Meander Through the Murk

[Skyler]

[scrolly:h(480),w(8),sy][/scrolly]
[atrb=background,http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q21/winkatuck/skylerpsdcopy-1.png,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=height,800,true][atrb=border,0,true][scrolly:h(50),w(1),sy][/scrolly]	[scrolly:h(160),w(465),sy]The frogs were calling and singing back and forth as the sun was beginning to set. Even though the evening was cooler, that humidity made it sticky and warm. A pale gray figure moved along the soggy bank. Her pink and brown scales scattered over her body seemed to gleam in the orange light. Her brown eyes scanned the arching trees in the distance, before looking to the murky green waters. Part of her wanted to step into that water and cool herself off, however she knew that dangers lurked in the muck. She had spent most of her day in the swamp, attempting to find more berries and flowers that could act as wall dye. In her mouth she carried a sundry of branches with blooms and berries alike Her leathery wings, the crumpled one and the whole one were both slightly open to allow a cross breeze. She had learned in her short life that on hot breeze days, her wings acted as thermo-regulators. The blood in the membranes was able to cool off faster, thus lowering her body temperature for the better. It was a nifty trick that she enjoyed utilizing. The hybrid paused as she came to a branch in the canal, carefully she stepped one partially webbed paw into it, checking how shallow it was tentatively. It was barely ankle deep, and the width was small enough that she could make it across in a few strides without much difficulty. So she stepped into the canal, sending some water spiders dancing away from her on the glassy surface. It wasn't long before the mud was sucking at her paws, threatening to trap her or pull her to her knees. Her thick, almost reptilian tail wavered out behind her to act as a counter balance to keep her upright. The middle part of the creek was at her chest, an unexpected complication that she was not pleased to discover. She slapped her thick, muscly tail down and used it as a rudder to push her past the worst of the depth. Luckily it did not last long and soon she was tugging her feet free of the muck on the other bank. Her nose crinkled at the stagnant stench of the mud that now coated half her legs. Even the water had put dirt and scum on her belly. She was glad that she had not decided to go swimming now. She shook the water off of her short pelt, trying to keep her head as still as possible so as not to molest the cargo in her mouth. Her pink and brow tipped ears twitched at the chorus of crickets and frogs around her. At least she knew that there was no danger eminent to where she was. Skyler continued her pilgrimage aiming to be out of the swamp just after nightfall if she kept a decent pace. She expected that she would make it back to her den late in the night. Which was fine, no one really kept tabs on her, nor did they seem to care of her whereabouts were. Even her roommate kept to himself almost as much as she did. At times she herself was lonely, but at the same time it allowed her to explore and expand her knowledge more freely. Tonight was going to be one such occasion it seemed. Speech [/scrolly]	[scrolly:h(80),w(1),sy][/scrolly]
[scrolly:h(00),w(1),sy][/scrolly]

[∞ cyther aladar]

CYTHER ALADAR

Cyther had never been one to enjoy the company of others yet at times he rather preferred to not be alone. However he found it borderline impossible to approach another being. His stomach would suddenly be invaded by a swarm of butterfly's and his mouth grew cotton at the mere sight of another approaching him. During those times he felt extremely ashamed, for only a few months ago he was able to speak and sing without a care in the world. The thought of another being judging him, shuffling him neatly into a category that could range from failure to greatness, never had occurred to him. Now it was all that seemed to occupy his mind.

Around him the swamp was brimming with life as the day drew to a close. And he found comfort in the fact that the daily on goings of the various species that lived there did not concern him. Nor assumably would ever concern him. Cyther picked his way around the canal taking special care not to get his coat to filled with muck and grime. He would have continued his endless walk were it not for the sight of something moving. A something that upon closer inspection was a fellow Keiyou.

He had the strangest urge to talk to her.

Cyther tiptoed around a particularly nasty amount of muck and had to walk faster than he would have liked to reach her. And when he finally did he stood there for a while, looking like assuredly like a complete buffoon. Collecting himself he spoke uttering a "Hello," without a single speech impediment managing to sneak itself into the greeting.

[Skyler]

[scrolly:h(480),w(8),sy][/scrolly]
[atrb=background,http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q21/winkatuck/skylerpsdcopy-1.png,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=height,800,true][atrb=border,0,true][scrolly:h(50),w(1),sy][/scrolly]	[scrolly:h(160),w(465),sy] As suddenly as she determined that she was alone and safe, the cacophonous chorus around her ceased. She paused and looked around, surely her presence had some affect on the wildlife, however the ones behind her quieted. She turned in time to see a keiyou coming toward her. The timid hybrid pulled her leather wings, in particular trying to tuck away the crumpled malformed one. She still had her insecurities about her body, her thick, reptilian tail curled around her hind legs, expressing no threat to the male that came to her. She shifted slightly as he spoke to her. Her brown eyes traced over him, reading his body language. He did not seem threatening, if anything he seemed just as insecure as she did. How do two socially awkward wolves greet one another? She swallowed and returned the greeting through clenched teeth. "Hullo...." She did not want to drop her plants, in case he turned aggressive, so she opted to attempt to speak through the foliage in her mouth. Her few scales glinted in the soft sunlight through her short fur. "Can I 'elp you?" She felt silly talking through her samples, she was realizing that she would most likely have to put them down to continue this conversation. She lowered her hips to take a seat on a dry bit of moss, her heavy tail scrapping the debris away from her. Her partially webbed feet pawed slightly at the ground as she tried to give him a friendly smile. She thought she had been getting better at this...conversing. The intelligent female was logging this away in her mind, perhaps her courage and bravery in acting like a normal wolf was just situational. She supposed it was still progress, she had more confidence lately and had projects to boost her self esteem and climb the ranks of her pack. This was just another test of her progress....and she did not want to fail. Speech [/scrolly]	[scrolly:h(80),w(1),sy][/scrolly]
[scrolly:h(00),w(1),sy][/scrolly]

[∞ cyther aladar]

CYTHER ALADAR

He had appeared before the female on a whim the idea that she would question why far from his mind. Avoiding the question until he could think of a proper answer, he looked to his surroundings. Over here the muck faded into foliage, moss, and rich soil. From his standpoint he could see a few crushed herbs most likely stepped on from some passing animal, and the vibrant blooms of some exotic flower. The sight of the herbs reminded him that the female was carrying some in her mouth. Or at least he assumed it was herbs, he had never heard of an omnivorous wolf.

He glanced at his paws as he spoke "I was wondering if you would like some help with that." He gestured with his nose to her mouth and the items it held. Supposing that his on the spot answer could gain him some possible gentleman points.

Cyther stopped his gesturing and went back to staring at his mud coated paws. Wondering if it would be appropriate to introduce himself. Especially if she accepted his offer to help her carry her items. "I'm uh, Cyther by the way. Cyther Aladar."

[Ceru]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://fotos.fotoflexer.com/442714cd6a0cd7b5a4a0d7fe7d726d3b.jpg] OCC: Can I join? Ceru stopped and sniffed the air. She smelled other wolves. Her green and black fur was streaked with mud and water, showing that she had swam to this small patch of solid ground. Her ears moved around like twin radars, listening for signs of movement. She wanted to introduce herself, but she didn't know if she should go out into the open in such an unstable area. Instead Ceru observed the way some weeds grew. They bent over in such a way that meant that they grew over a mound or rock. Ceru took the weeds in her mouth and pulled them off of whatever they were growing on, revealing a rock riddled with holes. This rock must have been here hundreds of years for it to have this many pores riddled through it.She thought. Ceru sat down on a small area of slightly dry ground. She twitched in annoyance as a fly buzzed right past her ear. The reason Ceru was here in the first place was to gather new plants to try for new medicines. She looked around and focused her eyes onto a large red flower. It had a thick stem and thick leaves, meaning that it most likely had a large amount of juices stored within. She then sighed as she saw that she would have to swim across quite a length of water to get to it. She also saw that it was in the middle of some deep and sharp-smelling mud. Ceru took a cautious step towards it, frowning as her paw passed through the murky water. She then took a deep breath and dived into the water, ignoring the slimy strands of green plant that clinged onto her pelt. Once she was under the water, she started swimming smoothly. Ceru had a technique of using various oils to make her coat smooth and slick when wet, meaning that she glided through the water almost effortlessly. Her fur didn't drag through the water, making her go faster. But Ceru was no Cael. Soon she had to resurface, breathing in a huge breath of air. She saw that she was close enough to the flower to swim the rest of the way without surfacing a second time. Ceru avoided swimming above the water because she disliked all of the noise caused by paddling. When Ceru finally got to the mud, she stepped in it and sank slightly. She didn't kind far though, and kept making her way towards the flower. When she sank even further with each step, she didn't worry. This was no sinkhole. Ceru grabbed the flower and forced herself back towards the water. She jumped back in and swam back towards shore. But she didn't see that her leg had gotten tangled in some roots. The turned around and saw that the root had wrapped itself around her leg. She kicked at it, but it wouldn't budge. Her calmness soon gave way to worry. Ceru was stuck. She saw a sharp rock sticking out from the mud. She swam toward it and rubbed the root against it. The root snapped, allowing her to surface. She gulped in air, getting up onto the dirt patch and she shook out her coat. I risked my life for a flower. How stupid.She thought. "speech"

[Skyler]

[scrolly:h(480),w(8),sy][/scrolly]
[atrb=background,http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q21/winkatuck/skylerpsdcopy-1.png,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=height,800,true][atrb=border,0,true][scrolly:h(50),w(1),sy][/scrolly]	[scrolly:h(160),w(465),sy] ((OOC: Sure, Naga, once she interacts with the other two they will acknowledge her, since it does not seem like she is near them at the moment)) The world around them was alive with sounds of insects, birds, amphibians and other lurking beings yet to be seen. Her soft brown eyes shifted lightly over the male in front of her. She was quickly realizing how her responses to males were different than to females, Her ears folded on her head, showing her non-aggressive intentions. He wanted to help her? No one ever really offered that, aside Yueh, but it had been a while since she spoke with him. Gently, she set the plants at her partially-webbed feet. "Thank you. I do not think I need help though." She looked over at the horizon, the sun was beginning to sink, though there were still a few hours of daylight remaining. "I'm Skyler....nice to meet you Cyther." Her ears flicked up as she heard splashing not to far off, maybe one of the alligators had caught something to eat. Better it than her, she supposed. However the threat of predators did seem to be increasing as the evening wore on. She looked back at the keiyou, he was bigger than she was, perhaps his presence could deter those things that went bump in the twilight. "...even though I don't need help...um...maybe you could walk with me?" She felt embarrassed as soon as she spoke. Why would a stranger accompany her back to the pack lands? She worried he might think she was trying to trap him or something....she chewed her lip nervously as the blood rose in her ears. As awkward the situation was, she kept hearing noises near the thick rushes a few yards away. She even turned her head once or twice trying to decipher if it were a threat or not. The wind was not in her favor, not that the pungent scent of the swamp would help any. She turned back to Cyther, "There seem to be things lurking....safety in numbers you know. With the plants out of her mouth, she attempted to give a slight smile to offer peace. Speech [/scrolly]	[scrolly:h(80),w(1),sy][/scrolly]
[scrolly:h(00),w(1),sy][/scrolly]

[∞ cyther aladar]

CYTHER ALADAR

Cythers ears flicked back as the natural sounds of the swamp became interrupted. He could only assume that the being causing the ruckus was a fellow wolf or worse yet one of the beasts that occupied the territory. Previous experiences reminded him that he should be on edge he repressed a shudder as the memory of his run in with a dragon surfaced from the depths of his mind.

"Nice to meet you as well Skylar." He would have offered up a gentlemanly sort of bow were it not for the fact that the gesture would have soiled his coat more than it already was. An amused smile appeared on his face as she proposed that he walk with her. The exact same thing he was previously planning to ask her. "Oh of course. Wouldn't want the things that go bump in the night to hurt you." He shuffled his feet, a move that held a combination of awkwardness and the knowledge that he wouldn't be much of protection against such creatures. The last time he had fought against anything was well, not a pleasant memory nor had it been a winning battle.

It seemed like everything he had done in the past had been a lost battle. Now that he thought about it.

[Ceru]

[atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,false][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://fotos.fotoflexer.com/442714cd6a0cd7b5a4a0d7fe7d726d3b.jpg] Ceru shook the mud off of the flower and walked toward the area where the two wolves were. She saw how they were nervous and awkward. Are they showing who they are? How should I approach them? Ceru knew about the ways of personality. A wolf is usually never who they show themselves to be. There are so many secrets, so many thoughts, so many things that go around in someone's mind. Words need to be said carefully, and actions need to be even more planned out. One wrong move, and you are branded forever. Ceru took a deep breath. How should she play this version of herself? In a way, she thought of herself as a chameleon, changing her moods and actions to suit the situation. Should she be the serious Ceru, or the fun Ceru? Should she be aggressive, or just suspicious? Ceru glanced at the hybrid. She looked like she was asking the other one to stay with her. Safety in numbers. Ha. I'm perfectly fine on my own. I might as well join in, as long as I don't mess up. Ceru stepped off of the dry patch and walked over toward the two. She would play this nicely and smoothly. "Oh. I didn't see you two here. Who are you?" Ceru winced. She was trying to sound cool and harmless, but now she sounded slightly stupid. She tried to do this again. "I see that you have collected some herbs. Do you study plants as well?"

[/b] That was better. Ceru congratulated herself on sounding mildly interested. Ceru sat down, tail waving pleasantly. This Ceru was a friendly, eager Ceru who likes to chat. She experiments with plants not for their healing abilities, but for paints. The real Ceru was eons away from the one being acted out right now.

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[Skyler]

[scrolly:h(480),w(8),sy][/scrolly]
[atrb=background,http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q21/winkatuck/skylerpsdcopy-1.png,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=height,800,true][atrb=border,0,true][scrolly:h(50),w(1),sy][/scrolly]	[scrolly:h(160),w(465),sy]Skyler shifted a little again, the noises of the swamp seemed foreign and unnatural. If she focused long enough, however, she would be able to riddle out what the sounds were, who was making them and if she should fear or not. Her studies and travels had taught her a few things, though no where near as much as she yearned to know. She was glad he agreed to come with her though, the longer she lingered, the more opportunities danger had to rear it's head. Her thick tail wavered and scrapped a little against the ground. "I'm glad. Shall we go then?" She swallowed, she was not usually assertive. However before she could take on 'if you are ready' another creature joined them. Her brown eyes turned to see a lupus approaching them. Instinctively her ears folded back and her form lowered in slight submission. Two lone wolves approaching her at the same time? Maybe it was a trap, she glanced over at the male, trying to see if he showed any recognition on his face. Timidly, she ventured to answer the brusque questions put to her by the new female, "I-I'm Skyler." She noted the flower in the female's mouth and put a partially webbed paw protectively over her own collection. She needed her plants for her personal projects, she wasn't about to let another wolf take them from her. Some of them were hard to come by. "I study certain ones...yes." She was not usually vague, but she felt that her projects needed to be kept secret and only shared with her pack. Her nose took in the scent of the two around her, she glanced at the keiyou once more, "You do not know her?" She felt silly asking the question, but she could not be too careful with pack-less wolves. She did seem to note that the lupus female was dripping wet and covered in some murk, "Did you go swimming? Are you alright?" She could have kicked herself, why was she asking such stupid questions? Speech [/scrolly]	[scrolly:h(80),w(1),sy][/scrolly]
[scrolly:h(00),w(1),sy][/scrolly]

[Ceru]

OCC: Sorry, table's going for a remodel.

Ceru looked over at the hybrid. "Ah, Skyler. A good name." Cerulean saw how she put her paw protectively over her herbs. "I use different plants to create artwork. I use flowers and other things with color, though. The kind of herb you have isn't what I am looking for." Ceru looked at the other wolf. She shook her head in response to her next question. "And no, I don't think we've met before." Ceru saw alarm suddenly spring up in Skyler's eyes. She laughed. "Yes, I did go for a bit of a swim. I'm fine, though." Ceru was slightly surprised at this sudden worry that the hybrid was showing. She didn't know this stranger, yet Skyler is concerned for her health.

Even if Ceru was hurt, she certainly wouldn't show it. Ceru didn't want to show weakness of any kind. She was a master of disguise. She definitely can hide pain. Pain. Ha. Such a useless thing. It weakens the mind, and keeps wolves from reaching their full potential. Wolves are afraid of doing simple tasks, just because they fear pain. But pain reaches it's claws even deeper, and it pulls at our hearts, making memories painful, or making tragedies hurt. Pain is an obstacle in the way of the path to immortality. Pain makes creatures fear death. But also, pain is our friend. What would teach wolves not to get hurt?