s that for you? Enough force or did you need a little something more? Play was so much better than all the serious talk they had engaged in. This Cercelee could do, and do well, while all the other stuff had left a bitter taste in her mouth.

[Slaying the Dreamer]

Slay grunted in surprise as he was bowled over, snout over tail into the sand. Petals showered them until the two wolves tumbled out onto the beach again. He paused for a moment, panting, as Cer gave her teasing comeback. It was a pleasant surprise, to be sure! He hadn't expected the sudden ambush, but perhaps he should have - this was the same gal who had fearlessly followed him into a freezing ocean, and competed to hold her breath against someone much larger. His blue eyes flashed happily, as the fear and self-deprecation slowly sank to the back of his mind, cast aside for the moment. Always live for the moment.

"I'll need a little more than that, dove," he drawled, feigning an uninterested stance. "Maybe if you were a tad larger I'd have felt that, but as is, the breeze had more impact than you! Maybe this will give you some inspiration..."

Slay shifted to his paws, digging into the sand slightly as he lunged forward. His lowered skull butted into Cercelee's shoulder, rolling her roughly over. As he stood triumphantly over her, smiling broadly, he suddenly wondered if that had been too forceful. After all, he shouldn't be using his full weight on a girl. "You... you all right?" he asked, peering down with concerned blue eyes.

[Cercelee]

The blow that Slay delivered was much rougher than she had expected, and she found herself sprawled out with the two-toned male towering above her. Her shoulder still felt where the blow had landed, but the feeling wasn’t one of pain, as rather a dull reminder of what had just transpired. Looking up at the male, the concern in his eyes was evident and Cercelee had to keep herself from smiling. It was tempting to play off of his response, to feign pain and be upset with him, but Cercelee decided that would be too cruel. Slay would be upset if he had really hurt her, she knew that, and delighted in the fact that she knew this. Instead she took on a mock whiney voice, the tone pained but obviously faked. Mean boy. I thought you were suppose to be keeping me safe from pain, not causing it. Cercelee wiggled out from under him so that she could stand and shake out the sand in her fur. Maybe their game was getting a little too heated. Or maybe not quite heated enough. Turning her back to Slay, Cer took a few small steps as if to head for home before sharply turning and taking up hold of Slay’s tail in between her teeth. Giving it a quick and hard tug, Cercelee grinned devilishly at the male, as if to say I can play just as rough as you. She still had hold of his tail and was quickly prepared to evade any more attacks the male had planned. If he wanted his own tail back, he’d have to beg her to give it back. The female gave him another sharp tug.