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Meeting
Jul 3, 2012 20:40:52 GMT -5
Post by Tala on Jul 3, 2012 20:40:52 GMT -5
This is for a scene dealing with Skahla, Ahiga and Tala after the fourm scene 'Guests'. Ute members only please.
After leaving Tala and Ahiga made there way down to the lowlands, and spent a good amount of time talking and then stayed there the rest of the night it would seem. Tala is still curled up within the grasses, her head settled upon her forepaws with a slight yawn escaping her.
Her head slowly lifts, nose twitches and she licks across her maw, a forepaw lifting to rub across her face a few times in the process. She slowly shifts, stretching in the process and slowly sits herself up onto her haunches. A yawn escaping her and she licks across her maw before sending her gaze over the area too see if Ahiga is still around, or anyone else for that matter.
Many things are on her mind at the moment, and a lot of it deals with the pack, along with the conversation that Ahiga and herself had the night before. Her gaze lifts up to the sky to watch the clouds slowly pass by before a faint sgh escapes her.
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Post by Ahiga on Jul 4, 2012 1:26:19 GMT -5
Ahiga has gotten some things off of his chest, and that has succeeded in calming the wolf down enough to finally get some rest. His talk with Tala has been fruitful to an extent. There are still some things left to sort through, messes left to clean up, but for now things between him and her are settled. One down ... how many to go?
But for now he slumbers, quieting his restless mind enough to find sleep for a few hours, fur shifting with the breeze. It's Tala's awakening that rouses him, ears turning here and there before his mind even finds consciousness. Meh? A wide yawn parts his muzzle, and with the heavy exhale he opens his eyes. He sits up slowly, rising to all focus to shake, stretch, and yawn again. Current events rush back to his wakeful mind now, causing a grim look to touch his face. There are still things needing to be taken care of.
"Hey," he says, spying Tala who he now approaches, greeting with a gentle nuzzle. "Got a feelin' it's gonna be a long day today."
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Meeting
Jul 4, 2012 22:31:04 GMT -5
Post by Therdde on Jul 4, 2012 22:31:04 GMT -5
Is there such a thing as short days within the pack, the potentially failing pack, known as Ute? If there are, Skahla has never experienced one. Or at least, not in a long time. Against every precedent he set, he set himself against the three young wolves who have for a long time been the heart of this pack yesterday, in one way or another... and now to deal with the fall out of that.
Still, his primary goal is to take what blame there is for himself. And so, having spoken with his daughter and having spent an evening alone, allowing the young wolves to calm down from a meeting with wolves they didn't like to start, Skahla is seeking out not only Tala and Ahiga, but Ikuna as well. And whoever he comes across first? Well, that is the confortation that he will have first.
Despite the way he thinks about these conversations that are to be had, the wolf seems surprisingly relaxed as he walks, allowing his nose to guide him to where he hopes he can begin to pick up some pieces from the day before. Not for his sake. He doesn't particularly care if any of them dislike him. He never has, or rather, he has never had the vaguest idea of how to keep others from disliking him. But his brother stood behind him last night, and stood against their sister and the wolf who has been as a brother to them for a long time. He won't have that friendship fail if there is anything he can do about it.
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Post by Tala on Jul 5, 2012 1:59:06 GMT -5
Tala nods slowly while she tilts her head to look over to Ahiga, a soft smile seen an she takes in a soft breath. "I know Ahiga.. We just got to take it one step at a time you know?"
She shifts up onto her paws and gives herself a good shake and stretches before scratches at her side with a paw. Her ears perk forward, nose twitching while her head lifts as she peers around a moment. It doesn't take her too long to catch sight of Skahla and she takes in a soft breath. "There's Skahla.." This is murmured to Ahiga as she watches her elder brother getting closer.
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Meeting
Jul 5, 2012 15:48:18 GMT -5
Post by Ahiga on Jul 5, 2012 15:48:18 GMT -5
One step at a time. They say the first step is the hardest, right? well, Ahiga will have to wait and see just how true that statement really is.
Her latter words has his ears pricking, and he follows her eyes to the distance in which he can see the form of an approaching wolf. Skahla for sure. A breath is taken in and exhaled slowly and deeply, as he nods to her. "Yup..." is his reply, giving her a sidelong glance. "What do you think it'll be? All out yell fest or will he skip the chit chat 'n just start usin' us as chew things?" Not that Skahla has ever shown any violent tendencies towards packmates, but Ahiga knows not what to expect. It isn't as if he's ever been reprimanded by their alpha before.
"Or maybe he'll guilt us to death," he continues lowly, eyes returning to Skahla. "How we've shamed the Ute name an' made the pack look so awful." All words are spoken with an air of carelessness, though his attention remains sharp, expression guarded. He falls quiet as Skahla draws nearer, keeping himself next to Tala, greeting the older male with a 'get it over with' sort of look.
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Meeting
Jul 5, 2012 16:42:50 GMT -5
Post by Therdde on Jul 5, 2012 16:42:50 GMT -5
As Skahla's wandering, the same wandering he did through all of his childhood and continued once he was forced, too quickly, to grow up and take over for his father, a pelt he was ill suited to fill, takes him further, he does not only notice two of the three wolves he was seeking. He also notices the fact that he has been noticed, and for a few seconds, he stops walking. As ill suited as he was to become alpha, he is ill suited for this. He has no choice, but he also has no idea what he is going to say, and that is the reason he hesitates so obviously.
He does have no choice, though, and so eventually his paws start moving again, perhaps of their own accord since he cannot make the conscious choice to do so. And when he is close enough, his voice carries all of the authoritarianism that it did yesterday, a quality that does not fit his voice. And yet, his tail and head are held high. He is not content to simply be their pawn, dragged out when the younger generation needs someone to look official. Not anymore.
"Don't look at me that way, Ahiga. I am not going to pretend that I've earned, deserve, or expect your respect, but there are things that do. So it is my fault that those things do not have your respect, not yet, but... do not look at me that way, all the same." Apparently, all of the recent practice that Skahla has had, talking when he would sooner be alone with his thoughts, has done the aging alpha some little good. Whether this will keep when he retreats again, as he will inevitably do once this most recent of Ute crises passes, remains to be seen.
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Meeting
Jul 5, 2012 17:47:30 GMT -5
Post by Tala on Jul 5, 2012 17:47:30 GMT -5
"Who knows...Just have to wait and see I suppose." Tala says with a faint murmur back to Ahiga while her blue gaze settles on Skahla watching him. Her nose twitches while she sniffs out to see if Ikuna may be around, though not at the moment it seems.
There has never been a relationship between Skahla and Tala, as if something kept it from happening. Not that Tala didn't try a couple of times, but perhaps she could have tryed harder? She makes no move to stand as the alpha moves closer to Ahiga and herself, she presses her shoulder against Ahiga's for a moment.
A ear flicks as she hears Skahla and a slight smirk crosses her maw. "What do you wish to say Skahla?" Is soon questioned. Might as well get the ball rolling. Pawn? Tala has never seen Skahla as a pawn, she was hoping something else could have came from the meeting with Brutal and Grim but it seems her thoughts was wrong on the matter seeing how her dear brother basicly opened his paws and allowed the two brothers into the pack without a thought to how the others may have felt on the matter.
"We don't want to keep you from your more important pressing matter after all." Whatever they could possible be.
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Post by Ahiga on Jul 6, 2012 0:44:02 GMT -5
Pawn surely isn’t the word Ahiga would choose to use to describe Skahla. Currently, there are likely many colorful adjectives that he’d choose, but pawn definitely isn’t one of them. But truly, did they drag him out to take care of the problem that was Brutal and Grim? And on that issue, should they have to have dragged him out for it, or is it something that should’ve already been on his radar, as their leader, and took the initiative the deal with on his own? Perhaps that’s the real issue.
The alpha’s words has the edges of Ahiga’s muzzle faintly quirking down, and his ears flick backwards in response. “Tell me then, how’m I supposed to be looking at you? I...” On second thought...he’d better not. Further remarks are snarky, as the wolf tends to be, which likely is not the best way to handle this at all. And so instead of digging a deeper hole for himself, the young wolf closes his mouth and shifts his eyes from Skahla to instead settle his gaze upon an unimportant section of grass somewhere to his right. If he can’t fix the expression, might as well direct it elsewhere, right? He says nothing as Tala questions her brother. This is, after all, why he’s here isn’t it? To speak to them about their behavior. Chastise and punish. “No need to sugarcoat.” Brutal’s done enough of that to last a lifetime. Ahiga? More of a straight shooter.
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Post by Therdde on Jul 6, 2012 3:51:54 GMT -5
The mostly absentee alpha forces himself to keep a straight expression as the younger wolves speak to him. He does not frown, and he certainly refuses to look apologetic, even if it is painful to hear both of them speak to him that way. Not that they aren't justified, but it is still painful.
A deep breath comes from the white wolf, and then he says, in that same tone of voice, "Fine. I expect you to apologise to my brother, Ahiga. To our brother. I never asked for any of you to agree with me, but I could not have been more disappointed to hear you speak to him the way he did for the fact that he was supporting his alpha. Because I'm sure this seems a long time off to you, and to you as well Tala, but there will come a day when Ute has an alpha who deserves that respect and support again. Have I made myself clear?"
They didn't want him to sugar coat anything? Very well. He has done everything he can to get the most vicious words from his muzzle first, even if it makes him feel like, his absenteeism aside, he will never again have the ability to try to joke awkwardly with the younger wolves and let them know how much he approves of their initiative and their friendship with each other. It is the least of the prices he has had to pay for his absences, considering the death of one of his pups, the ill health of another, and his missing mate, but it seems he feels it more deeply.
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Meeting
Jul 6, 2012 10:02:47 GMT -5
Post by Tala on Jul 6, 2012 10:02:47 GMT -5
"You've failed to see so many things Skahla. We have always supported you, and stood up for you. Even when you would't come to us and do the same." Tala says this with a soft, yet firm tone. Her whole life an this is most likely the longest the two have even spoken to one another. A ear twitches towards Ahiga as she stays pressed close to him, closeness helps at times like this.
Her tail flicks slowly as she shakes her head, a ear flicking towards Ahiga a moment. "To many things have changed.. To much has happened.. An now your going to allow two wolves which the /three/ of us have issues with to be guest of the pack?" A snort is heard at the thought.
"Though I suppose like everything else time will show why that is such a bad idea." No, she doesn't trust Brutal or Grim in the least, though with everything that has happened throughout her life, trusting is not high on her list of things to do after all.
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Meeting
Jul 6, 2012 22:34:04 GMT -5
Post by Ahiga on Jul 6, 2012 22:34:04 GMT -5
Apologize? Ahiga’s ears press forward a little at the word. Funnily enough, the same word that caused the hissed phrase to be spoken to Ikuna in the first place. Like before, the command to retract his sentiments it isn’t taken with grace, and his alert ears gently smooth backward again. “You’d think he’d wanna hear me say I’m sorry jus’ because you told me to? This ain’t got nothin’ to do with him supportin’ you. Hell, y’think we don’t? We all but frickin’ raised your pups for you, an’ we weren’t nothin’ but half pups ourselves. Asku bailed. Wachiwa left, for whatever reason, durin’ the worst season to leave on her pointless Spirit chase.”
And look how well that worked out for her!
“Others left without even sayin' why or bye. /We/ stuck around an’ did everything to keep /your/ pups alive, fed, an’ healthy. We kept the borders. Don’t say that we didn’t support you all this time because’ve this one thing. As for Ikuna..” Here, he could be very belligerent, show his youthful attitude that begs to burst through, shoving the fear of consequence aside. And truly, what consequence could there be? Decisions have already been made, and thus what Skahla has to say or what he does really makes no difference, right? Maybe. But … despite whether or not that is true, Ahiga holds his tongue. Outright defiance is not the way to handle this. Sharp words are not the key. And thus he takes a moment, a few beats of his heart, before finishing the statement. “That’s between us, an’ that goes back before yesterday. We’ll deal with that. Ourselves.”
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Post by Therdde on Jul 7, 2012 5:41:01 GMT -5
This generation of Ute, the three wolves who spent their puphoods with no proper parents around, have done plenty of things that Skahla would consider stupid. No more than Skahla did when he was young. Possibly even less than Skahla did when he was young, although with further reaching consequences. Never, though, has he had reason to bare his teeth at them. He does now, as the fur along the back of his neck rises. Even for this, though, he still doesn't move any further forward. Even for this, his expression remains somewhat calmer than the bared teeth might command.
When he speaks, finally, there is no growl in his voice. If he is troubled by setting himself against these young wolves, however, it no longer shows. "I don't really care what he wants, Ahiga. I never have." That's a lie, and a bad one. Skahla has always wished he might be capable of being more than simply an older brother and a distant alpha to these three wolves. He simply never knew how to do it, and perhaps that suits his purposes now. "He wanted to run off after you the moment you left, ran off like little pups because the two of you are unwilling to provide the same courtesies to wolves outside the pack that we have all had for ourselves. Do I really have to tell you the reason why he didn't?"
Skahla shakes his head as though to answer his own question, for as he pretends not to care about what Ikuna wants, he truly doesn't care whether they don't understand that the only reason their friend, their brother, did not try to find them and make things right immediately is because Skahla told him not to. "What I care about is what he needs and what he doesn't, and what he doesn't is the two of you blaming him because he hasn't decided that he is tired of supporting me yet. Cast what accusations you want about me, but you keep them on me. I allowed Wachiwa to leave. I all but drove my brother away. I didn't take care of my pups, or my mate. And I am the one making decisions that one of my packmates, for whatever reason, still respects. The least you could do is give him a chance to explain why he still respects them before you decides that you are no longer going to support your alpha."
The emphasis in Skahla's voice should make his point clear. He has always seen Ikuna as the ringleader of the three... and Skahla is on his way out. Sooner rather than later. All of his feelings that he has to be there for the pack have only served to show him how much he continues not to be, and it is too late to change that. But Ikuna can be. Wants to be. Ikuna is willing to listen to those tales of Ute lore, to allow Skahla's final wishes as alpha to be a guiding force behind his own decisions. He seems willing to do everything that Skahla never could, and it is why Ikuna's needs, in this instance, are more important to him than Ahiga's needs or Tala's needs.
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Meeting
Jul 7, 2012 20:31:53 GMT -5
Post by Tala on Jul 7, 2012 20:31:53 GMT -5
Tala's ears lower as she hears Ahiga, an then a bit more as she hears Skahla, her blue gaze rests upon her older brother. There is a mixure of anger, sorrow an unsureness resting in that gaze of her's. "Skahla.. Beyond todays issue Ahiga an I have always supported you, defended you and did everything we possible could to help /you/. Yet you always managed to find some way, some inch to make sure what we did didn't matter."
She shifts up onto her paws while she watches Skahla. "As for Ikuna, I do respect him. An I have -never- blamed him for anything." Her tail lashes a few times and she takes in a faint breath. She has thought the ame as of Ikuna, the leader an in her mind he is a good one.
A glance is sent to Ahiga watching him a few moments before her gaze turns back to Skahla. "I will speak with Ikuna.. An after that I will be leaving the pack."
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Meeting
Jul 7, 2012 21:33:08 GMT -5
Post by Ahiga on Jul 7, 2012 21:33:08 GMT -5
Skahla’s posturing, the lifting of his hackles and showing of fangs, has Ahiga tensing, though it’s not the sort of tensing that hints at an attack. Please. This is not that sort of meeting, and despite how angry or frustrated he may be or has ever been, he has never brought harm to one of his packmates. Er … intentional harm. Ikuna’s crooked tail was pure accident! Any lashing, at least from him, has strictly been verbal.
Snerk. Yeah right. If Skahla doesn’t care about what Ikuna wants, then Ahiga is a fairy wolf prince from another land. And ‘yeah right’ is automatically written on his expression as soon as that false truth slides unconvincingly from Skahla’s mouth. Of the three of them, Ikuna has the best relationship with their alpha. They are brothers, after all, and Ikuna has been the one that’s always seemed to swallow the Ute pill a bit easier. At least, in comparison to him. He’s the one with the interest in the stories. The histories. So of course that relationship is better. He’s never been jealous of it, nor has he wanted it. But Ikuna’s drive to be that picture of Ute perfection to his Alpha brother may be just the thing that’s pushing Ahiga away.
“I already told you, Skaha. Me ‘n Ikuna will deal that with that ourselves.” Meaning, he has plans to talk to Ikuna, likely when tempers aren’t so flared.. though deflaring is becoming a bit more difficult now! What comes from that is difficult to say. “Can I have a minute to be pissed off without you jumpin’ on my back to make up with him? This ain’t the first time I’ve been mad at him. He’s my..” Er … alpha? He pauses there, brows furrowing in a difficult to read look. But what is obvious is that the look is not one of brotherly joy. His eyes drift to Tala as she speaks, and the edges his muzzle faintly twitches down as she speaks of leaving. Surely that wasn’t the can of worms he wished to deal with right now, not without them speaking with Ikuna first as planned but..oh well.
“Perfect,” murmured, though whether the word is directed to Skahla or Tala is unclear, as his gaze is on neither now. “Well then!” he gives his body a slight shake, “That clears some things up. I’ll send my congrats to him while I’m at it,” he says, ears lifting as he regards Skahla.
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Post by Therdde on Jul 8, 2012 3:22:44 GMT -5
Skahla takes a step back to look at Tala as much as he does Ahiga. This was a mistake, clearly, as so many things he has done over the course of his alphaship. He is not going to retreat without a few more words, though, because while Ahiga might see Skahla's gestures as mere posturing, they are not the sort of thing he can control. The alpha is truly upset.
"You've made up your minds. And you're both adults. I'm not going to try to stop you from leaving. From throwing your little temper tantrum because you don't want to give wolves who aren't your friends a cautious second chance." Oh no. Skahla is not pleased with this 'adult' decision that these two young wolves are making, but they are free to make it all the same.
"But I will make it clear what you've made you minds up on, because I have not been the one standing here saying the things that you have done haven't mattered. That they haven't been appreciated. If you two want to put words into my mouth, you are welcome to it, but I suggest you wait until I'm not here to do it."
Skahla with help them with that, too. He keeps an eye on them for a second, but he hardly expects to be attacked by either of the youths, so he soon turns around. Only, there's one thing left to say, isn't there? "You might want to think about how you congratulate him before you decide your minute is up. I don't think he has realised it yet any more than you two had."
The thought of his brother readily taking charge while blithely not recognising what that might mean causes a twitch of Skahla's muzzle ever through his upset feelings. Perhaps he might redouble his efforts to find Ikuna before Ahiga manages, because one more talk with his brother might be appreciated, if not by Ikuna is that young male is still upset with him, then at least by Skahla.
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