Sticks and Stones (Open)

[Kailolu]

(Skör)
“Tell me what you're laughing at and I shall tell you who you are."

Skör was feeling gallant that day. For the first time in quite a while, he had met a creature that did not scorn or tease him for his looks. He was not rejected so harshly, or turned away with fearful screams. Perhaps this was because he was approached by something that was young, and only knew innocence. She had never seen something like him, so she had no reason to be afraid of him. Skör scratched his rib with his tusks before stepping over a log and continuing on is way. A smile crossed his face. It was a little hedgehog pup, no older than a few weeks. Skör was napping in the sun when she crawled onto him and tugged at his quills.

“You’re like me!” She had squeaked, waking him from his sleep.

Skör had been gentle, rolling onto his belly as she clambered on his back. She asked questions, giggled, tugged at his ears, and listened as he told her stories. It was nice to have been able to converse with someone without them feeling nothing but overwhelming fear—even if it wasn’t one of his own species. Skör tucked the memory away and focused. He had heard tall tales of this forest, and desired to see it for himself. Trees as tall as the eye could see were scattered upon miles and miles of woodland. The trunks were gigantic, and the large wolf felt dwarfed as he stood next to one. It was almost a pleasant feeling, to be smaller than something that was so magnificent. The wolf touched his nose to the bark of the tree, his horn tips brushing against moss. He believed that there were spirits in each living thing, and it was common courtesy to thank them and ask for their blessings. “I am meager to your greatness, Wise Spirit. May your leaves shade me on my journey, may your bark shield me from the storms, and may your spirit guide me to where I belong. Blessed be.” He murmured softly, his rumbling voice just above a whisper.

The mutant rolled his shoulders and stepped carefully away from the giant tree. His eyes scanned the surrounding area, hoping to catch a glimpse of another being. But nothing was there. The wolf sighed softly and turned away from the base of the tree, lumbering toward a small opening. The air was cool under the canopy, and while he enjoyed cold weather over warm, he wanted to bask in the light. Perhaps while he rested he would have some insight or some advice from the Gods that would show him how to love and be loved in return. Skör sank to the ground with a loud groan, laying his quills firmly against his back to avoid poking himself. The sun that broke through the thick leaves sent chills through his body, a pleasant mixture of cold and warm air. It was perfect. He opened his milky white eyes and looked warmly at the sky. “What a beautiful day…” The lonely wolf said quietly. If only there was someone to share it with.

word count; 518
tags; Anyone and Everyone!
notes; Hi Skör!

[Katarszyna]

KODIAC


Padding slowly along the ground, Kodi was scanning her surroundings. Her teal-ringed crimson red colored orbs found many a sight that she had grown accustomed to. She wasn’t of this land naturally, she’d travelled over the cliffs when she was a couple years old. Remembering those days made her smile, but it also dredged up some painful memories. She only crossed the cliffs because she was escaping from the evil new leader in her birth pack, he had murdered or chased everyone, save for the young beautiful Kodiac. No way did she want to be tied to him, forced to have his pups.

Dropping her crimson gaze from following the path of a looping, spiraling, diving pair of iridescent green and white cliff swallows, a smile claimed the teal lips of the snow white wolf, with the grey outlines, Kodiac slowed her pace even more so that she could watch the beauty of the surroundings a little better as she meandered through the dappled emerald shade of the tree branches intertwining above her. It was peaceful here, beautiful and quiet, one could hear every sound, so long as they walked carefully making sure not to step on and snap twigs or trip over something and yelp loudly.

Shaking her head a little to dislodge a spiderweb that had caught her ear, Kodi spotted something that drew her attention. Stilling her lanky legs, the dainty-pawed she-wolf tilted her head a little to the left and let her crimson orbs watch the spot that had captured her attention, it looked like a patch of muddy water that was moving. Pacing slowly toward it, Kodi kept looking closer. The longer she looked the more defined the spot became, inches from it, Kodi stopped again and tilted her head once more. A wolf, another wolf.

Kodi gently cleared her throat as she looked at the interesting being before her, it was larger than she, bulkier, it also had brown and tan and other brownish hues all over its frame, it had ram-like horns and tusks, and were those…quills on its back and head? Kodi thought they were, it was an interesting being indeed. Sitting down, the snowy she-wolf wrapped her tail around her dainty paws and spoke to the other being, “It’s a beautiful day don’t you think? I’m particularly fond of spending my time wandering the lands.” It was a simple phrase but Kodi had a feeling it would be a good conversation starter. She smiled and tipped her auds forward to the other and waited for the response.

[Kailolu]

(Skör)
“Tell me what you're laughing at and I shall tell you who you are."

Skör's mind was down in a burrow somewhere. The little hedgehog pup influenced his day in a momentous way, and he couldn’t bring himself to think of anything else. It made him wonder about any potential romantic interests. Would he ever have any? Skör was a positive fellow, and he didn’t let his looks deter his hopes of having a mate one day. The idea made him smile absentmindedly. He knew he would be a wonderful father, since he was so gentle and affectionate toward those small loveable bundles of fuzz. Having pups was a day he was looking forward to eagerly. Some 300 years have passed and he had never felt the joy of raising his own children, but something told him he’d get his chance in this lifetime.

There was a sudden gentle cough and Skör blinked the film out of his eyes, regaining focus. His ears leaned forward, pulling away from his horns. There was a she-wolf in front of him, and a slightly embarrassed look came across his face. Had she been there long and he had accidently tuned her out? A sense of relief came over him when he realized her breathing was not steady, nor was her fur. She must have just arrived. Skör offered a smile and a wag of his tail, indicating he was a friend, not a foe. The she-wolf’s voice was soft and welcoming, giving him a refreshing feeling of femininity and grace. It had been a while since he talked with a female. Most ran at the sight of him. Skör sat up and collected himself to respectively confront her. He cleared his own throat lightly before speaking. “It is indeed, my lady— and what a wonderful way to pass the time, I myself enjoy it as well.” His deep rugged voice betrayed him, simply adding to his harsh appearance. Perhaps if he had a higher pitched voice he would appear less threatening.

“A beautiful day, and with luck, another lovely year.” He said with a smile. “My name is Skör, it’s a pleasure meeting you, Miss…” He trailed off with a warm tone. While awaiting her name, Skör took a minute to give her a one over. She was a pretty thing, with silky white and blue fur and, were those red eyes she had? She was an interesting sight, and it gave him relief that he wasn’t the only oddity out in these parts. She had a dainty soft nose and small paws, giving her a very feminine look. It played well against his rough masculine appearance, and for some reason, it bothered him. Did she think he looked like a freak?

word count; 445
tags; Katarszyna & Everyone!
notes; Hi Kodiac!

[Katarszyna]

Kodi’s teal rimmed audits flicked forward as she watched the other wolf as he blinked and then he moved and settled to greet and face her properly. Kodi chuckled a little as she looked to him, he was slightly embarrassed it seemed. Kodi hid a half smile as he spoke to her, It is indeed, my lady— and what a wonderful way to pass the time, I myself enjoy it as well. The roughness of the lyrics affirmed that it was indeed a male she had come upon in her morning wanderings. She had rarely spoken casually with a male, it was a refreshing touch to her once lonesome existence.

She caught the friendly wag of his tail and her own waved gently in return. He spoke once more and Kodi perked up a little. A beautiful day, and with luck, another lovely year. My name is Skör, it’s a pleasure meeting you, Miss… with a half yelp of embarrassment Kodi answered him. “Oh dear, forgive me! I forgot to introduce myself, the weather must have made me forget. My name’s Kodiac. A few lucky beings get to call me Kodi.” She told him and then her tail waved a little again as she spoke once more.

“I hope it will be another lovely year as well Skör. And I can say the same a pleasure it is to meet another being here as well. I’m working on making some acquaintences…and more…eventually. You see, I am not of this land originally. I crossed the mountains to get away from a wicked, vial, brute, he killed my entire pack and tried to make me stay as his mate…” Kodi sighed softly, shaking her head to rid the memory of that vial, abusive wolf, “…forgive me for blathering on Skör. I haven’t had anyone to tell about the old life in a very long time.” Kodi fell silent then and looked to Skör waiting.

[Kailolu]

(Skör)
“Tell me what you're laughing at and I shall tell you who you are."

Skör was amused by her frantic apologies. He tilted his head and smiled, his lips rubbing against his tusks. “Kodiac.” He repeated her name, testing it on his tongue. It suited her well, and before he could compliment on it, Kodiac spoke again. Skör listened intently, keeping eye contact with her. To him, respect was everything, and he avoided looking away when he spoke to someone else, or when he listened to them. But his smile gradually fell and by the time Kodiac trailed off, he was stunned into silence. Five tons of empathy shoved itself down his throat and sat heavily in his belly. While Skör had been alone for hundreds of years, he had had a family long ago. They were either dead or out of his life somewhere, but he had been nurtured in love and company for years.

While he understood what it felt like to watch everyone he knew and loved die, he wanted to express his sympathy. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Kodiac.” He said solemnly. Skör couldn’t say that he wished death upon the wolf that did this to her pack, for he had always been a lover, not a fighter. But he did wish to help Kodiac in some way, forget the horrible past of hers. Skör made a mental note to never bring it up again. “Oh no, that’s quite alright.” He said quickly, dismissing her apology. “I know the feeling. Please, if you need to talk, feel free.” Skör took a small step forward and sat down again. “I’m a wonderful listener, so I've been told.”

He looked at her warmly, his eyes soft. She truly was a sight to behold. Her markings were intricate, unique, lovely. Skör calmed himself and bit at his tongue a bit. Calm down, Skör. Give the lass a bit of breathing room, she doesn’t know you. He chastised himself mentally and took a calming breath. He almost couldn’t blame himself for being lonely; it had been years since he had been in the company of a beautiful fae.

word count; 334
tags; Katarszyna & Everyone!
notes; *pats Skör* Down boy.

[Katarszyna]

Kodi smiled to herself, as her ears twitched to pick up Skör’s lyrics, Kodiac. I’m so sorry to hear that, Kodiac. She liked the way he tested her name, the way he spoke it. She couldn’t help herself, she felt her tail wave a little, and she didn’t doubt her eyes were, even now shifting shades toward the violet. She tilted her head a little as he moved closer to her and spoke once more, Oh no, that’s quite alright. He dismissed her apology and Kodi smiled to herself as his lyrics filled the air again, I know the feeling. Please, if you need to talk, feel free. I’m a wonderful listener, so I've been told. Kodi couldn’t help herself, she chuckled a little as she met his warm, soft gaze with her own.

Did this male really want to listen to her go on about something that happened way back when? She smiled and then spoke, gently, her voice low. “If you really don’t mind Skör I’ll tell you, you’ll be the first one I will have ever told.” She settled herself closer to him and then took a breath as she picked up where she had left off prior, “…but he wasn’t always like that. He was a lone wolf, abandoned as a pup that my Father and Mother, the Alphas decided to take under their wing. He was thin, he was ragged, he needed a pack, and he wasn’t much older than me and my siblings, Mother and Father figured he could learn from us…” Kodi paused and glanced past Skör remembering the brute.

She smirked a little and then continued, “…he was such a scardey cat. He was afraid of my sister and she was tiny and just wanted to play, he hid from her every time she would even come anywhere near him. It was very amusing. But as we all got older, we started to get more accustomed to one another’s traits and he came to trust us little by little, he would play with my sister, he would rough house with my brothers and he would spend time chatting with me, occasionally we would rough house too. His name was Kaden. He was jet black and had the most gorgeous blue eyes…” Kodi paused again and put her nose to her chest in slight embarrassment.

After a few brief seconds she mentally scolded herself harshly, You DO NOT have feelings for him Kodi! Collect yourself. and then picked up again, “…Kaden got to a point that he and Father started butting heads, then he and Mother, then when my brothers and sister tried to step in, he butted heads with them too. He was an Alpha, there was no doubt about it. But we couldn’t have him trying to do Mother and Father’s jobs. My parents decided to chase him off. Things were good for half a year but then, during a storm one night, Kaden came back with a band of rogues, males and females. Mother told us to stay out of the fight, but we couldn’t watch our pack slaughtered…” her voice trailed off and she lay down, crossing her forepaws over one another and rested her head on them.

“…so, not listening to Mother’s warnings, we jumped right in, started clashing with Kaden and his band of rogues. We weren’t even a minute into the battle and my siblings and I met eyes across the roiling bodies, we knew we should have listened to Mother. They looked to me for guidance and as I latched into the ruff of one of Kaden’s females I gave my siblings a partial nod. We were going to try to run. As I dropped the female, after shaking her quite a bit, I sprang the opposite direction with a loud bark. My siblings sprang over the backs of their opponents, or in my sister’s case dove under their belly and darted after me.” Kodi paused and shook her head a little.

“They never should have trusted me. I led them right into Kaden’s trap. The brute had our Mother and Father pinned under the paws of his underlings, there were huge gashes in their sides and necks and they were all but dead when we got there. I froze up. My brothers glared at Kaden and sprang forward toward him, he put them down hard, snapping one’s neck and tearing the throat of the other in no time. My sister screamed, I fell down, I didn’t know what to do. When I looked back toward my sister, she was being lifted up and dropped over the Cliffside to her death. No! No! No! This isn’t happening to me I shouted. My siblings had trusted me and I had led them to their deaths. I felt as two of Kaden’s underlings stepped up alongside me and then I felt fangs buried into my neck, my head was lifted upward and I was forced to look at the brute…” Kodi trailed off and shifted position and then spoke again.

“…he laughed in my face, as he spoke. You make for a terrible leader Kods. Look what you’ve done, led your siblings to their deaths, disobeyed your Mother and Father, watched as they died! You did nothing. However, you’re a very beautiful lady, snow white with those gorgeous blue-green eyes. And as has so often happened as we grew up, you still flirt with me, deep down I think you like my brutality, I think you want to keep that brutality in your lines…he stopped there for just a moment, nuzzled me, ran his fangs gingerly over me, made me shiver at his touch. I almost gave in. Stay with me Kods, be my mistress we’ll keep this brutality alive. My eyes flashed, I snarled, twisted my body and tore my neck out of the jaws of the underling that had been holding me tight…” she shook just a little at the memory but continued on.

“…with blood streaming down both sides of my neck I spun and my hackles bristled, my tail came up, I took over my Mother’s role. I snarled and stalked toward Kaden. He was taken aback briefly but then he laughed, see, I knew you had it in you Kods! He yelled and laughed as he faced me. I was right up in his face as I spoke, my voice a low, violent growl, I will never stay with you Kaden, you kill for fun and out of spite…I am not a killer, in spite of what you see before you, I am only doing my duty as the next Alphess. You may have killed everything I love, hoping to gain my affections but I swear to you now Kaden…you will never see the likes of me again. With a violence that I have never used before I blinded the brute, knocked his underlings aside and ran. I ran and ran and ran until I finally crossed the cliffs to here.”

She lifted her head and smiled as she looked to Skör again. “And now, you know the history behind me. I’m glad you didn’t mind listening to me blather on for as long as I did.” She chuckled and lifted her gaze to the sky, the light was getting low. She waved her tail as she watched Skör. “I’ve taken up most of the day.” She chuckled and knew her crimson eyes were now pale violet, she was comfortable with Skör’s company, enough to the point that she was starting to feel a little bit flirtacious, she enjoyed his company, and he did not mind listening to her go on and on about stuff. Her tail waved and she tipped her ears to him...in case he would have something to say about the tale.



OOC-*Dies* Dear God! Kodi you stole my muse! Lol.

Oh and Bold and Italic is her thoughts