spiders crawling up your back

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for @Reiko

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It had been nearly three months since the Cinnabons of Shiroshika had last seen each other and that simply would not do. Cirilla needed her friend, and since her friend had gone missing - though not really, Cirilla had just assumed that she was busy - Cirilla had taken it upon herself to hunt the empress down.

Besides, she needed answers about Gyr, and she felt that if anyone could help her with this mystery, it was Reiko. Or rather, she assumed such, anyway; how could their all powerful leader not know who was behind the removal of her dear friend’s leg? Cirilla felt if she better understood the situation, that could help her with getting her butterfly back on her feet.

So she’d come to the place where she'd originally met with Reiko. Only this time, Reiko wasn’t there. So Cirilla sat down and sang for her. Once her song was done, she’d go around chasing cherry blossom petals in the meantime.

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As much as she would love to visit @Quicksilver every day and leave little gifts for him, she had duties to attend to on most days. It wouldn't be acceptable for her to run off every day, leaving them behind while she tries to fix what may not even be capable of being mended. The druid was worth it, worth the effort, but would, could they forgive her for trying - especially her only daughter who needed her mother around to raise her properly?

After all, wouldn't he just find it annoying if she did? Already things were pretty bad between them, maybe if it was daily he would only see it as harassing.

A call rang out to her from the blossom grove, a welcomed distraction from her dizzying thoughts. Summoning the Empress to watch for a moment as Cirilla chased the falling blossoms. With a simple wave of her tail the little woman would approach with a smile, trying to push away the distracting thoughts that would try to take her attention away from the brindle girl. “Cirilla-chan, you called for me?”

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^^Cirilla chased the falling blossoms, allowing some to gather on her coat. She’d even managed to catch one; jumping to chomp at the air, ang wagging her tail when she caught one. And feeling like she was being watched, Cirilla looked over her shoulder to find her Empress. Oh, there she was! Hopefully, Reiko wasn’t too busy and could take a little time out to talk with her.

She approached with the wag of her tail and the nod of her head, despite being confused by the name Reiko had called her. Cirilla-chan? What did that mean? “I did!” Cirilla cooed softly, placing the cherry blossom that she’d caught on the ground, gently. “It has been too long since I’ve seen you and I was worried for you. Is that silly? You know, since you’re the empress?” But surely, even the empress needed someone to worry over her.

“How have you been, friend? Good, I hope?”

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The cherry blossoms were a strange place. The blossoms renewed all through spring and summer, and now even during the autumn days as though the seasons themselves didn't affect this particular land. There was a certain charm that came with the fading blossoms of spring. That their beauty and delicate petals were fleeting just as time and life was - though the permanence of these didn't take away from their beauty, it still came off as strange as it sucked away all the meaning behind appreciating their brief shine.

At least Cirilla seemed to be enjoying it all. Chasing the petals and they drifted through the breeze and catching one to bring as she approached Reiko.

It turns out Cirilla was worried for her. It wasn't too surprising considering they looked up to her as their only leader within the pack - but also, Reiko wasn't accustomed to such a feeling. Normally it was her worrying for others, not the other way around. And so she smiled as a response. “It is not silly at all.”

“I have.” She'd lie, an innocent white lie. “There is much going on and I have been... occupied.” Hopefully, that would ease any worries - it was better than saying she was dealing with heartbreak and just simply having a breakdown all the while trying to hold everyone else together. “How has the pack been treating you Cirilla? Any signs of the strange deer you seek?”

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^^Cirilla was a heart-on-her-sleeve sort of girl that became attached a little too easily, and was also very protective of those that she deemed were worthy of it. Reiko was one of those; not to mention that she reminded Cirilla of the sister that she abandoned, back home. But she needed a fresh start; away from Renfri, away from Snowdrift, and best of all, away from Shade.

And while she’d told herself to be more careful, and more selective about who she trusted and became attached to, it almost felt like Cirilla hadn’t learned her lesson. Some part of Cirilla wanted to reach out and hold Reiko, though she couldn’t tell why. Her eyes narrowed and her brows arched.

“I regretfully admit that I haven’t met everyone yet, but those that I have, have been welcoming and kind. I met the most awkward fellow, and a lovely lady!” Cue tail wagging. “ No deer, though. I did meet Tiberius, who I thought was my deer from a distance, but heh.. No deer. ” Cirilla giggled softly, shaking her head.

“Oh, but! I was, uhh.. ” No, Cirilla, don’t get nervous now! We’ve gone too far; you’ve already opened your big, fat mouth. “..uhh, if you needed any assistance, with anything? In general, or um, with the pack? I’d like… ” to not feel like a nobody, y’know? But instead, what came out was: “... to do more, y’know? Be more… helpful to you and the pack?”

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Cirilla spoke of meeting a couple of individuals since she started staying with them. One was vague as who it could be, any number of females of the pack could fit that description... but there was only one man who would fit "awkward fellow". @Stark was a painfully awkward individual, but as far as Reiko was concerned, he was kind regardless of how strange or out of sorts he seemed. It was ood to hear that others thought he too was kind.

“Tiberius is quite large.” She'd giggle in return, thinking back to the large dark man who was certainly an intimidating sight at a distance. He lacked the headdress that deer and their cousins held so it was strange to believe that Cirilla would truly mistake the man for an ungulate - but then again, maybe she saw him at a strange angle.

Cirilla was anxious to do more within the pack. A feeling that was quite honestly... quite comforting to know. “Hmmm...” Placing a single paw just below her chin, she would ponder what would be good for Cirilla to do. What they needed was one thing... but was it appropriate for the curly-tailed woman? was it too much to ask? “Tiberius needs more assistance in watching the borders... Would that be too much to ask of you Cirilla? We can always do with more hunters for food if border patrol is not for you.”

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Cirilla, who was literally a cinnabon in doge form, took a moment to consider this. It was not quite what the Akita Inu had in store when she asked for a more permanent place within the pack, but if it was what the pack needed, then Cirilla would certainly do her best. She wasn’t all muscle, or even all that big, but if Reiko trusted it, then Cirilla trusted Reiko’s judgement. Perhaps they needed someone who wasn't as intimidating as Tiberius? Her ears flickered around as she considered it with the nod of her head.

“I won’t know if it’s too much without first trying it. And if it’s too much, I’m sure we can figure something else out, too, right? Perhaps I’ll find this moose of mine during one of my patrols. Could you tell me what else this position does? Or is it just patrolling? ”

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“Absolutely!” Of course, they needed patrolling to be done, to alleviate the stress that @Tiberius had of feeling it was solely on his shoulders. That didn't mean that she would force it on others either who didn't feel quite comfortable doing so. Reiko did what she could in refreshing the borders and watching them when she could, so perhaps Cirilla could do the same.

“Maybe you shall!” When it came to the strange deer Cirilla was hunting, anything was possible in these new lands she supposed. “It is really easy, but necessary.” She'd start off by explaining patrols in layman's terms. “It helps keep our border makers strong and watch for trouble or trespassers. Maybe even see if anyone nearby needs help. You just walk along its outskirts and keep your eyes peeled - any dangerous individuals feel free to send out a call for help! If that doesn't scare them off, everyone will come rushing to help.”

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^^Cirilla was silent for a few moments after Reiko had explained everything, nodding her head an’ otherwise going deep in thought for a moment. “Well, if this is what Shiroshika or you.. need, then I would be happy to do this, for now. I, er, I don’t mean to be ungrateful, or picky… I don’t really think I’m built for danger, like Tiberius is.” And nor was this something that she could see herself doing for an extended period of time. Everything was a stepping stone to where she really wanted to be, and hopefully, Reiko wouldn’t be too offended that Cirilla would choose not to be a patrol-woman for too long.

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“I do not expect you to put yourself in danger.” She shook her head at Cirilla's thoughts on the matter. “Even to just be an extra set of eyes and send an alarm for Antares or Tiberius to come and deal with the intruder would be plenty of help.” That way no one could sneak by their borders and cause more damage by the time they'd be apprehended by their guards. “That is what I do after all~” She sang back. The Empress was also not a fighter. She couldn't do much against any assailant other than being a squeaky toy for them to enjoy should they catch her.

“The guards cannot be everywhere at once, and they need extra eyes to help them watch. That is all.”

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^^Cirilla’s brows arched with the tilt of her head in the way that dogs do when they’re confused. Cirilla was literally trying to picture the empress doing something more important with her time than patrolling, when she had other wolves doing that for her. In Cirilla’s mind, being an empress was more than the grunt work that everyone else had to do. Cirilla was undecided how she felt about the empress doing patrols. 

“I’m surprised Shiroshika only has two guards for such a big place.. ” and that the empress spends her time patrolling?? The last alpha she knew had been her adoptive mother, who was not on the same level of warmth as Reiko, but rather, much colder and had always seen herself as being above everyone else. Whereas Reiko… was almost a different breed of alpha/empress altogether. 

“Nope, I’m not falling for it.” Cirilla decided that Reiko was playing games. She barked, shaking her head in a playful manner. “Come on, you really expect me to believe that the empress of Shiroshika, really patrols like everyone else?” Cirilla smirked, sticking out her tongue in a playful manner.

 

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“Yes... we are looking for more.” There were just a few who were looking for a place like Shiroshika to stay long-term. There were stronger packs out there that piqued their interest, more so than a peace-loving empire. Or perhaps the thought of having few guards and more work placed on their plates due to the lack of co-workers might be enough to scare them away; which was fair.

They did have Vera for a while as well... but that didn't work out. A thought she would keep to herself, not knowing if Cirilla knew of that whole ordeal yet or no, and not wishing to draw a dark cloud over their so far pleasant conversation. “I am afraid Tiberius and Antares are so overworked.” Which was a big reason why she too would spend some time patrolling when there was little else to do.

A look of surprise came to her as Cirilla called her out. Wide blue eyes slightly crossed as she focussed on the girl. “I do!” She cried in a playful, over-dramatic plea. “Would you like to join me on one now?” With a sway of her tail, she wondered if Cirilla would feel more comfortable seeing that it wasn't as scary as she thought. That it was mostly boring truth be told.

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