Seeking Advice [Dae+Lir]

[Heika]

do i dare, disturb the Not for the first time since she's accepted the role of alpha, Iiona's mind was abuzz and her eyes were narrowed, a sign of concentrated thought, as she made her way through the forest. Swallowed up by the trees behind her was the grove in which she had left Halcyon to his slumber. Quite frankly, she hadn't expected an event of this nature to have occurred so quickly since she had taken control of the pack. The channel was a formidable obstacle, and, as far as she knew, most wolves chose to leave it well alone. It was far from a common sighting for strangers to wash ashore on Sharktooth Island's beach, but, now that one has, there were many more problems Iiona had to face. For one, even though he had acted respectful, how much of his actions were genuine, and how much was just a farce intended to fool her? Moreover, with the introduction of the Goddess, Chaos, could he hold any truly dangerous powers, one that could threaten the wellbeing of the entire pack? Question after question swirled through her brain, and the fact that she had no answers bothered her. Iiona needed some advice, and she could only think of one wolf to ask. Breaking through the tree line, she took a deep breath, enjoying how the misty breeze from the falls dampened her fur and cooled her off. For all her years on the Island, even Iiona had to admit that the weather sometimes got too hot for comfort. Smiling up at the waterfall, Iiona remembered momentarily scenes from the past; she saw herself playing with other pups in the waters, learning to swim together as her father and the den-sitter watched over them, gazes a mix of reserved caution and unbridled pride. But, those days were long over, and she had her duties to take care of. Usually, the old wolf would be around here, resting his aching limbs and chatting with the rest of the pride, especially with the noontime sun looming overhead. It seemed like, however, he was inclined to change his schedule for the day.  Should I continue to look for him, or should I bring him to me? Iiona mused for a moment, glancing down at the rippling water as she contemplated her choices. Normally, she wouldn't have a problem with following his scent and tracking him down, but... She turned her head skyward and flinched against the bright sunlight. The sun right now was just a little much. I guess I'll call him here. Tilting her muzzle up, Iiona released a throaty howl, a rich note that reverberated against the surrounding trees before escaping into the impossibly blue sky. It was sound loud enough to be heard from almost anywhere on the Island, and, deciding she had dragged it on long enough, Iiona sat back on her haunches. He would be here soon.  W O R D S 484 T A G daemitra N O T E S I hope this is good! UNIVERSE

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
ORIGINAL PHOTO © DON BURKETT



[daemitra]

 TAG: Heika | NOTES: I hope this isn't too bad for #1 post

The sun was too bright. A grunt escaped his maw as he padded along the trail, the trees were only a short way ahead of him but his eyes squinted and his ears lay back slightly. Aelyx was on in his years, his joints started to ache, eyesight was reduced slightly and his fur was greying, even simple light from the sun was almost too much. He hadn't been to the falls yet, this time he decided to take a walk, a path he hadn't explored in years. His joints protested, but he didn't mind too much, it wasn't much farther. His bicolored eyes lifted once more at the friendly greeting of  shade and the gentle breeze brushing against his face. 
A howl flowed in the breeze, a rich note that resonated in his head. Iiona was calling for him. The midnight male's ears perked, but he did not increase his speed, she would know he was coming and likely didn't expect him to be there the moment she called for him. He wondered what she could be calling for, obviously his council, however he couldn't be sure what it was for this time around. 
Breaking the treeline once more, he inhaled the misty air of the familiar falls as his eyes settled on the newest alphess. 
"Iiona," he greeted coolly, a note of fondness finding his voice. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, bringing his haunches to the ground. Gods, his joints were aching, shouting silent complaints through his nerves.  

And if you're still breathing

you're the lucky ones. cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Heika]

do i dare, disturb the Upon hearing the familiar voice, Iiona's ears pricked up and the corners of her lips rose in a welcoming smile. "Aelyx," she greeted the shaman easily. "How are you today? Where did you go earlier?" It was no secret to her that his joints have been bothering him as of late, and Iiona was always amazed that, despite his age, Aelyx was still able to go about his duties as diligently as ever. It was one of the many things she respected him for. Well, that and the fact that he had always been there for her, even as a pup. Even now, she still sought him out for his council.  Clearing her throat, Iiona took a moment to glance around, making sure that the two of them were completely alone before elaborating on the situation. She would introduce Halcyon to the rest of the pack at a later time, and it wouldn't do for gossip and rumors to start floating around before she had the chance to state the truth. Satisfied that there were no other wolves in the near proximity, Iiona began speaking. "Aelyx, a wolf washed up on the beach today. He calls himself Halcyon. He's from the mainland, and he looks to stay..." Trailing off, Iiona considered the stranger she had left sleeping in the grove barely an hour ago. She was assured in her decision to allow him respite. He had just made the swim to the Island. She doubted he had the physical capabilities to swim back, and after that run in with a jellyfish, no less. Halcyon's leg would be a mess for a day or two. Still, what happens once he heals was uncertain. Could she really risk allowing him to stay here? With the pack going through a tough time, and the sudden arrival of the Goddess Chaos granting powers left and right...  Halcyon could very well prove to be a force to be reckoned with, and Iiona wasn't sure he was entirely interesting in a mutually beneficial relationship. W O R D S 338 T A G daemitra N O T E S It's great! :D UNIVERSE

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
ORIGINAL PHOTO © DON BURKETT

[daemitra]

 TAG: Heika | NOTES: xyz

    The male watched her attentively, her expressions matching his own. She hadn't seemed to change much through her years, he was happy for that. Aelyx tilted his head when she began to speak, hanging onto every word she said.
    "I'm well as always," He said while taking a deep breath in. "I decided to take a walk, stretch out these old bones," a chuckle rumbled in his throat as he motioned towards where he came from. "It's a nice place and I hadn't visited there in ages."
    He watched her look around, checking their surroundings with a goofy smile and tilted his head once more to the opposite side. Was it really that important to be kept a secret? 'A wolf washed up on the beach'. He hadn't even met the wolf and he already didn't like the idea. Distrust swirled deep in his stomach. he'd like to meet this Halcyon before passing any real judgement on him. 
    Aelyx's facial features twisted slightly, one of his ears laying flat. Outsiders tended to cause trouble and were more hassle than they were worth, but he never outright rejected another wolf just because of it. It didn't mean he had to trust them, though. A small grumble fell from his maw. "And you left him where?" He asked softly as he scanned her face. Halcyon obviously hadn't hurt her, or shown any aggression; otherwise she wouldn't have called Aelyx here for his council.         

And if you're still breathing

you're the lucky ones. cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Heika]

do i dare, disturb the As she spoke, Iiona picked up on Aelyx's unrest almost immediately. For good reason too, she relented. Outsiders were outsiders; for every one that could be trusted, there was another that couldn't be. You just never knew with wolves from the mainland. They had their own set of politics, their own guidelines, some of which were nearly impossible for Iiona to wrap her head around. All the same, she didn't feel like it would be fair to deny Halcyon a chance just based on what-ifs and maybes. After all, her own father was proof that, sometimes, the risk was worth it. "He's currently resting in a grove near the shore," Iiona said, glancing back in the direction she had come from. "He was injured pretty badly while swimming here. From what I can tell, it's a jellyfish's sting and he'll live. But, it appeared to be hurting pretty badly. He's not in any state to be swimming back to the mainland right now." Returning her focus to the ancient shaman, she met his stare evenly. "Aelyx," she started, pausing for a moment in hesitation before continuing on. "You know I respect you, but if you suggest that we force Halcyon off the Island, I will have to disagree with you. Right now, he's trying his best to recover. He's the farthest thing from a threat, and he wouldn't have anywhere to go if we made him leave. Even if we don't accept him into the pack, at the very least we should allow him somewhere to recover. And, I hope you'll agree with me." W O R D S 264 T A G daemitra N O T E S xxx UNIVERSE

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
ORIGINAL PHOTO © DON BURKETT

[daemitra]

 TAG: Heika | NOTES: xyz

    Aelyx sighed softly, his eyes softening. An open heart. He admired her for it, he couldn't be said to think the same way. "I never said cast him off," he chuckled, "Outsiders can be troublesome, so you must understand my worry, however, there are wolves - much like your father - who prove to have pure intentions." 
    The salt and pepper colored male sat pensive for a moment, remembering when her Aia had accepted Baye into the pack as her mate. He had been partial to the idea, though the others were not. He was good for Aia and he felt a faint throb in his heart. 
    "I'd like to meet him. I can't say I can pass effective judgement knowing as little as I do. Has anyone tended to his wounds?" he said slowly, his gut protested as it always did, he wished he could side with it, trying to discern what others intentions were was risky, and if Halcyon were healed, who knew what he would do. It took everything in him to not cringe at the words he spoke, everything about it was against his nature, however, he trusted his Alphess and her judgement as well.
    

And if you're still breathing

you're the lucky ones. cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Lirriel]

had me feeling like a ghost,

"Oh? The rat didn't drown?"

It was a casual question, called from the edge of the waterside clearing, as a slender shape emerged from thick foliage. Salome padded toward the pair with the carelessness afforded one of his position. He was comfortable in the shadows and out, but it had quickly become apparent from the pair's conversation that he would be meeting this Halcyon quickly enough, given how quickly Iiona had rebuffed the old shaman. Something that rolled between indulgent smirk and lazy smile clung to the fisher's lips.

"You weren't exactly quiet," he added almost as an after-thought, a careless rebuke that toed the line between callous and concerned. He opened his mouth wide in a yawn, then ducked his head in a brief nod of respect toward Aelyx's authority as the shaman of their pack and as an elder who had seen Salome grow from pup to adult to council member. They weren't quite equal, with such a large age gap between them, but Salome wasn't about to show disrespect. In comparison, Iiona received a short switch of his tail, an acknowledgement though whether he meant for it to come off as condescending (like calming an overly-invested pup) was a secret he kept close to his chest.

Then, before either asked what he meant by that, he clarified: "We heard the summoning howl, and I figured it was my... duty, to go see why our newest alpha would seek to summon the shaman. Perhaps a council meeting?" He left unsaid that he was also a council member and that to summon one was to summon them all. There were no secrets on the council, at least not any that Salome was not privy to.

At last, he inclined his head toward Iiona, as if finally allowing her to speak. He did not offer what he knew of the stranger, nor how his fishers were doing. There was the unspoken assurance that the pack's bellies would be filled for another day. As for this one called Halcyon, well - he had not arrived in time to hear the pair's beginning, but he had come soon enough to learn they spoke of the crazed wolf he had watched try to cross onto the island. He hadn't believed Iiona was stupid enough to so generously accept wolves they knew nothing about, but he was not quick to voice his dissatisfaction as the elder wolf had been. No, he would wait and observe and learn the full juicy details before he made his judgement known. It was only fair the loner, after all, and Salome was never anything if not fair.

that's what i hate the most.

tag: Heika && daemitra
words:probs not his final lyrics but lol
photo credit to sas r. at dawnthieves

[Heika]

do i dare, disturb the When Aelyx reassured her that he had no intention to take any drastic measures, Iiona allowed herself to relax a bit. The fur that had unconsciously stood up along the length of her spine settled again, and she felt a bittersweet twinge leap through her chest at the mention of her father. "Of course," Iiona responded to Aelyx's request to meet Halcyon face-to-face. "But, he's resting right now and I'd prefer to leave him be for a little longer. Also, I offered to make him a poultice earlier, but he said that he would be fine without it. The wound wasn't terrible. At most, I suspect it will scar, but he's been lucky enough to avoid any poisonous sea creatures." "Oh? The rat didn't drown?" Iiona could recognize that voice and the sarcastic, teasing tone anywhere. "Salome," she greeted him tersely as he revealed himself; she should have been more diligent in making sure that the area around them was empty. But, while his sudden appearance was surprising, it certainly wasn't a surprise. Salome liked to keep up-to-date with any new developments on the Island. If anything, Iiona should've been wondering why he didn't show up sooner. Still his dismissive tail wag irked her, and she had to remind herself not to grow too testy as he waited for her to explain. "No, not quite a meeting," Iiona answered as she glanced at the shaman quickly before meeting Salome's eyes. "A wolf from the mainland, Halcyon, has come to the Island, and he hopes to join the pack. I was merely asking Aelyx for his opinion on the matter, as he has had experience with these kinds of situations before. Also," her eyes narrowed, an obvious warning. "If you had seen him earlier, why didn't you let me know?" W O R D S 299 T A G daemitra Lirriel N O T E S Man Iiona talks a lot lmao UNIVERSE

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
ORIGINAL PHOTO © DON BURKETT

[daemitra]

 TAG: Heika Lirriel  | NOTES: I totally pulled this out of thin air, I'm so sorry lol

    Jet black ears perked and he didn't need to turn to know who spoke. Aelyx turned his head to look to Salome. His eyes narrowed only a fraction at his dismissive tone toward Iiona. She may be young, but she was still their alpha and deserved to be treated as such. However, for the moment, Aelyx held his tongue. 
    "Ah, Salome," he replied, "glad you could join us." When Iiona questioned why she hadn't been informed of the newest arrival, though, the old Shaman quieted down, looking between the alphess and the lead fisher. Surly, he had a good reason for not telling her, or it could be the simple fact that he didn't care whether Halcyon survived or not. Halcyon seemed to be no trouble, however, he could also be taking advantage of his wound to scope out competition. Though not all rogue wolves that landed here had such intentions, however, they didn't know him. Something still just didn't sit right with the elder, perhaps he was just set in his old ways.
While the alphess settled the problem with Salome, Aelyx fixed his eyes on the ground in front of him, one ear pressed back in contemplation. 

And if you're still breathing

you're the lucky ones. cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.

credit to nat of adoxography.

[Lirriel]

Oh mother, tell your children,

A smile crossed Salome's face as the pair welcomed him, Iiona with obvious discomfort - and wasn't that such a shame, darling - and Aelyx with the genial ignorance of an old man, blinded to their power struggle. Not that Salome considered it a true power struggle, of course. Iiona was safely situated in her position so long as the pack supported her, and it did Salome good to have the pack support her.

It made flaunting his disregard for her position all the more satisfying. Not that he would ever stoop to outright rudeness. That was arrogance built from ineptitude and an unworthy sense of self-worth. Salome was no fool to his true worth in the pack, nor was he blind to the pack's fear that lingered right beneath the surface of its relationship to him. Fear could easily flip to outrage and his position could just as easily be stripped of him. He was not eager to be powerless again, so for now he only dabbled in his dalliances. Only hinted at his dislike of Iiona's virtuous goodness, built upon the love of a doting father, foolish friends, and a pack longing for the return of a ghost gone too soon.

""No, not quite a meeting." Salome continued to smile blithely. He was well aware it had not been a meeting, had only spoken the words to needle Iiona further. He tilted his head toward her, indulging her tendency to prattle. "A wolf from the mainland, Halcyon, has come to the Island, and he hopes to join the pack. I was merely asking Aelyx for his opinion on the matter, as he has had experience with these kinds of situations before."

On and on and on. It was easy enough to guess the stranger was from the mainland - there really was nowhere else for him to come from, considering they lived on an island. But Salome did not interrupt her, only letting his grin grow slightly larger, baring his canines, before he yawned, pinning one ear back. He nodded agreeably to her last words; yes, certainly their elder would have some sort of experience. Good of her to seek his council, though it seemed she had already decided for herself what would happen to the newcomer. Why bother asking for Aelyx's opinion at all, then? Because it made her look like a better alpha? As if she were not the princess and guaranteed to get her way due to the shaman's blind affection for her.

Oh, here it came. He knew she wasn't slow. "If you had seen him earlier, why didn't you let me know?"

He flicked both his ears back and allowed an expression of innocent dismay to cross his face. "You know I would not abandon my duties, Iiona!" As you would, was said in the silence that briefly followed. "Besides," he added with a shrug of his skinny shoulders, "when I first saw him, he was closer to the mainland." An almost mischievous look crossed his face and his eyes narrowed slyly, "I thought the mainlanders had learned to fish at last. Poor dry-pelts."

Too much? Perhaps, but he was eager to see how far her defense of the stranger went. Whether she would let emotions hamper her reasoning; that she cared so much that he had seen the newcomer was interesting. He met her eyes squarely, daring her to push back.

Aelyx was not forgotten, but Salome was far more willing to speak reasonably when faced with the shaman's questions. And hadn't his reasoning been perfectly justifiable? One did not cease their activities to go gallivanting upon the island when there were many mouths to feed.

Not to do what I have done.

tag: Heika && daemitra
words:Round one: FIGHT!
photo credit to sas r. at dawnthieves

[Heika]

DO I DARE, DISTURB THE UNIVERSE?

For a moment, Iiona felt a rush of irritation burn beneath her pelt. There was an urge simmering within her that told her to defend Halcyon, to rebuke Salome for his obvious insults. But, that feeling departed as quickly as it came, chased away by a sudden rush of logic and self-awareness. Why did she care so much about Halcyon’s image? Yes, she intended to offer him shelter until he was healed, but did she really have any business caring about whether or not Salome scorned him? A part of her tried to reason that she was merely annoyed by the fisher’s arrogance, the way he spoke as though everyone else were dimwits and he was having the time of his life toying with them. Yet, Iiona knew that was only a part of it. There was more to why she wanted to protect Halcyon from Salome’s scathing tongue, but she just couldn’t understand why. Regardless, she really could not fault Salome, at least not for the excuse he had put out, even though she knew that he would hardly have lifted a paw even if he was off duty. Her father had seen something in Salome, and had been completely responsible for promoting him to his position on the Council. Despite trusting her father and his choices entirely, Iiona really could not understand his thinking behind promoting him. She had heard the rumors floating around, and, even though she did not believe them entirely, she was well aware that hearsay was often derived from the truth. Moreover, Salome had hardly done much to prove the whispers floating in the wind wrong. “You know I would not abandon my duties, Iiona! Besides, when I first saw him, he was closer to the mainland. I thought the mainlanders had learned to fish at last. Poor dry-pelts.” Brushing aside his insinuation with nothing more than a dry stare — she would not fall for his bait — Iiona replied wryly, “I’m sure that the pack would not have starved to death if you took a moment to alert me to his presence, although I do thank you for your dedication.” Settling back on her haunches, she took a moment to compose herself, to return to a state of neutrality, before adding, “Well, since you are here, I may as well ask for your thoughts as well."

394	daemitra Lirriel
Iiona uses her signature move: "I'm so fucking done with you"!

ORIGINAL PHOTO © DON BURKETT

[daemitra]

 TAG: Heika Lirriel | NOTES: Didn't know what to put sorry LOL

Aelyx looked between the two wolves, eyes widened with the authority Iiona was emitting and the nonchalance Salome radiated. The old wolf knew his place and was not spoken to and so kept his muzzle shut on the fact, only letting his bicolored gaze switch between the alphess and her lead fisher. 

And if you're still breathing

you're the lucky ones. cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.

credit to nat of adoxography.