Tobias
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Post by Tobias on Mar 6, 2010 12:26:19 GMT -5
A small maroon Lyxxus walked swiftly across the plains. His three tails swung behind him as he made his way carefully, nose to the ground. Tobias hoped he was not intruding into someone’s territory; he did not wish to offend anyone in these lands. There were a lot of scents here. But there was only one that he was really interested in. He had only picked up traces of her scent recently, but already his heart felt lighter for it. He stopped for a moment to scratch a chocolate tipped ear as his gentle amethyst eyes took in his surroundings.
Not far off he spied a dense grouping of trees and decided to head in that direction. He was a bit nervous in such an open unfamiliar area, and the trees would provide cover as well as shade in the warm summer sunlight. And he would be lying to himself if there just wasn’t something about the place that struck him as promising. His tails wagged a bit in anticipation as he reached the edge of the orchard.
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Keely
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Post by Keely on Mar 6, 2010 12:53:02 GMT -5
Keely was curled up beneath one of the larger fruit bearing trees of the orchard. Her bright yellow body was partially concealed by some of the the denser patches of grass that flourished in the shade. Her three tails enveloped her peach nose and concealed her rounded belly.
The little lyxxus was quietly napping, an odd state for her to be so still and so quiet. her light brown tipped ears twitched now and then as a bird would chirp or an insect would drone. She slept lightly, she had only just fallen asleep within 20 minutes. There was a soft smile plastered on her maw. Fyodor had gone off to hunt for her, since she was grossly impeded with her swollen belly.
A warm breeze passed through the tress, making them quietly rustle and bend. A few of the late blossoms silently fluttered to the ground, casting their sweet perfume in their last hoorah. One such blossom alighted the tree and settled on the petite head of Keely. Both her ears flickered in response and her bright purple eyes slowly opened.
She untucked her nose and dipped her head a little to set the flower on her booted paws. She gave a sleepy smile as she twitched her nose to take in the scent.
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Fyodor
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Post by Fyodor on Mar 6, 2010 13:40:37 GMT -5
Fyodor limped with a small quail in his mouth. He had gone into a nest and the little creature was nestled comfortably with her chicks and she stood no choice. Despite being a poor hunter, Fyodor could still manage to kill things. If he knew where to look. He hoped that Obi, being the Centurion would bring food for his mate and fellow Consul, Keely. The red-orange Lyxxus crossed into the Orchard, his eyes flashed at each instance of shade before he saw the stranger.
He didn’t know what to make of this odd wolf. He didn’t know if it was another one of Keely’s family or simply a stranger. Fyodor didn’t dare make the same mistake as he did with Obi and carefully set down the quail and called out, “Y-you… a-are?” He limped over to the other wolf, his pup-sized hind leg carefully hid behind a thick and fluffy tail. “I-I’m Fyodor, Consul of th-this Republic.” His stutter was terrible yet, but he had more confidence in speaking due to being used to the pack simply not caring how badly he tripped over words.
He looked at the Quail with an over-shoulder glance and knew that Keely was around nearby—in the same sweet scented tree as he left her. “I n-need to… to bring that to my mmmm-m-mate, Keely.” He nodded and looked to the Lyxxus male, curiously, hoping that said male wasn’t a threat. Fyodor didn’t think so. The stranger seemed nervous and demure.
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ooc: In your post, you can just have Fyodor & Toby walking to Keely if you want. You can also RP Fyodor picking up the Quail.
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Tobias
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[M:635][A:0]
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Post by Tobias on Mar 6, 2010 14:53:43 GMT -5
The scent of the trees was strong here and Tobias exhaled in slight frustration. Perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to come into the trees after all. His nose picked up a faint hint of blood from somewhere. He cursed himself lightly. The natural shelter of the trees as well as the ample food source of fruits and nuts they provided would attract many small creatures. This area would be an ideal spot to hunt small game. Hunting grounds attracted hunters, and he could not blame anyone for being possessive of their meal. He had been so excited about finding his sister that he hadn’t thought things through properly.
He was about to turn and retrace his steps out of the orchard when he heard a voice call out to him. His head bowed and his tails dropped automatically for politeness. He was a stranger here, and even the lowest ranking pack member would outrank him, if indeed he had wandered into claimed pack lands. He didn’t want to give off a bad first impression.
“I am Tobias,” he answered the other male’s query. He noticed the stutter, but paid it no mind. There was a kind of confidence behind the other male’s words that told Tobias that the other was sure of what he said, even if he could not say it well. And that was more than enough for Tobias to listen to him.
When Fyodor identified himself Tobias’s ears fell flat against his head. So he had stumbled into someone’s lands. But perhaps his sister was a part of this pack. Perhaps this wolf would know her and be able to help him find her. It was very important not to offend him at this point. “I am sorry for wandering into your lands unannounced,” he said averting his eyes so as not to be seen as a threat or a challenge. “I mean no harm. I am simply looking for someone and her scent led me here.”
When the other male glanced back Tobias noticed the quail, the likely source of the previously detected blood. And then Fyodor said something that Tobias had not expected to hear. Keely! And…mate? He couldn’t help but recoil a step or two in surprise. Though the moment was a shock to his system it did not last long. Of course Keely had found a mate in her new home. How could anyone help but to love his sister? And it was good for her to have someone to help look after her. He felt no jealousy toward Fyodor; after all he was very used to sharing his sister’s affections. What was one more male to the mix? More than that, he felt an instant connection to him and a deep sense of gratitude for making his sister happy. And he had no doubts that Keely was happy. It was nearly impossible to think of her any other way.
He recovered quickly from the momentary shock and he grinned happily. “You are Keely’s mate.” It was a statement, not a question, as Tobias said the words aloud to get used to them. He decided they sounded good and his smile broadened. “I am Keely’s brother. She is the one I have been looking for. I would be most grateful if you could guide me to her.” His tails wagged like an excited pup. He was so close to the end of his journey.
-------------------------- ooc: I had them walking to Keely but it just seemed tacked on at the end and unnatural to not give Fyodor a chance to react. However, on your next reply, please feel free to have Tobias follow after you to Keely, as that is all thats on his mind now no matter how Fyodor reacts! ^_^
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Fyodor
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Post by Fyodor on Mar 7, 2010 12:29:29 GMT -5
It was a brother of his mate. They had been coming in like a swarm. Probably, they followed their sister’s scent and were attracted to the free smell of the land. Open, loving, almost kind. A pack’s territory ended up smelling like the pack. And less like a territory. There was good reason that the small Lyxxus male was mistaken. They were a small pack yet.
“Y-you aren’t the fir-fir-fih-fih… st… eh, uh… only wolf to do so.” He smiled and spoke the truth. “Ob-b-b-bi. That was the other.” He gave a sigh. Really, talking to other wolves was always nerve-racking. No matter how sure he knew his words to be, they always sounded like he was uncertain. He felt uncertain at times as well. For example, now.
He didn’t know what the brother thought of his taking his sister and not only giving her all the love and kindness she deserved for being a beautiful wolf, but also making her continue a bloodline. He thought that perhaps it was fair for the wolf to know the whole of his faults, but then reconsidered because he knew that some wolves might think that such a thing as a small leg was… well… hereditary. He didn’t even know if it was or not. He just went by Keely’s orders and her desire to be a mother with full faith that the pups would turn out okay.
He nodded his head as he took the quail and led the way to Keely for the brother. “Mhmm,” he said through the quail and limped away. He knew the wolf was behind and the bulk of his four tails—with one practically fully split so that there were five, would hide his small leg. He casually let his tail that was pinned against his leg free to wag with the others. If Toby saw his flaw—a flaw that Fyodor hated worse than his damn stuttering—then he saw it. If he didn’t, then he didn’t. The tail had a permanent curve in it due to always being the one he held against his leg.
“Mmmh.” Fyodor nodded up to his mate. She lay on the ground and the branches of the trees caught most of the light from the sun. But a few rays shone through the boughs and rested on her in glittery dapples. Fyodor limped up to his mate and gave her a loving kiss after he dropped the meal.
“I brought you two surprises,” he quietly sang a dainty and clean rhythm to escape his stutter, “This quail, and your brother Tobias.” And he stopped and looked at her face. He wondered the joy that would light from her face.
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Keely
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Post by Keely on Mar 7, 2010 16:33:43 GMT -5
Keely yawned with a soft whine as she slowly began to wake up. Her tails wagged happily as she took in the sights of her favorite place in the pack lands. Her ears quivered lightly, she could hear the gentle off-beat padding of her beloved coming nearer.
She would have stood to greet him, but her swollen belly made getting up an arduous task that took longer than it used too. She lifted her head and let her tails wag ecstatically as he came into view, fresh meat clenched in his jaws. She smiled brightly, "Welcome back!" her voice was like a song bird, chipper and beautiful. She nuzzled him fondly as he came up to her.
She gave an intake of breath at the mention of surprises "Two surprises?!" Like a child getting an unexpected gift from a traveling parent, her eyes widened in awe. Her ears strained forward, trying to catch every bit of information that came from Fyodor's mouth. "Toby?!! You found Toby!" She squealed with delight and peered around the bushy tails of her mate to get a glimpse of her sibling.
Once he came into view, she struggled to get up, leaning against Fyodor as she gained her footing. She licked Fyodor enthusiastically as a thank you before tottering over to her new found sibling. "TOBY!!" She would have leaped up in joy, but the burden kept her grounded. Her tails fought to shake her body to and fro as she greeted Tobias.
She pinned her ears and lowered herself to reach up and lick under his chin rapidly. She fiercely nuzzled him, all the while whining and panting happily. Another family member finally find her, it was enough to make her burst with glee. Her purple eyes shone like stars as she looked back and forth between the two males. She was glad that they were not trying to fight each other like Fyodor had done with Obi.
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Tobias
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Vulpes Rose
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Post by Tobias on Mar 7, 2010 21:48:55 GMT -5
Tobias’s smile faltered only a tiny bit at the news that one of his brothers was about. He had come this far to get away from his brothers and that horrible feeling of inadequacy that came with being around them. He knew Obi had left, and it made sense that he had come to seek out Keely as well. But it hurt his pride a little not to be the first to find her. But knowing Keely was so close made his disappointment fade incredibly quickly.
Toby saw Fyodor’s leg as he followed after him, but he was too excited about seeing his sister for it to register as anything more than a passing observation. And it honestly made the small male feel a bit more at ease to be around Fyodor, for reasons he could not have expressed if he had tried.
When he saw his sister his heart leapt with joy. He had truly missed her. He had worried about her since she had left their home pack and seeing her now was a great relief. Until he saw the bulge in her belly as she struggled to her feet to greet him.
In a moment his relief changed to shock and then almost resentment toward his sister. How could she do this? She was so small, there was almost no way she could have pups without complication. She was putting herself in danger. This was a serious risk. How could her mate have allowed this to –
All at once the anger faded away as realization struck him. This was why he and his brothers had let Keely go, to make her own decisions be they good or bad. And of course Keely would want to be a mother. This was her choice. He should be excited that she was taking on such a responsibility. And even though he would worry about her, his proper role now was to support the happy couple and their growing family in any way he could. Finally a sense of pride came over him, a calm happy acceptance of his sister and her new life here.
All of these feelings had resolved themselves in the time it took Keely to stand and make her way over to him. His tails wagged happily as he nuzzled Keely affectionately. His gentle eyes looked over her again. “I see I’m going to be an Uncle,” he said with a genuine smile.
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Fyodor
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Post by Fyodor on Mar 7, 2010 22:08:29 GMT -5
Keely’s innocence was what attracted Fyodor to her. The childish way she got excited over the smallest things had the crippled wolf looking over things and counting his blessings. The littlest things were things to get excited about. She got up slowly though, the pups made Keely seem like a blimp instead of his lovely lithe mate. But she didn’t complain about it, so Fyodor didn’t think it was hurting her or even bothering her. She took everything in stride and, after a while, he believed that there was nothing wrong with how small she was and how dangerous this whole situation promised itself to be. However, at that moment, he had to see it.
Fyodor was worried that the brother might not approve when he actually saw his sister. Keely was heavy and looked awkward. He knew it. But he was used to it. With Toby there, he suddenly looked back and realized the danger that she put herself in and the fact that he was a willing accomplice to this whole thing the whole time. He felt a pang of guilt and worry overtook him. However much he wished to hide it, he always wore his emotions on his face. Fyodor was as easy to read as the sky before a storm.
But his fears were put aside for a small moment when Toby acknowledged his sister’s choice without condemning either of them for their foolishness. It was a chance and it was a chance they’d have to take. He expected the worst and hoped for the best. And that was all that they could do. Fyodor watched as his mate reunited merrily with her brother. He was happy that she was happy. He hobbled over to the two of them, touched Keely on the shoulder and said, “P-p-puh-puh…” And in a crooning note. “Please…” He continued without a tune in his words, “Eat Keely, you’ll n-neh-need your strength.” He looked to the brother, suddenly too shy to speak. He had a million worries and he didn’t want to share them with Keely. She didn’t need to know how scared he was. But still, Fyodor needed to confide in someone and Tobias was the sort of wolf that Fyodor knew would be a good friend.
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Keely
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Post by Keely on Mar 8, 2010 11:06:52 GMT -5
Keely smiled, her joy never lost even though it was difficult to move freely. "Yup, you are going to be a Uncle and so is Obi!." She was so very happy that her family was getting larger, with Fyodor by her side, their pups within her and now her brothers here to support and help raise the little ones. It was her life's dream, to have a happy family just like her mother did.
She was oblivious to the danger. Nor would she understand it, even if it were explained to her. It never crossed her mind that having puppies could be a danger, it was such a happy time. She licked Toby under the chin once more as Fyodor tapped her shoulder. She turned and smiled up at him, her eyes were still bright, but there was a slight worn look under them. A tired expression in and amongst her happy demeanor.
"Thank you Fyodor" She gave him a very loving smile, "I am pretty hungry, now that I think of it" She giggled, licked his cheek then waddled back over to where the quail was. She slowly lowered herself down with a careful and obvious effort. Once in the shade she pulled the small meal to her and began to pluck the feathers merrily. Her tails wagged when ever she looked over at the males, then continues to wag as she began to eat a very much needed meal.
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Tobias
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Post by Tobias on Mar 9, 2010 7:22:41 GMT -5
Tobias watched Keely go back to her meal. His tails still wagged happily behind him. He gave a quick glance to Fyodor. He seemed like an easy wolf to read, someone who didn’t try to hide his feelings. Which was probably a good thing for Keely, as she wasn’t one to dig much below the surface on things like that. Right now he looked worried. Toby realized that this couldn’t be easy for his sister’s mate. He kept his eyes on Keely but spoke to Fyodor. His father had also been known to have trouble with words and over the years Toby had watched his father's friends and observed what had made it easier to speak. He remembered that his father would often have long conversations with the Elder while rarely looking directly at him. In his youth Toby had thought it very rude not to make eye contact, but now he realized that it had taken some of the pressure off his father and made it easier for him to speak. They would often speak while watching the sunset, or spying on a far off herd of game. Something they could both enjoy looking at. Tobias and Fyodor had Keely, whom they both enjoyed being around very much. He hoped it could put the other wolf a little more at ease.
“You know,” he spoke at a gentle pace, quiet enough that Keely probably wouldn’t hear, “I am very happy that I met you first. If I had found Keely on my own and seen her this way,” he paused for a moment as he considered his words. “I am afraid I might have assumed that someone had taken advantage of her.”
He sat down as he continued, still gazing in Keely’s direction, “This all must be very awkward for you. My brother’s and I are used to sharing Keely’s affections. But you had no reason to assume that you would have to. And yet, Obi and I and possibly others in the future have barged into your life demanding that you do so. I could not blame you if you wished that we were not around.”
He smiled thoughtfully and went on, “I cannot speak for my brothers, and I cannot even promise that I will not offer unwanted advice from time to time. But I do respect that while I share a blood bond with Keely, she chose you. And I will do my best to respect that choice, as well as other choices that you two make together.” He smiled and paused, inviting the other to speak if he wished, but not demanding that he do so.
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Fyodor
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Post by Fyodor on Mar 9, 2010 12:13:55 GMT -5
He let his eyes wander to his loving mate who hadn’t started eating yet. She was looking at the males, but soon, began to eat. Fyodor smiled, feeling happy that she was eating. She needed to eat a lot to sustain the puppies inside of her. Then again, Fyodor wasn’t so sure if the puppies would make it out okay. She was an awfully small mother. And it worried him.
Fyodor wanted to share his worries and it seemed that Toby had the same apprehensions. He lowered his ears, “Sh-sh…” He sputtered with his wording for a second before re-establishing himself and starting again. “Keely is the sort of w-wuh-wuhh-wwolf who can eas-s-i-si… who another can take advantage of.”
The wolf did not know a lot about what Toby thought of eye contact, but the old custom was to avert one’s eyes from another wolf to show submission and respect. To do otherwise usually meant a challenge. Most of the wolves here no longer abided by that ancient and instinctive law, but that was what Fyodor took Toby’s averted eyes to mean. Especially with Keely’s enthusiasm, it seemed a mystery. He would have thought the family more new to the times than the passive and polite submission simply because of her brightness.
He gulped and it really was making him nervous. What if he was being rude this whole time? Fyodor checked his tails, kept them raised just a bit higher to ensure Toby that yes, he was of a higher rank. He straightened his posture and looked a bit stiff and uncomfortable. He gave a fierce nod, being too eager to please.
In overwrought words he started, “I accept y-y-y-yo-yuuur-yuuuh…” but before trying to work around that block, he sighed and lowered his head, a bit embarrassed as he let out a melodic and tenor voice, “I accept your blessing. And I accept you into the Republic, as a Plebs.” He let out a cough, as if to hide the fact that he just slipped into song. His pink nose revealed his blush and he knew that despite everything, he probably made a fool out of himself. He lowered his head before slinking to Keely, feeling defeated, but also feeling proud. But the only way you could know that was by seeing that sliver of a smile that faded as quickly as it came.
“Y-y-you done?” He didn’t bother to glance at the quail and gave her a lick on the nose. “He’s in the pack n-n-nnnnow.”
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Keely
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Post by Keely on Mar 9, 2010 22:18:21 GMT -5
Keely munched happily, not to mention a tad ravenously on the tender meal. Feathers were strewn about, there were even a few on her face and head. She had not realized how hungry she was, all she knew was that the food was good and she was glad to have it. Her purple eyes shown as she stripped the last bits of stringy flesh off the hollow bones.
She did not mind that she could not hear the males talking. She was far to preoccupied, she knew that if they were being mean then the voices would be louder. So she was confident that everything was going well. She could merrily enjoy her meal, with out a single care in the world.
She stopped mid-bite as one of the pups gave her a fierce kick. She looked over her shoulder at the offended flank, "Owie....Bo. Be nice to mommy." She had taken to calling the unborn pups Bo. A pet name she had made up, since she had no idea how many or the gender of her offspring. She still wanted to get to know them. So in her mind, addressing them as 'Bo' made it more intimate and familiar.
Her oddly chipper chiding was interrupted by Fyodor. Her tails wavered happily as he nudged her. At his question, she turned back to her meal, assessing the carcass. Yes, it seemed she was done, only a few bits that would be difficult to get without being poked by a bone or claw. "Yes, I think I am!"
She squealed at his last bit of news, "Yay! Toby is in the pack too! Now we can all play with the puppies and be a big happy family!" She considered standing up, but then decided against it, her food was settling still. "We can go see the dens and the under water river! It's really neat, Toby." She would soon be restricted to the underground dwellings so she could whelp in safety. It would be soon. The pack would soon have more tiny little members....
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Tobias
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Post by Tobias on Mar 12, 2010 1:37:32 GMT -5
Toby sighed lightly when Fyodor walked off to Keely. He felt he had utterly failed to make Fyodor comfortable around him. And it was quite possible that he had made it worse. He mentally kicked himself for speaking at all. He should have let Fyodor make the first move in the conversation and headed from there. He worried about what the other wolf thought of him now. Well, he had accepted him into his pack, so he supposed he didn’t think too terribly of him. He had no idea what a Plebs was, but figured that those matters could wait for a while.
Fyodor’s impromptu musical number greatly interested him though. He had heard him speak this way to Keely and now it became clear why. The singing could conquer the stutter. It was very interesting, and he hoped that someday he would be on good enough terms with Fyodor to ask him more about it.
Toby reminded himself that he didn’t need to try so hard. He was still in Obi’s shadow here, but it was still a lot lighter than the combined shadows of five brothers. He needed to just let things happen as they happened.
He followed the male over to where his sister lay, examining the remains of her meal. His negative feelings about himself seemed to evaporate whenever he was near her. He listened to her chortle at the news of his joining the pack and his spirits lifted. “I look forward to seeing it all,” he said with a smile. “But right now, I’m just so happy to see you again that I don’t mind waiting to see the other stuff. I’m happy to just sit here and enjoy your company.” She would be busy with her pups soon, and Toby wanted the moment here with her now. She was such a beacon of goodness and light; he never wanted that to change.
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