Welcome to Canis Major

a wolf and animal rpg (role-playing game)

Canis is a writing community for play-by-post (forum-based), freeform roleplay set in a fictional dream world in the intrusion fantasy genre. Most characters on Canis are wolves; many play elements are focused around wolves and canids, but the world makes room for a large variety of other animal characters such as dogs, horses, cats, bears, deer, and many, many more.

Our community is focused on flexibility, creativity, and collaboration. That boils down to a few important features:

  • There is no set activity requirement to write
  • The setting and plot are member-created and staff-supported
  • The game is continuously improved to increase fun and decrease stress

Learn more in our Rulebook!

P
Sometimes we take chances, sometimes we take pills


Morning Drizzle/Rain
#1
P
Hunter
03-22-2022, 03:33 PM
Normally, Alexei wouldn't traverse the lands where he'd had one of his major panic attacks. And yet, he caught wind, before he'd left for a visit to the plains, of a body of water. Not the ocean, no. He feared he might never get over that. One day, he would have to face his fears. But first, he'd get himself acquainted with the inners of the land he found himself awakened in. Backtracking the way he'd come down the mountains to go back up, he caught wind of the dense, water-like scent in the air. The sun barely reached over the ridges of the mountains, deep within valleys. It did not touch yet. Alexei assumed that midday would be the earliest some crevices would see light. Finding his way through the rolls and jagged ends of the land, he arrived. 

     The crashing of water was enough to make anyone turn their heads and be alerted of the waterfall that spilled over one of the tall edges of the mountains. And below, laid a vast lake with aquamarine water. For a moment, he was caught in the awe, but quickly gathered himself, steering as clear away from the waterfall as he could. It made him nervous, the lake. But it had been days since he'd had anything but the occasional rabbit and one lucky hunt he'd caught with another wolf. He missed the taste of fish. It didn't feel as heavy on his stomach. And it was a flawless day for fishing. He'd found his way here just after sunrise, and a light drizzle tickled his pelt. It'd bring the fish out because of the air not being so hot yet, nor the sun shining too brightly on the water. So Alexei settled as far away as he could. A nest of trees protected a small portion of water. 'Perfect.' He thought. 

      The fisherman took a few very careful steps into the water, wading his way in so that he was only ankle deep. It'd taken him a long time, he recalled, in his home before this, to get this comfortable with the water. Alexei waited, a patient man in the art of fishing. It'd been one of his favorite pass times. His father taught him when he was young how to fish out of rivers and lakes. Water born himself, he'd taken to it quickly. A shadow moved underneath the water and he was quick to strike at it, pinning its slippery scales to the algae tainted sand. Then, quickly, his muzzle dived into the water, clutching it as it slapped his face. He quickly tossed it back onto the ground and pounced along with it, raking his claws through the bottom of the fish and letting it die quickly, and making it easier to avoid fish guts. It was smaller sized, maybe good for a snack. Making sure the fish was dead and secure, Lexi made his way back into the shallow water, giving a few more steps forward, letting the rain dampen his fur outside of the shade of the trees. 

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#2
03-24-2022, 12:49 AM
^^set after the valeska/kuhn thread.

The Amazonian Thornweaver had not been this far south before, but Harper liked to take some time to get to know mother nature and to get to know herself. It would also be considered wise to become familiar with one’s surroundings, which included other packs; times changed, and so did nature, and packs were formed, while others faded.

And being that her son was somewhere out there, living the best life he could live, Harper liked to expand her horizon and travel more in hopes that she’d run into him, or see him in the distance. Any type of real closure, as she’d likely never get that type of closure in regards to her now deceased husband.

So she’d gone south. The first time she’d gone this way was to look for Elysium’s little albino boy, who was lost to the void or had never joined them and that was when she’d found Crux. She noted the growth; the plants of which had broken their dormancy stages, and those evergreens that were already beginning to show signs of new growth. Rose bushes were covered with leaves, though no new buds, and some even had aphids; Skullcap was found here and there, too, and Harper made a mental note to check if Elysium had a supply of them as she was considering expanding her medical knowledge as she was sure that she was their one and only medic.

By the time she’d climbed the mountain and found the little lake hidden at its center, the fisherman was in action. She’d heard the splash of water and the thud of something, and by the time she had reached the source of the sound - he was raking his claws through the fish.

A wolf, eating fish? Or was this the most canine looking feline she ever did come across? An ear flickered, heliotrope eyes flickering towards him as her heart skipped a beat. He looked so much like Hatchet.

Could it be?

No, no. That wasn’t possible, was it? If Crux hadn’t come back from the dead, and nor had Miko, Dimas (thank god), or Annika - then Hatchet, too, was lost. There was no way, but… he had the dark fur, the purple vision - the only thing amiss, or different was the streaks of red.

Red from the blood of his death? Harper stepped forward, slowly, wanting to sniff at him; wanting to push him into the lake to see if the red from his coat would wash off.

Instead, the russian woman smiled and approached him. “хороший день для рыбалки. это был хороший улов.” Harper would greet in her mother tongue, as though testing to see if he knew the language.
^^
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#3
Hunter
03-24-2022, 01:41 PM
      There was an icy sting to the water. The sun hadn't come through the mountain ridges just yet and the water had not had the chance to warm up yet and had only been getting colder because of the drops of rain. It didn't budge Alexei. He'd been in more frigid conditions than this before. Viridescence tainted the surrounding land. Where there was no body of water in the way, of course. Amethyst orbs watch the underneath of the lake, maw close down to make for a quicker strike. He could see clumps of soft algae barely clinging their way onto the sandy underneath. With nothing disturbing them but the soft passing by of fish, the ecosystem, in this spot at least, had not been disturbed in a long time. Until this moment, where he had treaded recently and then stood; the water still around him except for the small ripples caused by the waterfall in the distance. He was focused, waiting for the fish to come to him and not move. He was not a skilled swimmer - or rather, would not be caught dead in the middle of a lake, nor had he found a river to fish out of. Which, he admits, would be much easier. But the shade of the trees overhead made it a delightful spot for fish to come and escape the oncoming sun. 

      Alexei had been so engrossed with the task that he didn't even notice the change of scent in the air nor the paw steps of an oncoming stranger. It hadn't been till her reflection on the water behind him had come into sight, a looming shadow. Before he could twist around fully, she was already speaking to him in a language that he did not know. Confusion spread through the violets of his eyes and he felt like something had his tongue. He'd dealt with language barriers in the past. The fisherman shook his head and tried to determine the look on the woman's face. She was happy from what he could tell, a smile on her lips. He couldn't read if she was just greeting him or if she was asking him a question. With his eyebrows knitted together and the total loss of the hunt at hand, he spoke. "I'm sorry... I only speak common." 
A pitiful excuse, and he wasn't even sure that she would understand what he was saying. So he lifted a paw to his mouth with the same confused look and shook his head once again, trying to execute a move that might tell her he did not speak the same language she spoke, but there were other ways he could try to answer her.  
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#4
03-24-2022, 02:19 PM
^^Harper had, of course, encountered both colder weather and language barriers before. She had taught herself fluent english with the aid of her husband, so that she could speak to her husband’s pack - only to learn that they had wanted little to do with her - but she’d never had this type of reaction before.

This one was quite peculiar in the way that he tried to communicate that he didn’t understand her. Normally, english was used, but he used his body language, too, as a backup in case she didn’t speak the common tongue. And for a moment, Harper pondered how long they could keep this game of charades up.

Harper stared at him for a moment, taking the beauty of him in; not her Hatchet, at least, not a Russian speaking one. Head tilted from side to side and her eyes narrowed; she took a few steps towards him, glancing between him and the water, and back to him. She desperately wanted to push him in.

Ah, but the last time that happened; the last time she shoved a stranger into the lake, had resulted in a fight and Harper wasn’t in the mood for all of that. So she would simply smile and giggle at him.

“Tis good day for fishing. You made nice catch. Swift like feline. ” Harper repeated with a smile as tongue came to roll over her lips, though she wouldn’t eat. Hadn’t really ate much since the last time she saw Crux alive and breathing.
^^
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#5
03-30-2022, 12:30 AM
      The interaction reminded Alexei of the last time he'd seen the silver-backed wolf. The one with the same chain around his neck that Alexei had once as well. How instead of words, they exchanged looks and body language. Even though at the time, Lexi knew the man could understand common but not so much speak it. He remembers that as the second time he had a pair of jaws wrap around his neck. Though the stranger had no such intent on her face — Well, at least not for now. Maybe once she realized he wasn't who she thought he was - or, he didn't answer back in her tongue, maybe they'd face the same situation Alexei had been awhile ago. 

      As if she had the same thought, she took a few steps towards him with her eyes focused. There was a shift in her eyes. From him to the lake. A wake of fear rolled over him as he realized how vulnerable he was with the open water behind him and a stranger at the forefront of escape. There had been one other time when he was like this, and that had been years ago. Or what felt like it? When he was at the top of a waterfall, just like the one in the distance. Caught between two men. Before the full panic of the situation that was starting to unfold before him; the stranger smiled. And then giggled. Alexei's shoulders relaxed slowly as she spoke the same common he did. Her voice held onto consonants from another language, but it wasn't so overbearing that he couldn't tell what she was saying. 

      Alexei nodded to her first statement. It was a good day for fishing. Did she have an eye for the same sort of skills he did? His ears twisted, giving a small dip of his head to her compliment. The nerves of the previous panic were starting to wear off. The once tense muscles had now started to relax. Though, he still knew that he was vulnerable to the water behind him and found himself taking a smaller step towards the shore. 'Swift like a feline,' She stated. "Thank you." 
If anything, his mother had raised a polite boy, even in the weirdest of circumstances.

      The fisherman's violet eyes pried over her, studying her the same way she was with him. She was slim and muscular, not swayed by the cold and rugged territory around them. It seemed she had been shaped by it. "The first thing my father ever taught me to do was fish."
 A brief passage of time happened in his mind, reminding him of the first fish he had caught. It was about the same size as the one that was on shore, next to the stranger. "What language were you speaking?" He murmured, with curiosity written across his face. Though it wouldn't really matter. He wasn't planning on learning another language anytime soon, nor really found the need for it. Except in moments like the one they had found themselves in moments ago. But that was how he learned how to speak without words. In those very few encounters with those that did not know the same tongue as he. 
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#6
03-30-2022, 01:01 AM
^^The Master Gardener might have been a specialist in all that concerned with plant life, but she’d been a fool not to notice the way he acted. Was it anxiety for meeting someone new, or was that a fear of something else? He seemed to relax when she spoke - or was it the giggle that had broken the ice? Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted; she was curious how he ticked; how he worked.

Her eyes lingered to the surface of the water, recalling the last time she’d swam - she’d bathed after her sister’s wife had found her, and then Valeska had found her, jumping on her and riding her like a surfboard into the water. “Yous welcome, friend.” Was he friend, though? Seemed so, at least, for now; he didn’t seem hostile or aggressive. No, no - he was very polite.

He’d taken a step towards the water, and Harper pondered if she, too, should fish although she would not eat it. No, she decided; that was cruel, and if there was anything that Harper was not, she was not cruel - unless there was hatred in her heart. “I speak Russian; am what yous call a liege, but no more. First thing faja ever teached me was hatred for me and love for me sister. You be lucky, it sound like you had good faja.”

Harper would say, eyes on him and the water as she slowly approached, though tabling her desire to yeet him into the water, but to, instead, brush past him and directly into the water herself.

“Does kind strange wish to join lonely Harper for swim?”
^^
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#7
04-07-2022, 12:14 AM

      Alexei, at this moment, felt as if he was an organism underneath a microscope. Sure, anyone who looked at him could tell by his body language that he was naturally a nervous wreck, but the turmoil on the inside was something no one could tell from just looking at him. A million things around him caused the anxiety that ran rampant within him. There was always the initial panic when he returned to this place - even though this was the first time he'd "awoken" again here, it still was as nerve-racking as the first time. To not know anyone. Wandering another lifetime alone.

'Yous welcome, friend.' The thick accented voice rang in his ears, making him look at her in the eyes. Violets stare endlessly into her, as if also trying to read her the same way. Though he was never very good at that skill. Maybe it was his lack of social skills that led to not knowing who was good for him and who was not. A hint of a weak smile pulled at the edges of his lips after hearing the word 'friend'. It was not much, so his smile didn't stay long. But the notion that she did not mean harm made him feel somewhat at ease, as if there wasn't a body of water open behind him.

Russian. Alexei hadn't ever heard of the language but nodded like he did. She then spoke of her 'father'. Any sign of the poor smile that had come onto the man's face for a brief moment was now wiped away. The one thing, out of his life of misfortunes, had been his family. They were everything to him. He'd grown up like any other pup, having some faults with the way the world worked. But he never hated his parents. They'd always done the best they could for him and his siblings. They wanted what was best - and that was why Alexei even tried to live a good life, for the sake of what they wanted for him. Some days, that was all he had to hold on to. "I'm sorry. That's... awful." It was hard to relate. There were never favorites shown by his parents. They loved them all equally, even if they, among themselves, liked one sibling over the other. A sadness shone in the shadows of his amethyst eyes, "He was a very good father." He confirmed, now wishing that he could share his father to those who did not have a good one.

He had barely noticed her stepping closer until she was almost chest to chest with him. He froze like a prey caught in the sight of a predator, as if all might end, seeing his life whirl before his eyes in a reverse reel. But before he could get caught in the depths of his own existence and meaning, she walks past him, brushing shoulders. Even as her voice rang, he still stood still until she was completely past before turning around, his chest slowly moving as he contained himself. "I, uh, I am not a good swimmer." He lied, taking a step back towards the shoreline now that she was in the water. He didn't exit the lake completely, but stayed near to where only his ankles got wet.

Though it was probably not the best of lies, he could come up with, especially since he'd just mentioned he'd been fishing since he could walk. But going through the total horror of how he'd gotten lost from his homeland didn't exactly appeal to him. Especially to someone he'd just met. Quickly, to move on and not be caught up in a lie, he introduced himself. "I'm Alexei, by the way. Alexei Veteris... but, if it's easier, you can call me Lex." He spoke, shifting on his paws - a nervous tick he'd had since he'd developed the ability to lie or get anxious. If either of those came over him, he'd shuffle his paws, shifting in the own weight of his own insecurities.

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#8
04-12-2022, 12:21 AM
^^Perhaps Alexei felt like he was an organism under a microscope because he was, but Harper was not looking for weaknesses or advantages that she could have over him despite her size and muscular appearance, but rather, instead - she searched for injuries.

There had been none to note, so she’d gone about her way, brushing past him and into the lake as he smiled ever so softly, as if anything bold or too aggressive would frighten her. Very little frightened her these days. She never had anyone aside from Crux apologize for the beings and ways of Dimas, her alleged father, though she smiled weakly in reply, nodding her head.

“Alexee Veteris, hi. I am Harper Bacchus, of Elysium. We are a peaceful folk, so long as you are nice first.” That was the motto, wasn’t it? She didn’t know, but she knew they were welcoming and not mean like some folks around here might be.

“Nice to meet you, but how does one fish for a living yet can not swim? Or you be like Amaranth? Fearful of water? Is kay, if you are - would like company, is all.” She smiled sweetly at him, coming to the shallow ends of the lake, and resting her head on the surface.

“Where does Alexee hail from?”
^^
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#9
04-18-2022, 10:57 PM


 The water around the lake churned softly, with meaning and reason, given life from the roaring waterfall. It was unlike the two that stood there, not too much of strangers now but without meaning and maybe some little reasoning for how they both ended up here. Death or new given life for what purpose was now up to those who awoke. Alexei's eyes didn't move from the other female. Nothing about her seemed to resonate anything bad. She just seemed like another weary soul. He watched the way her face contorted from the mention of her father and instantly felt bad - but he would have felt worse if the apology did not drop from his mouth. To blatantly ignore or brush past it felt... evil. Ignorance was surely bliss, but he'd been enlightened with the truth, and for hers, he was sorry. 

 And then, the stranger finally introduced herself in return for his own. 'I am Harper Bacchus of Elysium. We are a peaceful folk, so as long as you are nice first.' It seemed true, from the fact that she had not come right out of the gate as hostile. Her accent had been thick, making the sentence tougher to understand, but he managed easily, letting his ears tilt to the tune of her voice. "Harper of Elysium..." Alexei murmured, softly, taking in the information for himself and letting it cross his tongue. There were quite a few territories that'd been marked around here, that he'd passed around in hopes of not causing any trouble. Harper's scent didn't give off one that he'd passed, not yet, at least. 

 As quick as he tried to glide by his lie of not being a good swimmer, he'd been caught in it pretty easily. Then again, it was an awful lie. He wasn't fantastic at that kind of thing. He'd always been more honest than anything. But then she mentioned a name; Amaranth. A woman who was fearful of water, one that had to be close to Harper if she knew her name. "Yes... I..." How do you explain it? The crushing weight of thousands of waves overtop of you as you quick and scream for someone, and yet not even the God who watched over you answers? And you are left to die. Then, you wake to two teenage girls on some land you've never heard of. Fearful of water was an understatement. "Water and I have an odd relationship." 
He states, one of his front paws lifting and pushing somewhat at the water, making small ripples in it. Violet eyes drop to the ripples, watching them one by one fade away. He only daydreams for a second before snapping out of it and returning his gaze to hers. "Company would be nice. It's been awhile." He answered, watching her come in to the shore a little more. He gave another weak smile, unsure of how to give a full one in the trials of each day. It'd been a while since he had anything more than small talk. He settled into the feeling of company and found a round stone that breached the water, sitting down on it. 

 'Where does Alexee hail from?' The smile stayed on his lips, unknown to him, as he answered. "Agrid. I'm sure it's... far beyond anything near here. But that is home. Agrid." He concludes, with a firm nod. No matter how many places he'd been, that would always be where he was from, no matter the time that passed between. He'd never forget home. "What about you? This isn't your true home, is it?"
 He asked, somewhat knowing the answer wouldn't much differ from his. Wolves from "around" here had awoken here with no recollection of their past lives and some that remembered it all. He was in between the two, teetering on finding memories and digging for others. 

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#10
04-18-2022, 11:22 PM
^^Harper of Elysium. Beautiful. He had breathed, as if they had been the two most angelic names on the face of the earth. Only, those weren’t Alexei’s words. They had come from Crux. And now, staring at a different man, Harper envisioned her husband; the man she would forever long for, because he was no longer here.

Gods, how she missed him.

And once upon a time, Harper had thought this to be the afterlife - but if that were true, where the hell was he? Where was her mother? Her dead brother and sister? Not here. Not anywhere. Her vision had only lasted a moment, gone as he began speaking again, this time about the water.

So he was fearful of the clear liquid, too, and Harper wondered if there was something amiss about the water that she had missed out on. Should she, too, be afraid? An ear flickered as she went deep in though, though still focused on him and actually seeing him this time.

“Alexee of Agrid.” Harper whispered softly, though shaking her head to his question. “The earth ate me, and I found meself here.” It was true. She’d been involved in a mudslide, and arrived in Canis half buried alive, and it was Amaranth who had found her.

Ah, it seemed like such a lifetime ago.

“Me sister, Valeska, and I are from the north. A pack in the tundra.. ” only, she and her mother had been exiled when Harper was very young, and she had spent her life in the mountains. “We were, uh, cast out, for being… born.” She said, simply, lowering her eyes, recalling how if she had not been born at all, maybe things would have been different.

“So, why do Alexee fish if you’s uh… has bad feels for the water? Why not do a thing you enjoy? Like, uh.. ” Harper paused to look at him happily, “what do you enjoy besides the slippery fishies?”
^^
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#11
04-30-2022, 06:02 PM


 'Alexee of Agrid...' It felt so foreign to be called that, after all this time. Of course, he still was that man, maturing little by little and becoming more of a man of the world than just Alexei of Agrid. Though he missed those days too, the ones where he had Moira. Now, he seemed to have no friends - they'd been taken away by whatever time vortex he'd went through - since this surely was not death. Maybe purgatory of some sort. 'The earth ate me, and I found myself here.' Alexei's eyes widened as he heard that the earth had swallowed her. "That must have been.. terrifying." Maybe almost as terrifying as being tumbled like a rock in the ocean. "I woke up here... two years ago. Then I guess I... Well, I went to sleep and woke up.. a year later." He turned his head away, glancing down at his reflection once more. All he had was himself. Though, he was glad he'd woken up, in a sleeping sense, then getting here by being eaten alive by the ground. 

 Alexei's eyebrows knitted together, with his eyes softening, glancing back to her browning pattern of her pelt. 'We were, uh, cast out, for being… born.' Pity filled the man's purple eyes. Sure, he'd had some difficulties. But nothing like this poor woman. Being cast out for being born? Alexei's parents would have never let that happen to him - or any of the other kids within the commune. "They don't know what they lost then. I'm so sorry. That..." He cleared his throat of any lumps that might have formed there and looked at her dead in the eyes, "I wish you had my parents they... would have never let you go. Well, until you are a yearling, we are sent off to find adventure... But we can always return." He stated, his heart weakening at the thought of returning, a feat he could never do. 

 Harper's questions turned to his fear of water. The man shifted slightly on his paws, feeling an anxiety set in. He didn't want to be seen as weak for his trauma of the water. Nor did he really feel like anyone would understand fully. "It used to be something I enjoyed a lot..." His vocal chords moved in a softer tone, as if yearning for another time - for his past self. "But I had an accident. And I haven't been the same since." He admitted to her, finding his gaze set past her and to the waterfall. There might have been a point, when he was at the height of his life (with Moira) and would have jumped off the high dive into the water. But now? He'd have to be forced off. 

 A soft chuckle came from his lips when she asked what other things he enjoyed besides 'slippery fishies.' It was cute, he thought. He tried to recall something he liked other than fishing, but drew a blank. He tried to remember back to his youth and remembered one thing, "Well... uh, it's been a while. But I used to enjoy a good game of tag." He remembered a long time ago, after his accident, playing tag with a snow-dressed woman and having a good time. It felt like eons ago. "But by myself? I travel a lot... Or, I have been... There hasn't been really anytime to... find out what I like, I guess." A man lost in time and always on the move, it'd been a long time since he had really anytime to spend with him - he tried to avoid it at all costs, even though it was the thing he was the most. Alone. He kept his mind busy with other things and taking in the sights. 

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#12
05-10-2022, 04:51 AM
^^This has been the first time that Harper had truly spoken this much about her past. Even her arrival to Canis, an entire year ago now, felt so strange to discuss. Alexei was a man of emotions, Harper was slowly figuring it out, as he spoke about how truly terrifying it had been to be eaten alive by the earth.

The earth, which harbored Harper’s passion for plants and nature, had eaten her alive and then spit her back out. Whereas Alexei had fallen asleep and woken an entire year later. She hadn’t known that to happen to anyone before.

They don’t know what they lost, he had said. How would he know, then, what they had lost? She hadn’t had a chance to ask, as he grew serious and looked her in the eyes. “That… honestly… has to be the nicest thing anyone has ever tell me before.. ” Harper said softly, her ears lowering.

He was a stranger, yet this had been the nicest encounter she’d ever had, to date, excluding the time she’d met Crux and Mordecai, of course.

He spoke of an accident and her heart weakened for him, almost knowing what that was like, to have something he loved being stripped away from him. In her case, that had been Crux. Not quite an accident there, though, was it?

“Ahs, I am sorry. I.. know what it like, to love something so fiercely, only to have it taken away.. ” Harper frowned, glad that he had some enjoyment in his life besides the slippery fishes.

He spoke of tag, and Harper arched her brows. Oh, that’s awkward, Harper didn’t know what tag was! “Tag? What’s that?” Harper tilted her head innocently, blinking up at him with curious eyes and the wag of her tail.

“Travel nice, too; I like it, more better with company, me thinks. I travel lots for work, since I am healer; I need special herbs, for casting and injury, and things.. Luckily me alpha sister allows the travel, so long as I check in from time to time. She do worry, though she not show it most of time. Does Alexee have family near, too?”
^^
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#13
05-11-2022, 10:12 PM


 Confusion takes root in the core of Alexei's brain. It's as if everything else has faded away. The newness of her, of a stranger. The waterfall's loud rush ebbs into the background as her voice became the loudest thing in his mind. Lexi's eyebrows crinkle together in perplexity, the two separate white eyebrows becoming almost one. 'The nicest thing...?' It echoed through his mind. After all, he had been through in his life, in Harper's eyes reflecting back at him, he could see a world of pain that he had the luck of never experiencing. And all at once, he felt guilt for someone he didn't even know that well. "I..." What do you even say to that? "Life... isn't always kind. But that does not mean that we should be forsaken by it, or wish for more, or for a stranger to tell you what is the truth.Alexei murmured to her, trying to piece together the words that fluttered through his mindscape. 

 It felt like a lifetime that passed between his words and the next, as if they were tending to their own hurt. An ache in his heart intensified for her, pulsing with the same shared hurt, the same longing. But he does not mention it. He kept the wound that he had sewn long ago from splitting back open to fester. Even if it oozed at times, he could not manage to rip it apart, fearing that the next time it would not heal again. Harper managed to make him speechless, which was a hard thing to do for the rambling man. "I.. am sorry." He didn't know what else to say. He also knew that saying sorry would not fix her, but maybe show her that not all would take her losses for granted. "Life is unfair." He concluded, especially for her. He wished to bear the cross of her burdens, but time was never that kind. 

 'Tag? What's that?' In that moment, she looked like a child, innocent and curious as to what sort of game he was mentioning. He could barely manage a small smile, his heart still in strung out from her former confessions. Before he can show her what it is — she spoke of travel. Another thing he found that he sort of liked. It wasn't like he didn't, but he knew little else from it. He'd been on the road so long, it definitely felt like something he liked to do, but couldn't be certain of it. "It is most definitely better with company. Oh? My mother... she taught me some things about healing. Like dandelions, help with headaches and pain." He remembered his mother fondly, always offering him the yellow flowers to chew on before bed or before a big day. He had chronic headaches that plagued him from time to time. "Sister...?" He wondered if this was the same sister she'd been left in the dust for, but kept his tongue. He didn't know he that well to comment. "Alpha, huh? That must be nice, right? Being close to an alpha you can trust." Vaguely, he can recall a time when he was that close too, to the leader of his old group. 

 The question did the obvious thing of hitting him right in the gut, like a sucker punch. It seemed they were unloading a cornucopia of trauma. "No. I haven't..." His jaw locked as he took a shuddering breath, looking away from her. Slowly, the world seemed to revive around him. He could hear the rushing of the water in his ears once more. "No." He finished, letting a deep exhale out. It was easier to keep it short, instead of mull over it again, like he did every night before he slipped away into sleep. 

 A flutter in his chest reminded him of her previous inquiry. About tag. He couldn't really muster a smile up, but forced it anyway as he looked back at her. "You know, tag is pretty easy." His voice somewhat trailed off as he took a step closer and pushed his nose against her shoulder before stepping backwards quickly. "You're it! That means you have to tag me back. And then I'm it, and so on, until we tire out." Even in explaining it, revitalizes him, as if telling her reverts him somewhat back to his youth. Behind him, his tail wavers in a sway, as he readies his paws for a game. 

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#14
Medic
05-30-2022, 11:06 PM
^^Life is unfair, breathed Alexee, and really, that was the understatement of Harper’s entire existence. Everything had always been unfair; the way she had been treated, and still, even into adulthood, it was always as if she had been given the shortest possible stick that there ever could have been.

Alexee had been one of the kindest men that she had met, thus far, apologizing to her for the way her life had been, and had turned out to be. She would smile and shake her head; it was not his fault, of course. “It is alright, friend.” Harper would say, softly, speaking as though they had been old friends.

Another smile, though different from the last, would brighten her face as they spoke, though briefly, on the topic of family and medicines. “It was me momma who taught me, too. After momma and me was thrown out of zee pack, cus her lover thought she cheated. She didn’t cheat; she just had me and Miko in the belly when she danced with him. She teach me herbs, and medicines, so I never have to depend on another, for anything, as she had. Dandelion good weed,”

Harper would confirm with a nod of her head, chuckling with a shrug when he remarked about the alpha-sister relationship. “Is nice, yes.” She’d never really discussed her relationship with her sister before. Everyone knew they were sisters, despite not looking alike, and no one had ever asked questions, or made discussion of it. “She is… sunshines and rainbows, and whatever you’s think of with the word happy. She is all I’ve got left,” Harper allowed her voice to trail off as Alexee looked away from her, causing Harper to wonder if she’d said something wrong.

He made a swift recovery, though, taking a step closer to her, and pushing his nose against her shoulder. She was it, he’d said, because when you play tag, that makes you ‘it’, and well.. Harper blinked and tilted her head, glancing over at him for a moment.

And then she charged.

Playfully, of course.
^^
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#15
07-10-2022, 03:03 PM
 

 Even though life was unfair. It had its moments. Like this one. The beginning of something new. It was sure surprising how one moment it could be terribly lonely and the next, not. Both of them had learned from the both of their mothers how to heal. Alexei also learned that Harper's childhood seemed worse than he could imagine. All he wanted to do was reach out and hug her, take it all away. Which probably would have been weird if he, a stranger, reached out to hug her for a past he just learned about. But he couldn't help it. Knowing that childhood for others had been such a struggle to get through, and all he had was some rift between him and his family. Where others had lost their families or had been kicked out of them. He felt small in that moment, like he could do nothing but express his sorry and wish for the better. "Well, she sounds like a very good mom, to teach you what you need to know to get by." 

 Alexei listened, his wars twitching at the words she'd speak about her sister. 'She is all I've got left.' He'd weakly smile at that, remembering the last seconds until he parted with his closest sibling. "Then you should hang on to her as long as you can." He whispered, wishing that he'd just stayed with them. 

 As soon as the rules were explained, Harper got them right away and started to charge at him. His heart sped up, a rush of adrenaline pumping through his veins. He dashed towards the shoreline and felt his paws dig against the mix of wet sand and water. A smile pulled across his lips. A real one — not one that was made of obligation, but pure, elated joy. 

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