Friends With The Monster.

He wasn't sure what exactly force compelled him to arrive here.

The pale light of the sun behind cloudy skies offered a lovely backdrop,  if only he knew how to appreciate such things. Slipping carefully over the rocks, he felt oddly refreshed inhaling the thin air. Stomach rumbling from the sudden exertion, he caught the wiff of something and decided to once again let curiosity take hold.

It wasn't long before he found it, a small quivering lump of rabbit stranded among the waste. Wide eyed as he approached, it gave one desperate attempt to flee before jaws of ruin descended. A sharp and bitter squeal, then silence once again. Blood flowing down his throat,  reminding himself of all the scars left behind. Another careless glance around,  unable to convince himself he was satisfied yet.

He settled down to devour the thing, the sound of crunching bones reverberating around the peaks. Is this what it felt like to be alive again? Well, he never was very good at estimating anyway.
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@Satchel

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 Crux's fiery eyes followed the stranger as he hunted a rabbit. He himself was resting under a jutting crag, patiently watching the world around him go on. The monochromatic wolf rose out of the shadows as the stranger tucked into his meal, quietly panting to himself on approach. “Nice catch.” A simple statement said by the wolf as he sat, stretching out on one of the warming rocks a good ten feet from the other. This was one of the first wolves he'd met in person after waking up in this strange land.

 He eyed the stranger curiously. Had he also woken on this strange new world with only fragments of memories from before? “You a regular in this forest?” This area wasn't too far from his waking spot and where he'd left Mordecai for the time being, but it was still full of flourishing life and those strange red leaves up above. They hung about them, clearing way for this interaction. Bluebirds chattered about far above, clearly disinterested in the two wolves below them. Too far to eat, too far to be of concern.

 Crux tilted his head slightly at the stranger. Would he allow a potential food rival to rest so close to his meal? Crux himself wasn't hungry, but this stranger had no way to know that.

+1 Formation Point

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He hadn't expected to run into handsome this early.

Bristling sharply for a moment,  he cast a gaze of absolute wildfire upon this sudden yet interesting intrusion.  Had it been another lifetime, the monstrous hostility he once contained might have chosen different for him. However this was now, and with a  slight sharp inhale he for once tried to see if things could be different.

And so he arose slowly,  sitting up tall and firm. Deciding the most neutral reaction he could offer was perhaps to take it slow. He eyed the man all over, no shame in his eyes as he appreciated those rugged outlines. How long had it been since he had the chance to dance with a stranger? "Hopefully it will be." he offered back, flirt dripping heavy with each syllable.  If he was to start brand new here, perhaps it would be nice to have a few good entanglements along the way. 

Rising up upon his wicked paws, he took the time to stretch out fully and shake off. He was reasonably sure now this was a friendly meet and greet, and the tension flooded out of his veins. He then turned his attention once more upon his company,  taking a few slow steps forth as he scooped the rabbit up. This was a big lesson in trusting himself,  that he could change if he wanted.  To offer things up instead of relentlessly destroy. He approached a few feet away and scooted the meal over in a gesture of good will.

" I come from the desert, honestly." this was much better than the wastelands, a sudden appreciation for the scenery.  And he wasn't just thinking about the mountains. "Have you been here long?" a soft tone in his voice, wondering if this boy was just as lost as he. In that case, it might be fate.
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 The stranger reacted as expected at first - bristling to Crux's presence and staring him down with equally fiery eyes. Crux regarded him calmly, sure of himself and his footing... would the stranger attempt an attack? He watched intently, curious... and oh, curiouser! The stranger was giving him the eyes, demeanor instantly changing into something a bit more... interested? He raised his brows with a pleasant “Oh?” His lips twisted into a sly smile, returning the interesting roll of eyes across the stranger's form. “Well then, welcome to Bleakwood.” He gave an exaggerated bow, using this moment to continue to check the stranger out... from a different angle.

 He was handsome, vibrant against the shifting blue shadows that Bleakwood cast upon him. When he shook out his coat, Crux couldn't help but admire it. He scolded himself for getting so distracted, but he couldn't help it. The white fur was mesmerizing and it had been a long time since Crux had earned anyone's attentions.

 The bluebirds continued their song up above and he watched as the lean white wolf approached, offering the rabbit. Ever the gracious host, he would not turn down an offering - so he gave a thank-you nod and turned his head down, still observing the stranger but quickly removing a leg from the corpse, swallowing a gulp of the meat from the leg neatly. He then sat back to allow his new friend to have a turn at the meat. “Not long, but I woke in the woods not far from here,” he tossed his head to the side, indicating towards the distance. His waking spot was far enough into the black-limbed trees and the blue fog that it wasn't to be seen. “The desert? That must have been something, what brings you here?” He gave a sly smile. “I'm Crux, by the by.” And you are?

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Oh how long had it been?

A sharp and subtle twist of his heart, mesmerized by those eyes of gunfire. So very much like his own. Admittedly he was slightly flattered when the man choose to accept his offer, doing ok to keep it cool. Just because he hadn't seen a sight this nice in forever didn't mean he had to go be an idiot. A slow inky smile as he adjusted once more, grateful for the cool breeze to offset the sudden heat stirring within.

A welcome was offered, and for a moment he dared it not to be true. After all, he had not pledged himself to something in a very very long time. Perhaps though, just perhaps, this might be a good idea.  "So that's what this place is called." a silky smoothness to his voice, taking the opportunity to slide just ever closer.  "I'm not exactly sure, but perhaps I might have found it." a sudden cock of the eyebrow, before he turned away entirely. Best not to give away too much at once.

A name was offered up. Crux. How... delicious.  He was not one for such sudden introductions,  but heck perhaps the very fact of not being was what he just needed to change. And so he glanced over his shoulder,  as relaxed as he felt in a while. "You can call me Satchel." a slight inhale, beginning to wonder what exactly might be happening.  "So tell me, what are your plans for the future?" startled that he might actually give a shit for once, but something about this just felt, well different.
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 For now, though he didn't know it yet. That was meta knowledge and in polite society, one does not know meta knowledge.

 The forest around them seemed to shift slightly, the wind picking up slightly and rolling through. Crux couldn't help but be distracted by the leaves as they drifted down to land among the two males. He gave a cheeky grin to Satchel. “This forest seems pretty... special today for some reason...” It wasn't just that they were stuck in an eternal autumn.

 Crux smirked as Satchel shifted ever closer, flirting yet again. Oh, Crux was intrigued and entranced. He hadn't had a lover in... well, he hadn't had a proper lover in a long time, if ever. He'd always been attracted to males and females, but this was the first time any male had actually come on to him and honestly... he was loving it. “Oh?” Even when the other turned away suddenly, Crux made a step to follow.

 Ah, Satchel. The speckled male smiled at that, coming closer as the white wolf peered over his shoulder back at him. “For now, I've made camp with a few friends,” he drawled, “but who knows what's to come, hm?” Or who's to come. He tilted his head the other way, peering down his nose at Satchel - though of course, not in a derogatory or patronizing way. This was a nice angle, too.

 “What about you?” he asked, smirk still on his lips, “What are your plans for the future?”

+2 Formation Point

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There was just something about this man.

He inhaled the sweet air, yet it didn't compare to t was he sudden rush of everything.  Satchel was   NOT a shy beast, yet here he almost felt compelled to turn away. The energy was more then he cared to appreciate in some time. Perhaps it was not so difficult to imagine after all, he could eventually perhaps be worthy of such endeavors. It had been a long time coming,  since he felt something worth trying for.

At the mention of camp, he did indeed become interested.  But who was he to invite himself? A careful glance at the man, still flowing with as much positivity as someone like him could muster. Was he looking for a home? No. Did he want one? Yes. A sharp inhalation and then he decided Fuck it. If he wanted to truly heal, if he REALLY wanted to be a better construct, then perhaps it was just this. Being brave, for once.

"I don't suppose you could use a healer?" softly winching at the offer, suppressing the knowledge that the only reason he was so good at fixing things was because he was just as good at breaking them. However there was a soothing sense along side it, and he wasn't sure why but this, this was ok. Perhaps it was the company. A small smile, and then he left it to fate.

"I can't promise much,  my dear Crux." steadying his voice as he suddenly glanced away. " But you have my word I will do my best." a single slow wag of the tail, breathing out once again.  If only he could get over himself already.

+2 Formation Points

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 After Crux's brief explanation, Satchel seemed to think about what he said for a long moment before suddenly deciding to make a move - towards the growing pack. “We absolutely could do with a healer!” So far of their gathered few... yeah, there were no healers, a fact that could prove deadly if a disease or a rough landing ever caught them unaware.

 What was this? The white wolf seemed almost bashful now? He felt suddenly that he was being a bit much so he decided to back off of the flirtation just a little, instead settling into a pleasant smile. “That's all we can really do, right? Our best?” He returned an encouraging smile, tail drifting in a wag. The speckled wolf could see great things coming out of this, though he felt deep in the pit of his gut growing nerves. The more faces they saw and brought to the camp, the more real it all became.

 No longer was he the little pup, following in his mother's footsteps. Now, he had wolves depending on him. It was scary, but with a deep inhale that ended in a sigh, he was determined to do his best in this new position that he'd made for himself. His head tilted in patient question, “I can show you the way to the camp, hm?”

 This was the start of something great.

+2 Formation Points

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