Tangles of Green ( Red )

[Charis Dermott]

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[atrb=background,http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h329/Whosie/charistablebackground-2.png] The thick, musty smell of decaying foliage was overwhelming. The lass of blue and white enjoyed places like this, however, with the tangles of green and the rotting earth. It was easy to get lost here, something she appreciated. It was easy to hide and not easy to be seen. The dirt was soft and mushy underneath her sure paws. She walked with a slow, easy pace, suggesting relaxation and calm. But even out here, she was on the alert, and her face was a perfectly blank, unreadable mask. Her steps were careful and sure, and she avoided the wetter parts of the earth, tending to steer clear of the damper spots. She gently hopped over a rather large tree root, then paused, inhaling. The bird she had scented squawked and dove out of a nearby tree, right over her head. She watched it with unreadable powder blue eyes as it passed, then turned and continued on. It was a nice day, with the sun bright, though it barely extended through the canopy. The sunlight dappled across her coat, and she could see easily how the lightning could play tricks with the eyes. It was ironic that she found herself here, in the place that played tricks. She, who was so interested in guarding herself and toying with others, felt truly at home here in this atmosphere. This forest was welcoming to her, but it did not encourage her to let her guard down. It was firmly in place, and she was constantly glancing around and scenting the atmosphere, knowing how easy it would be to sneak up on her in a place like this. But her gait remained calm, and her body, square and muscular, passed through the trees without hardly a sound. Her eyes roamed hungrily over the woodlands, searching with a keenness that would be hard to match. She realized the possibility of danger here, but she was the queen of playing it cool. Her face, the most beautiful part about her, remained smooth as a flat, calm sea. Her eyes, though bright, were quite expressionless. And her body was not tense or relaxed - somewhere in between. It was this ability to remain completely unreadable that made Charis so dangerous. And she knew it.

[Pan Fion (Red)]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,460,true][atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/redwhimperback-2.png] Soon the trees thinned out and the view of the ocean was clear and stunning; the way sea lapped at the fine sand, and how water glittered lazily under the bright sun. The sea was like a siren, luring Red in with its soft sounds and beautiful appearance, but his phobia of water helped him to keep his common sense. With a disdainful look, Red turned away from the sea as he had no intention of getting any closer. Because of two reasons: firstly, sea was full of water, and secondly, the last time he was at the Okoe beach he had been attacked by a sea serpent. At the memory, he allowed himself a tiny smile; ever since he had arrived in Wonderwhy, he had been plagued by misfortunes. Instead of pitying his luck, Red was pleased that he had survived and gained some new experiences. Now he could say that he had fought with a sea serpent and survived. Looking around the Kriko forest, he immediately felt familiar, it was almost as if he was home again. Forests were his favourite place to be at, because he had grown up in a forest and there were plenty of hiding spots in a forest that he could use comfortably. Red lifted his muzzle into the air and inhaled deeply, savouring the sweet and rich scents of the flora and fauna all around him, which encouraged his smile to grow wider. He knew if he closed his eyes it would be almost like he was back home again, with his mother and father protecting him from the real world so dearly. Closing his eyes shut, hiding the gentle brown eyes underneath, Red was immediately bombarded by heavy emotions. Memories of home rushed into him painfully and a lump formed in his throat. If only he did not have to open his eyes again. But he had to. With a snort, Red opened his eyes and removed any trace of previous brief happiness from his face. Worried that someone had seen him letting his guard down, the white lupus looked over his shoulder and around him, sniffing at the same time. Nothing, except for a faint scent of a wolf. Faint but recent so he must be upwind of her. His hackles rose a little bit in alarm as he whipped around and almost at once he spotted something white against the natural brown and green background. Hastily he settled his hackles down and called out at her, hopefully in a calm, steady voice: "Are you lost?" He needed her reaction to see whether she had seen him or not. If she had, she would not appear surprised, however if she hadn't, she would probably be startled.

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[Charis Dermott]

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[atrb=background,http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h329/Whosie/charistablebackground-2.png] Charis was not a wolf to be snuck up on, and she tended not to react well to it. Though her eyesight was sharp, the male who had suddenly appeared inside the forest had walked in without her knowing. Every muscle in her body became rigid like chords. Her lips peeled back over her teeth, revealing pearly white fangs that gleamed in the light. She spread her paws apart, squaring herself on the soil, preparing for a fight. He had surprised her so much that she let loose a low warning growl from deep within the confines of her throat. She was almost convinced he had come here to attack her. Why else would he have stayed so silent, hidden there in plain sight? And why, more infuriatingly, had she not seen him before? She hadn't been paying very much attention, and there was hardly any breeze in here. She had not picked up on his scent, and that was what irritated her most. She had let herself be watched for however many minutes, without her being aware. But half a second later, when her eyes had reassessed the situation, she realized he might not have come to attack her at all. He was not in a fighting position, his hackles weren't stiff and raised, his teeth were not shining in the light around them, nor did he seem angry. He was just standing there, disconcerting to Charis, but she readjusted herself quickly. Her teeth slipped back behind her lips, she stood in a less aggressive stance, but her muscles remained tight. She surveyed him with narrowed, powder blue eyes, unreadable now that she had gotten control of herself. She took in his white fur, the blood red markings and his swirling brown eyes. When he spoke next, his voice was calm: "Are you lost?" He was gazing at her attentively, without a hint of hostility. But that did not make up for the fact that she felt she had been spied on. Her words were stiff and blank (though not impolite, as that would be against her morals) as she replied, "No." She shook her fur out slightly, watching him with hawk-like eyes now. There was something odd about him. She could not entirely place it, but a random, rude thought tugged at the corners of her mind, desperate for an answer: is he entirely normal? She had a certain intuition that helped her decipher many intricate things about others, and as she gazed at him, she could see it there. It was almost as if he was ... off-kilter. The way he had stood unnoticed, surprised her, and asked her a simple question - all to a stranger from a stranger - struck her odd. He might just be bold, but there was something unsettling about him. She couldn't place her paw on it, though now she watched him with a heightened level of interest. It was almost like he was rusty around others. Like he didn't quite know how to act socially appropriate. Anyone else would have announced their presence the moment they were within range, but he had been silent. Almost like a shadow, and who knows how long he'd been watching her before she'd noticed him? On that note, she added, "I didn't expect to see another wolf here." That statement was loaded with implications. She wanted to urge him, to make him tell her why he was here, why he had not introduced himself first thing - only, it seemed, when she'd turned to go. She wanted to know how she could have possibly not noticed a very real, very tall wolf standing in the same forest as her. Furthermore he was looking at her with such a peculiar expression. He was so big, with lean muscles packed underneath his pale pelt. It was almost like ... a moth, drawn to a light. He struck her as being a solitary creature because he seemed very at home here. She wondered if maybe he was a recluse. His big brown eyes were trained intently on her, making her feel an uncomfortable shiver roll up her spine. The feeling caught her off guard for a second, but she made sure to keep her face neutral and blank. He was, most unfortunately, taller and could very possibly beat her in a fight if it came down to it. She was rather muscular and sturdily built for a female, but still she could not contend with most males.

[Pan Fion (Red)]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,460,true][atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/redwhimperback-2.png] Red twitched his ears, and his muscles tensed as this white stranger let out a low growl. Apparently she was surprised and he was satisfied; she had not seen him. He eyed at her carefully especially after she moved into a fighting position - perhaps he had startled her too much then. Slowly Red responded to her sudden reaction; he lowered his head and his paws spread wide apart with his tail swaying slowly but sharply. Carefully, the male lupus moved closer to get a clearer view, and soon he saw the alarm in the female's face. Before he could stop it, a tiny but obvious satisfied smile grew on his lips. He liked the sense of superiority he had over her at the moment. He only relaxed his defensive position once he was absolutely sure that the female had abandoned her aggressive stance. It was then when Red decided that he could observe the female properly. At first sight, she was a simply attractive, tall white lupus, but if one really looked, her pelt was very white, much whiter than his own. It immediately reminded him of fallen snow and her pure white coat, however, was interrupted by few blue splashes. Her eyes were striking light blue, which were highlighted by black frames around her eyes. Her face, previously alarmed and aggressive, was passive but she was also noticeably wary. Red could not blame her as he knew he would react in the same way. But what really interested her was how controlled she appeared. Most wolves he had encountered looked open and eager to have a talk and this one, however, seemed withdrawn and careful. Once she spoke, he was immediately reminded of winter; everything about her was cold - her build, colours, and voice. The tone was almost void of emotion, but it did not bother Red very much. After all, he spoke in the similar way but slightly softer. "Me neither." He found it amusing that this usually desolate forest happened to have two wolves today, and that both of them did not expect each other. He looked down at her, and gave her a tiniest, but fleeting smile. "We should expect the unexpected, then." He spoke in an almost matter-of-fact tone with his great brown eyes still looking down at her. This female really interested him, and he was more than willing to know more about her. He guessed it was because of how mysterious and restricted she appeared to him. Of course, perhaps it was because he had startled her and that she still felt slightly annoyed about this. Whatever the reason, he was intrigued to find out more. "May I ask, where are you going?" He kept his face carefully blank, but he allowed a hint of curiosity to seep into his eyes..

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[Charis Dermott]

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[atrb=background,http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h329/Whosie/charistablebackground-2.png] Sorry I didn't reply faster. Didn't notice you replied. ^_^ Strangely, he seemed to see right through her - his bright, bulging brown eyes were like lasers, and she had a strange feeling that, even though she had blocked herself off, he was calculating the reasons for her behavior. Making assumptions. And you know what they say about assumptions. Her eyes narrowed minutely as she waited for him to speak, but at first he didn't. He merely stood there, apparently in deep thought, and she took the moment to assess the situation. She was in a forest, with a stranger she had never met before, who happened to be a Lupus and she had no idea what his power was. She swore silently in her mind. The odds weren't good. But she quickly snapped out of her thoughts because he was moving towards her. In a fleeting, courageous bravado, she stood her ground, raising her head and not backing down. He wasn't much taller than her so she was glad that she stared him straight in the eyes and did not back away. "Me neither." he said without much hint to what he was feeling in his voice. He looked down at her, a slight smile toyed with his lips here. She simply stared at him, without blinking, choosing not to waste her time with an answer. But then he spoke again: "We should expect the unexpected, then." He had said it in a more matter-of-fact tone. She reviewed his words in her head, knowing she would have answered safely anyway but now under the impression he had a double meaning or something of the sort. She surveyed him with eyes that grew sharper by the second, but then she did something quite unexpected. She laughed. "You're a funny character, aren't you?" she said with an even, quick voice that betrayed nothing. In fact, besides that laugh, the stranger could glean nothing from her disinterested expression and slate-like eyes. She did not like how he was looking down at her, but she could not help her height. She continued to meet his eyes with an authoritative and courageous gaze - the mere action of meeting his eyes suggested those emotions, though they did not play on her face. Charis returned to her thoughts on his last statement ("May I ask, where are you going?"), turning them over in her head. Eventually, she found an answer suitable enough. "I haven't yet decided my destination, merely wandering. And what about you, sir?" Twas said in a flat, blunt tone and she arched her eyebrow, drawing her neck back like a swan, elegantly and effortlessly making herself just a little bit closer to his eye level. "Why don't you tell me your name? It's clear you don't want to be strangers." This was completely a wild, off-the-wall guess, but normally her guesses were rather educated - she wanted to know his name. And she had a feeling she was almost on the mark. As she stood here, she realized he was not as much of a threat as she previously perceived.

[Pan Fion (Red)]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,460,true][atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/redwhimperback-2.png] This was certainly an odd situation for Red as he would normally avoid any wolves he saw, but this one interested him. With this female's every movements, he could almost see the cogs in her mind working furiously. As far as he had seen, this stranger was not like other wolves who seemed to act based solely on their instincts. Like him, she was wary and analytical... Like him. He twitched his ears as a thought hit him. Was this the reason he found her intriguing, because she reminded him of himself? But that idea was quickly discarded once this stranger laughed. It was not something Red would expect to see from her. But, of course, he did not really know her so he should not expect anything from her. With the faint smile still lingering on his muzzle, Red frowned in puzzlement at her statement. What had he done to make her laugh and say this? His mind went back, checking everything he had just said to this female, but nothing special came up. He had been equally wary but polite, and even he knew that he had showed a bit of curiosity. Nothing seemed to be out of place. After a brief hesitation, Red questioned her quickly, "Sorry?" Asking for any kind of clarification was not something he liked doing, however this time he did not mind very much. Oddly, for some strange reason, Red felt at ease (even though he was still cautious) in this female's presence. The only explanation he could think of was that she was being careful around him, therefore he did not have to expect something awful happening. Other wolves were unpredictable yet utterly predictable, but as for this female, she was predictable, yet oddly unpredictable. He did not know how else to explain it. "I don't know yet. So for now, I'm wandering, like you." He sat down, with the same passive look masking his emotions. As the female craned her head high, trying to look directly at him, Red realised for the first time that he was taller than her. It was not fair for her to look up at him, so he lowered his head slightly, trying not to be too obvious as he suspected it probably would offend this female. Now that they were more or less at the same eye-level, he could see her face much clearly. Although her face wore the same blank mask, her striking eyes seemed to challenge him. Red merely gazed back, calmly waiting for her next reply. "Why don't you tell me your name? It's clear you don't want to be strangers." This statement surprised him as it was true - he did not realise it until now. How would she guess this if he did not realise it himself. For a moment, the passive mask he wore slipped, briefly showing a surprised and confused look before he controlled himself again, but this time his faint smile vanished. Shaking his head lightly, Red spoke again, but in less soft voice, "Sorry. You can call me Red." With that, he twitched his ears once, and looked at the stranger with a searching look that could mean only one thing: Red wanted to know her name as well. After all, it would be fair.

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[Charis Dermott]

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[atrb=background,http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h329/Whosie/charistablebackground-2.png] Charis watched as the mysterious other frowned. The faint smile he had given was still visible as he followed with a question that she had already figured would happen. "Sorry?" She understood his puzzlement, as her own actions had surprised herself too. This brute, staring luminously at her from only a distance of five or so feet, was different. Different like her, at least she thought he was. She watched him, but not with such intensity anymore. It was rather a curious gaze, like one a child would give when learning a new word. And she was learning something new: there were others like her out there. "No, I'm sorry," She paused for a moment before continuing, "Your different, aren't you? Unlike others ... like me. Its like looking into a mirror." The last words came out more quietly, like a whisper as she thought. A thought, that thought, so sudden, caught her slightly off guard. What a brilliant and deadly idea, that there could be others so guarded, so mysterious, so secretive. She had thought she was one of a kind. But as she looked at this epitome of whiteness standing in front of her, she realized that was not true. Her own game was played by many others. She suddenly understood how very dangerous this male could be. She could give him her name, and he could never return his. He could be lying through his teeth, he could be wheedling her for information, he could be contemplating how very best to kill her. He could be just curious. But the answer was never that simple, was it? But, he had spoken then. "I don't know yet. So for now, I'm wandering, like you." She watched as he settled onto the ground. This place was not where she liked to be. Alone, yes, it would be comforting, but with another, she felt trapped and secluded, but strangely (even though the thought that he was dangerous was still in her mind) she was feeling less threatened by him as the seconds passed. The informal position he had just taken, the interest he seemed to have in every word she said. It did not suggest an antagonistic attitude. He replied to her first two statements with short little snippets that revealed nothing about himself. His eyes bored right back into hers, and she actually felt fairly impressed. Hardly anyone could return her cold, calculating gaze, and he was doing it flawlessly. With that echoing in her mind, she slowly collected her haunches underneath her, settling effortlessly into the others exact position. It really was like a mirror, what an odd pair to meet up in a forest like this. How he had reacted to her last statement sent a pleased smile upon her maw, but she quickly wiped it off to show her blank face again. Though she couldn't rid that fact that he must have seen her being pleased, but either ways she had been right, he wanted to get to know her. Even if it had been a brief second where he had lost his mask, he regained it surprisingly fast. Charis noticed his smile vanishing and when he spoke, his tone was different. "Sorry. You can call me Red." So, he was called Red. Red, the first wolf she met who was like her, but was he saying the truth. She wasn't sure. So why did she open her mouth and say without hesitation at all, "I'm Charis." She felt stupid now or even more annoyed that she hadn't found out more about this male before trusting him with her name. Running her pale eyes over his body she searched for any signs that would tell her who he is, but like hers, his revealed nothing. It was useless so the female decided upon waiting.

[Pan Fion (Red)]

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[atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/Tables/PanFionscrollytableback.png][scrolly:h(333),w(418),sy] Something in this white wolf's gaze changed, much to Red's interest. The gaze was no longer wary and hostile; in fact her eyes appeared curious rather than cautious. What had changed her opinions? But soon his unspoken question was answered; it was because he reminded her of herself. Red had thought the same, however hearing this out loud made him felt a tad uneasy. He knew he was dangerous, because of how well he hid his true emotions within himself, so that no one would know what he was thinking. If what she had just claimed was true, then she was also dangerous. "Oh," was all Red could say at the moment. It was both exciting and unnerving to see himself in another form. Especially when he could not read her. As far as he knew, she could be a serial killer, a spy, or even a-- Red stopped himself from thinking about more possibilities, and berated himself for being too paranoid. Sure, she could be someone he would not expect, but this did not mean he was allowed to spend most of his time here worrying. If the worst came to the worst, well, then he would have to cope with it. So far he had seen, this female seemed safe, and he did not expect an attack (though he did not let his relaxed guard down) from her. However he was not happy when he saw a fleeting, pleased smile appearing on the stranger's lips after his brief discomfort. Why had she smiled, he did not know and it was because of this alone, his uneasiness increased. But then at least, she still did not know his real name. His pseudonym gave him a sense of security, as he guessed that his nickname was fairly common therefore it would be harder for others to pinpoint him by using his name alone. This was a brutal truth he discovered when he was just a pup. Forcing a smile to his face, Red nodded, "Pleased to meet you, Charis." Charis. Perhaps that was actually her name. But, if he was being honest, if it wasn't, he would not be very surprised. Charis looked like a wolf who would go any lengths to keep herself safe. However, Red had been known to be wrong. "Are you a loner?" He winced inwardly; what a pathetic question (he could smell a hint of pack on her) but, hey, he was trying, wasn't he? [/scrolly]

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[Charis Dermott]

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[atrb=background,http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h329/Whosie/charistablebackground-2.png] I'm not sure if he's still keeping her eye-contact, but if it seems like power playing to you I can edit this post. She was still brooding over her extremely stupid choice of telling her real name. Why in the word did she tell her name? Why could she just make one up? Naturally, she tried not to show any of her anger on the outside, but she had a small bugging feeling that she might have let it slip into her eyes. Charis mulled over the outcome of her last words for a few seconds before focusing her attention to Red's behavior. She could have said he seemed stunned, surprised, maybe even revived by her first statement explaining her sudden laughter, managing only a "Oh,". Surprised more like it she though while tucking her tail across her paws and tapping the very end of it. Her rhythmic tail tap tap tapped against the earth gave some ambiance to the still, calm forest. Not much noise beside there 'conversation' had been heard. Every one of his words, his reactions and mostly everything about this male was laced with enough mystery to keep her attentiveness. He spoke again, with a smile tugging the corner of his lips upwards. "Pleased to meet you, Charis." It was her turn to let a light, unearthly smile touch her lips (even if she did think his seemed a bit rigid). Twas unearthly simply because she rarely ever smiled (unless she was pleased), and also because there wasn't much emotion behind the gesture. It looked rather odd on her face, but her beauty surpassed the slightly contorted expression to make it endearing and charming. Her eyes, blue like the clearest ocean water, never left his brilliant brown ones. It was slightly distracting to her how he seemed to suck her down, how his eyes never left hers. In past experiences, most others looked away eventually. But this was a staring contest, and neither one of them seemed inclined to lose. "Are you a loner?" he asked, soon after he learned her calling. "No," She let a faint sight escape her lips, "At least not anymore. I've recently joined The Children." His question didn't seem to bother her, it was still something if he continued speaking and told more and more about himself. That was her aim, even if she had to reveal something about herself as well. "Might I ask then, are you a loner?" Her voice more attractive than it had been before. She injected a little feminism into her words, made them softer, partially because she found herself being attracted to the mystery in him (and maybe him too), and partially because she wanted to see what he would make of it. She sighed, sliding onto her belly. The mere movement had made her a few inches closer to him, and she didn't mind it. She felt herself growing increasingly curious as to how he would react to her if, let's say, she would seduce him. It was something she certainly was capable of, but she wasn't sure if it was worth it. He was so good at keeping his emotions in check, like her, she probably would not see the effect on him anyway. But it might be fun - simply fun, because she hardly ever allowed herself to be that way. He seemed to give a taste of her own medicine. How fun it was! Certainly he would play right back with her, and between the two of them, surely it would be entertaining. Her tail-tapping was becoming background noise now, and there was a comfortable silence between them, broken only by her choice to speak. "Red, you know I must ask," she said, a soft roll to her words. "Have you met anyone like me before?" It was straight forward, just like when she wanted to know his name, a question posed that, when answered, would hopefully tell her just what he was thinking.

[Pan Fion (Red)]

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[atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/Tables/PanFionscrollytableback.png][scrolly:h(333),w(418),sy] It was painfully obvious that the two wolves were holding back their thoughts, observing each other carefully for any next action. Inside their heads, their brains worked hard to pick out any stray details about their lives; in fact there was a silent battle of minds, with the winner unclear. There was pride at stake, as well their capability of disguising their emotions. Though he did not show it, Red was finding this quite challenging. Charis was like a jigsaw puzzle but with a million pieces hidden away, but he guessed that she, although harder than most of the wolves he had encountered, could be read, if he really put his mind to it. However, her own silent face proved to be a good opponent and it was clear that she had already played this game with many wolves before him and had won almost every time. The last time he had let his guard down was with the cyan female, but that was almost a year ago. Ever since then, he had met two leaders, one of the Centena Accord, and another of the infamous Hellion Mafia. Both wolves were wonderfully careful, but Red now realised that both wolves were easy compared to this female. And he admired her for this. His brown eyes flickered at the soft tap tap tap of Charis' white tail against the forest ground. Red was positive that Charis would pick up this tiny glance and interpret it as a sign of his compressed annoyance, even though his face showed nothing. However this small slip did not matter as Red had already picked something up from her. She had expected more from him when she explained her reasons. Instead he gave her a little 'oh' which she must have found slightly disappointing. Of course, he would be too if he had received similar answer from her. After Red acknowledged Charis, a unnatural smile transformed her face, but not in an unpleasant way. However he was not sure what the smile actually meant, so he accepted it as a polite gesture because it was the only gesture that made sense in his mind. Once again silence enveloped the two wolves, while both of them refused to let go of each other's unfaltering gaze. To many wolves, this scene would appear unnerving as eye contacts often meant an invitation for a challenge. A subordinate was unlikely to catch the eye of a leader, however it did not matter if a leader stared down at his subordinate. The situation between Red and Charis were entirely different, he guessed, as both of them did not seem to crave a fight or any physical dominance, and that they were strangers, yet not so strangers. If Red was being blunt, Charis did not seem like a stranger to him. In fact she felt so familiar. Odd, but true. It was probably because of what Charis told him earlier, how they reminded so much of each other. The Children of Hvítur Ári. He quickly accessed his memory storage to search for any information he had picked up from other wolves about this pack. All he knew about the Children was really brief despite it being the largest known pack: it was a family-oriented, pacifistic pack, with an ageing keiyou at the helm. Basically everyone was somewhat related to each other. He smiled a true smile at this answer, with scorn carefully concealed. A carefully withdrawn Charis in a family pack. That was not something he had expected. "The Children? I must admit I did not expect that." He would have thought that Charis either was a loner or belonged to the Cadre, a pack well known for its fighting females and strategy. But,like he kept telling himself, she was a stranger so he could not just assume things about her life. "Yes..." He finished the word slowly with a small frown on his face and his curiosity piqued. Charis' voice was different. It was no longer flat and careful; it was now more feminine and gentler. He found the voice change odd and could not match it to the speaker properly. It was as if she had changed into an entirely new wolf within a moment. He watched her warily as she slid to ground, closer to him. Usually Red unwittingly repelled females due to his overly-controlled personality. But if females did try to flirt with him they would only receive some flat responses, mostly because Red was not interested or did not care to notice. It did not bother the white lupus very much as he did not get emotionally attached to someone easily, especially not sexually. Red looked down at Charis slightly uncomfortably with the main part of his brain confused. But a small part of his mind told him that Charis was a female who might have taken an interest in him. Hesitatingly, he thought about this idea carefully. It was difficult one because if she did have some kind of attraction to him, it would meant she had betrayed her well-hidden emotions which she had worked hard so far to conceal. Of course, there was a possibility of her behaving this way to trick him into breaking his mask. Now that he had thought about it, the latter part was what she would pick. Possibly. Whichever reasons, Red knew this small move had rattled him, and caused him to show his discomfort which the female must have spotted. His previous smile, which had vanished during his moments of nervousness, returned to his lips as he fought to stay still. Charis' soft words prickled Red's skin and he was determined to keep his gaze on her. Now that she looked so exposed and relaxed (to a certain extent), Red could see how attractive she really was. There was considerably less iciness about her, especially her voice. Her thick black lashes brought the blueness out and it looked striking against her snow white fur. Her beautiful appearance, along with the mystery air about her were alluring. But Red still had difficulty to match this seductive wolf to the previously wary wolf that was standing in front of her. The change had been very unnerving; now she was truly a stranger to him. "Yes." There had been some wolves which were like her; Keinvarii for an example. However they were not as good as her. "But none of them are as good as you." His velvet-smooth voice was kept as neutral as possible, but it was not easy with this female lying in front of him, and looking up at him. Once again a great wave of discomfort hit him, but this time he controlled it. [/scrolly]

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[Charis Dermott]

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[atrb=background,http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h329/Whosie/charistablebackground-2.png] She could feel Red's annoyance, well more like she could see it in his face, as his eyes had flicked to her tapping tail and back. She surveyed him with an equally average expression, which was not new for her, but for the first time it occurred to her that she might be irritating him - or, rather, making him feel uncomfortable. She couldn't help feeling a little glad of that fact, especially because it meant she was doing her job right. Being evasive, guarded and acting was hard work, but she had pulled it off. "The Children? I must admit I did not expect that." He had said, though she didn't reply for a minuet or so. Instead she changed even more. From seductive to innocent. All of this was clearly planned in her head in an instant. She knew her sense of self-preservation was heightened to the extreme. So now she had become as innocent and pure as a doe (though she still remained lying on the ground). Touching her would be a criminal act. "I joined by a certain choice, Red," she said in a slightly breathier voice and less famine "There are many things you wouldn't expect in my life." She knew she could hold this act indefinitely, because she was protecting herself now, and she could never stop doing that. She wasn't sure the male would never pick up on her motives, but maybe she could coax some useful information out of him. If he tried to coax it out of her now, she would certainly hand over false leads, as part of her act. She was good at what she did. Perfect. She had settled into her new character successfully and was looking at him with wide, imploring eyes. "Yes..." Was the answered her question, but he had replied with a frown on his face, though emotions weren't written all over his face, unfortunately, it would have been so helpful, but then again there would been no fun then. "Yes." He said again and a wave of discomfort washed over his face momentarily like the ocean on the beach. She nodded her head eagerly at him, stretching her facial muscles as she did so, trying to look as complacent as possible. "But none of them are as good as you." And his final words. She suddenly wasn't sure how to respond to this, and in a knee-jerk reaction, her face smoothed completely. She was only caught off-guard for a moment, then she morphed back into her pretty, innocent persona. She watched him with big powder blue eyes, hoping she looked convincing enough. Beneath her mask, her mind was just as keen and sharp as ever. The cogs were whirring, trying to assess, now that she had successfully confused him, if she was still in danger. Slowly, she straightened up, out of her feminine position, and wiped her face clean. She watched him with her pale eyes, sizing him up. "Why didn't to choose to join a pack? You must have a strong power, something to match you, what is it? Fire, poison- metal?" She wasn't sure where the power question came from. It sounded odd, but still her voice was soft and polite again, not meant to be offensive - mechanic. Just making conversation. She was remembering her politeness pledges now. She wondered how he would react to her switching personalities. She hoped he wouldn't pick much up on it. Though, he was just like her, why wouldn't he? This meeting was still making her uncomfortable, but there was something now about this that seemed mostly harmless. Still, she wasn't about to let her guard down now that she'd gotten it back up again. The Wall of China was in place. She had not complied or given any information about herself; and instead, was now looking to find information on him.

[Pan Fion (Red)]

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[atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/Tables/PanFionscrollytableback.png][scrolly:h(333),w(418),sy] Despite how strange and badly organised her plan appeared, Red was positively sure that Charis knew what she was doing. Perhaps she intended to confuse him and see his reaction. It worked, in some way. He found her seductive behaviour slightly bizarre and it did not appear as attractive as her careful demeanour did, despite what she might think. However to avoid admitting defeat, he quickly adjusted to her odd plan and started to feel at ease with it when she suddenly changed again. This time she appeared something entirely different. Innocenter. Her whole being seemed to compel Red to care for her, or at least he felt that he was supposed to. What was the real point of all this? He could understand changing once to test others, but twice? That was obviously because of a poor planning. He wrinkled his nose slightly, once again repelled by this act and disappointed with Charis. He really did think she could do better. Red's wide brown eyes stared down at Charis's huge blue ones with contempt. At the beginning he was deeply interested in this female and found her very curious. But it turned out that the white female was just like them. However Red hoped he was wrong. "No. I shouldn't assume that." Yes, he shouldn't, since he was greatly disappointed that she wasn't like what he initially thought. "After all, you may like interact with, let's say... simpler wolves." It was a cruel sentence, and his deep, emotionless voice made it somewhat colder and crueller. He stilled and his gaze was still on this female, but this time with coldness in his eyes, with no traces of previous curiosity. Maybe this all was still a game to her, but for him, it was starting to feel more like something to kill time. Something that he could do with other wolves. Charis's too-large eyes seemed have gotten wider and it was like a douse of cold water being poured down at Red. To most (males), this appearance would be adorable and attractive, and they were likely to be lured in so easily. However Red was opposite; this innocence sickened him. Her every slight movements looked overly exaggerated, reminding him of an eager pup. Perhaps he was wrong when he said no one was like her. He liked a good game but she was starting to get quite boring. Still not quite predictable. That must be the only reason he found himself staying. Then in an instant, Red spotted Charis's face smoothing over before returning to her previous innocence. He smiled involuntarily, and he allowed this smile to linger on his lips. So perhaps she wasn't starting to let him down. Just a few more words and maybe she would abandon her pretence. A short moment later, all of the sickly innocence was gone from her face. He was faintly surprised but pleased. She must be testing him with various masks to see which one had affected him the most. A clever move, and he had to admit that at the beginning he was uncertain what was her motive, which was unusual. Why was that? He twitched his red-rimmed ears once and his eyes got softer and careful again. "There is no pack that is suitable for me." And he did not think there will ever be. The Accord was nearly there, but not quite there. And his skills could be used very well in the Mafia, but their sadistic reputation wasn't what he found very tasteful. Before answering Charis's second question, Red pursed his lips, suddenly curious with this random quizzing. "You're very eager, aren't you?" Slowly but surely, he moved to her side to press his body against hers. This move had no hidden meaning, and he was unsure if Charis would recognise this. The only reason he did this was to reveal his poisonous ability and this would either impress or piss the female off. Every hair on Red's body secreted poison and if they were in contact with another wolf's skin it would cause skin irritation. Nothing severe, except for some twinges of pain and itching. In a few minutes Charis probably would understand this move and his ability. So for now, he held his position besides the white female, smiling a sincere smile down at her. "What about yours?" Now they were in close proximity, he found her scent rather distracting. It was sharp and clear with a hint of strong scent of the fields. [/scrolly]

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[Charis Dermott]

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[atrb=background,http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h329/Whosie/charistablebackground-2.png] She had no problem with his little nose wrinkle. The impatient child, not getting what he wanted, would surely give up at some point. Hadn't he realized that things didn't always go his way? If he thought she was a weakling than she had no reasons to waist her breath on him, but she wasn't sure about this just yet. Both of her masks had been a sort-of trap if one might say, to find out more about him ... and he had fallen. Though a sickening feeling started to spread from the bottom of her stomach. Had she revealed to much information about herself? She'd just have to wait and see. "No. I shouldn't assume that. After all, you may like interact with, let's say... simpler wolves." It was as if lightning struck her, his voice as emotionless and cold as ever. Charis' breathing was soft, controlled, and her face, though hard, was expressionless. She stood loosely, not moving in a way that would suggest fear, though her stomach was tightening into knots. Never before had she felt such a tension with someone else, such an apprehension. And never had she been insulted this much. He could not be as frightening as he seemed. He was normal, he was mortal, and she had no reason to be frightened. She would not break under his near-constant pressure. A hot, fierce determination settled into Charis' belly. An eyebrow arched, a tranquil smile twisting upon the ivory lips, one dead and lifeless, like the rest of her. Frigid as a winter's day, the icy white lady would not give in to such a petty situation. Her eyes, focused on his, hardly blinked. A wave of fury washed over her, heating up her stomach to a boiling point, but her face remained glassy and unreadable. The twisted smile returned, taunting now, to her features. "You mean like yourself?" Her voice cold as ice. His last words, meant to unnerve her - "Simpler wolves" - it was clear that he was trying to break her down. Protectiveness surged through her unreadable body. Though his expression changed nearly immediately. Soon after she dropped her second mask of innocence. He smiled and let in linger too. Satisfaction might have been the word, but Charis wasn't sure. He spoke after that, answering her first question "There is no pack that is suitable for me." Every time he spoke, every word was getting sorted then put into the puzzle of him, but there where just too many pieces missing to put out a pull picture of him. Charis noticed his eyes where softer now and the anger in her slowly faded away, there was no need to hold a grudge, she could always just walk a away and never see him again. She wasn't sure want to say to this, simply tilted her head to the right, her face as expressionless as it had been before. So she waited, with a kind of eerie patience, facial muscles tensed and unmoving. Seconds ticked by. He seemed to be thinking, perhaps wondering if she would say anything at all. "You're very eager, aren't you?" And he came forward. She watched him with cold eyes, not taking a step back from her position. She was not a weak wolf. She was not afraid of him as he stepped towards her, intending to draw discomfort into her soul with his closeness. Was he trying to intimidate her? Though he had irritated her with his invasion of her space. However, her cool mask remained in place, her eyes focused completely on his own. His body pressed ageist hers and she felt a tingle of pain followed by an itching sensation spreading over her. She recognized it immediately. Poison. That was his power. "What about yours?" came his voice, and she saw his smile again. Oh, she was not going to give him the satisfaction that his power was better then hers. Wind may not seem like strong power, as not many knew how strong and dangerous it could really be. A faint echo of a chuckle escaped her lips as she lifted her head higher and focused her eyes on the aquamarine sky. It didn't take much concentration to create what she was planning as her ears twitched with every slight movement Red made. The leaves of the trees rustled at first, over seconds becoming stronger and stronger until a soft howling whipped by their ears. It happened all so fast, and calmed down at the same speed. She didn't feel like showing off the best of her power. There where so many things she could do, and many thanks when to her father. Turning her head to look at him she gave a genuine smile and waited for him to say something.

[Pan Fion (Red)]

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[atrb=width,450,true][atrb=background,http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/h448/soarly/Wonderwhy/Tables/PanFionscrollytableback.png][scrolly:h(333),w(418),sy] Why was Red still here, trying his hardest to break through Charis's façade? How would it benefit him? That was an easy question. The answers were pride and a sense of accomplishment. But why did he try so hard to penetrate through her armour? His attacks could be more tactical and controlled but they weren't. Why? Maybe it was because he was taken aback by the similarity between them. No, he knew it wasn't it. Charis was intriguing, but so were Scorch and Keinvarii. However, unlike them, this female somehow demanded a challenge from him, a challenge which he had gladly accepted. When Red met Keinvarii, he respected her quiet authority and did not feel the same desire to test her. Scorch, however evil and twisted, was the same; Red respected him as a leader even though he was completely opposed to his ideals. But what about Charis had provoked him to test her? Red did not react to Charis's retort to his insult, except for a brief, fleeting amusement in his eyes. Her voice was somewhat harder and there was also a kind of strange smile on her muzzle when she spoke. "Yes, if you like to think that." His voice wasn't as cold as before, but it remained emotionless as ever. He could be either offended or amused by her retort so he chose to be amused. If he displayed any traces of him being offended it would satisfy Charis, and he did not want that. Red's ego liked to think that Charis would disagree with his answer because, well, it was untrue. No one would call him simple - Red was too complicated to be branded as simple - especially if they divulge his mind to see how it worked. Every single thought often sent his brain working tirelessly, analysing and searching every possible outcomes, solutions, and reasons depending on the situation. He rarely ever allowed himself to have a casual, selfish thought. His excuse for this was that it was too distracting. The real reason was it was too painful. Very frequent, whenever his mind was empty, thoughts about his slain mother and tough father would throw him into disarray. Chaos even. This was his true motive behind his every action; to distract himself and be careful with others, lest he end up like his parents: dead or broken. He pushed these thoughts out of his mind and focused on present. On Charis. Once he moved into her personal space, he was surprised to find that Charis did not move away, not even a bit. Red disguised his surprise and turned his attention to her. He heard a faint chuckle from the wolf beside him and Red followed her gaze to the sky, expecting to see something. Nothing obvious so far. Then a sudden wind blew at them and he raised his voice above the howling and said, "Air?" He paused as Charis let the wind to die down. He guessed air lupuses were really underestimated because no one had enough imagination to know how much they could do with their ability. They could use wind to change a fire's direction, manipulate smoke's thickness, and increase humidity. In Red's opinion, wind was a fantastic element to wield, with its various possibilities. He wanted to see more. "Is that all?" He raised his brows curiously, and his words were almost scornful. The scorn on the outside was very opposite to what he was feeling inside; Red was eager to see more and to know its possibilities. However being the defensive lupus he was, he refused to let her know this, in case she saw this as a weakness. That was when Red realised the reason why he was testing Charis. He wanted to see if she was good enough. Fantastic enough. For what? He wasn't quite clear on that just yet. [/scrolly]

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[Charis Dermott]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true] She watched him carefully, not once glancing around the forest. The light cradled them both like a welcome friend. She was careful about what emotions she projected, as it was such a foreign concept for her to be open with somebody she was forced to moderate herself. She had waited for him to speak, and when he did, she was a bit disappointed. "Yes, if you like to think that." his words were less colder, but empty of emotion. He seemed amused, and that irritated her. Perhaps a she showed it a bit, but was quick to regain her unreadable mask. He had followed her gaze up to the sky, probably wondering what she was looking for, but Charis assumed she answered his question by showing-off her power. With a raised voice he asked, "Air?" It was a standoff. Not in the typical western sense, of course, but it was very much similar. Each wolf, unwilling to reveal their secrets, forced to have a polite conversation because there was no where else to go. What a perfect, diabolical situation they had both been put in. And what an ironic one, considering two of the most stony ones were involved in this little fiasco. It was a never-ending staring contest, brown eyes clashing with blue, both motionless and standing next to each other. What a world, what a world! It was like the gods themselves wants to have a laugh, because when the Red spoke ("Is that all?"), Charis had already known what she was going to do: scanning her eyes across the forest floor, she stretched out her neck a bit and turned in a arc. Fallen leaves began to wind themselves towards them, but stopped and floated around in mid air. Taking a deep breath, Charis focused on the leaves arrangement. At first it became a smooth sphere, she turned to look at Red's expression then quickly turned back to the levitating leaf ball. Focusing once again, the leaves separated then turned, twisted and rearranged them self into the perfect shape of a extremely small wolf. Her pales eyes shifted to find Red's before she spoke, "How do you like it?" This was spoken with a smooth expression, and, somewhere deep down inside Pantera where feelings were allowed, she became amused. It was certainly turning out to be a fun event and with that Chairs let a smile slip onto her features, but it was also very different. It did absolutely nothing to ease the unreadability of her eyes or face. It was a rather unnatural smile, also, because it was just the up-turned corners of her lips, not enough to technically be qualified as a smile, but enough unlike her normal expression that it must have been classified under that heading. ooc: the leaf wolf is still floating. Speech

Table by Eldarwen · Image