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
show me how you defend paradise


Late Evening Fog
#1
P
Elysium
Paladin
09-22-2022, 11:09 PM
ooc; friendly spar with @Amaranth
 
Having been allowed over the border in Elysium didn't feel like a treat but a privileged action. She walked a bit away, exhausted by the festival. Not for anything negative but her own feelings. Tallulah hadn't been around a group in what felt like forever. She felt like ants buzzed under her fur and realized she wanted to exercise. Glancing up, she spots Amaranth approaching her. The woman wags her tail in greeting.

"Howdy," she says, the smile slipping from her face as she regards the other female "I reckon ya don't know who's a good fighter in yer pack?" Tallulah stood to face Amaranth, tilting her head "I need ta practice a bit more" She admits quietly "if I'm ta join Elyisum, I wanna make sure I can protect it properly." When the time came, anyway. Or - if it came. She hoped not, hoped the peace would last. But one never knew - 

- The darkness in another's heart.

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FALLING TOO FAST TO PREPARE FOR THIS
TRIPPING IN THIS WORLD COULD BE DANGEROUS
#2
Paladin
09-22-2022, 11:39 PM
Amaranth had been casually stalking monitoring Tallulah's presence within the pack lands. Valeska had given the speckled belle free rein to enter and exit the territory, and yet Tallulah seemed to be working hard to both impress their members and protect their pack lands. She seemed kind — at least, she had when striking a conversation with Dimitri and herself prior. And she'd also participated in the pack games. Amaranth lightly wondered why the mysterious woman did not just join their ranks and get it over with.

Maybe the idea of commitment was too much for her.
 Amaranth could understand that.

As Amaranth approached, the fawn-colored woman wagged her tail in greeting, as if happily meeting up with an old friend. Tallulah continued on to ask about ... fighting. Protecting. Amaranth blinked her hazy purple eyes attentively, letting the words roll in one ear and out the other. The cogs of her mind were turning slowly, and suddenly, her paws tingled. The fur along her nape bristled, but not out of anger — out of anticipation.

"Well," the woman started in a gentle coo, taking a few more steps closer to the other. "If you want formal training, @Mordecai is Elysium's finest knight." Her head tilted, a mischievous glint catching her purple gaze as the midnight rolled across Fate's Respite. "But if it's ... unceremonious training you're interested in ..." her eerie voice trailed off into the fog, her tail flicking behind her decisively. "Why not spar with me?" The golden wraith eyed her, squaring her paws and leveling her head. A soft smile played at the edge of her narrow lips as she awaited the newcomer's decision.

Little did Tallulha know ...
  ... Amaranth had absolutely no idea what she was doing.


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#3
Paladin
09-23-2022, 12:17 AM
Quote:20 / 20 HP
rolled 6 out of 10
 
Surprise flickered across her features, not pegging the ghoulish woman for much of a fighter. "I'd be honored, Lady Amaranth" another wag of her tail as she neared the blonde woman "but friendly. No blood." She wasn't confident enough yet to draw blood on a sparring partner. Inexperience warned her she could hit an artery by mistake alone. Tallulah was not quite sure either who to run to if that happened. She'd rather avoid an incident.

Her defenses were already settling into use. Falling into a rhythm. Tallulah squared herself and pinned her ears, tucked her tail, and narrowed her eyes. When Amaranth was ready, she rushed her. The woman aimed a bite at her blonde scruff, trying to grasp and hold here in place. It was a beginner move, one that gauged just how interested the other female was with the whole sparring thing. She kept in mind the name for later, given to her by the alpha. Mordecai.

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FALLING TOO FAST TO PREPARE FOR THIS
TRIPPING IN THIS WORLD COULD BE DANGEROUS
#4
Paladin
09-23-2022, 01:00 AM
HP 14/20, Rolled 3

The woman accepted the offer willingly, and Amaranth bristled, nodding her agreement. No blood. Friendly. The words echoed in her head.

But, for all the talk and excitement she'd felt, Amaranth had absolutely zero combat experience. No, that wasn't her place in the world. Nor was it her place in Elysium. Valeska was the valor, the protector — Valeska was the literal knight in shining armor. Amaranth was the seer, her visions her strength over brute force. And despite all of the battles in her life, none of them as of late had been anywhere near as physical as even something as simple as a spar.

And that much was obvious when the small weight of the other came barreling toward her. Instinct and adrenaline kicked in as her ears pressed back and her tail tucked, but the other managed to get atop her and grab her with gentle teeth by the scruff. No blood, Amaranth remembered, but the harsh pinch of skin set her veins on fire. Amaranth felt the pressure on the back of her neck, and she meant to angle her body to give the other a proper shove upward, in an attempt to dislodge that jaw from her neck. The golden wraith put the entire edge of her shoulder into it, hoping to shock the other enough that it would shake her loose as well as give her a proper rustle.

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#5
Paladin
09-23-2022, 01:17 AM
Quote:17 / 20 HP
rolled 8 out of 10
 
Honestly, even with her desire to learn Tallulah could see the blonde had no experience with fighting. There was not much to brag or boast about if she won; like she would ever do that to the kind folks of Elysium anyway. Amaranth tried to shake her free, jerking her body upward but she had too good of a hold.

While Amaranth succeeded in dislodging Tallulah briefly, she lunged again to grab her back. This time on the side of the neck, draping a leg over the woman's shoulder to try and force her to lower herself down to the earth. The brunette tried to use her weight to do this quickly, hoping Amaranth wouldn't feel bad if they ended it faster.

There was no sport in letting an inexperienced fighter struggle. Well, others could claim there was; but she didn't like that much.

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FALLING TOO FAST TO PREPARE FOR THIS
TRIPPING IN THIS WORLD COULD BE DANGEROUS
#6
Paladin
09-23-2022, 02:18 AM (This post was last modified: 09-23-2022, 02:19 AM by Amaranth. Edited 1 time in total.)
HP 6/20, rolled 8

The other overpowered her with relative ease. But the quake of the fight trembled deep in Amaranth's chest. Something deep in her stirred, and yet, her focus on the battle kept the hungry beast at bay. For a brief moment, her shoulder overpowered the other, knocking the other loose of her scruff. Amaranth broke free like a beast tethered in chains and yet ... the other leaped again, pressing her down. Suppressing her further.

The golden wraith grunted, her teeth hitting the earth as the other pressed her further down. Amaranth could have screamed ... if only she didn't love the feeling so much.

This time, the woman managed to slip out of the other's jaws, pulling away completely and using her loose, flailing paws to press the other down. 'Taste the earth, as I have,' Amaranth muttered deeply as she went to press the other down. The pressure was followed by jaws, aiming for the scruff of the other and aiming to press her as deep into the mud as she had been pressed.

Amaranth's soul twittered,
  burning alive.

If only she knew.

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#7
Paladin
09-23-2022, 02:27 AM
Quote:9/20 - rolled 9 - last round of spar
 
Oof.

She did indeed touch the earth. Her chin smacked against it and she felt a tinge of blood in her mouth. Fueled now by the desire to win - glad that Amaranth hadn't been holding out on her after all - Tallulah yanked herself free. She rolled to the side, flinging herself to all fours in a manner of seconds - or so it would seem. She paced around the other wolf in a half circle before — !

A grunt as she raised herself over the blonde, crashing her paws down around her head. She aimed to plant one paw on Amaranth's left and right, forcing her to submit now. It wasn't as powerful as a real fight, but just enough to 'tip' the blonde down into a pseudo-bow. "Enough" Tallulah rumbled above her, using the same gentle command she had done against the dark-hued male.

And just like that, her paws and her upper body removed themselves and she stepped back. Away from the blonde woman, and she panted. A salmon tongue rolled from her mouth, showing a flash of blood against her pearly canines.

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FALLING TOO FAST TO PREPARE FOR THIS
TRIPPING IN THIS WORLD COULD BE DANGEROUS
#8
Paladin
09-24-2022, 12:19 AM
Amaranth would taste the sweet tickle of victory, tossing Tallulah into the dirt and hearing a clack of her jaw on the ground (—oops). But it did not take long before the smaller, more experienced lass was on her paws again. And with a swift, decisive motion, paws came down on her shoulders and pressed. Amaranth felt talons on her flesh, her weak slender legs buckling beneath her as the weight of the other piled on. The golden phantom fell to the ground, chest hitting the earth with a hefty thud that shot the air from her lungs. The rest of her body slid down after, legs kicking a bit at the sand as she reflexively coughed. A gentle sting began to spread from her chest, flowing outward with warm intent.

She felt a fire flare up in her, the heat of a thousand suns burning ... and
 "Enough."

Amaranth clacked her teeth together, grunting as she gently shrugged the other off of her shoulders.

The fire quelled as she rolled up onto her feet again, ears pressed flat against her skull. She shook her coat, dislodging dirt and grime in a small cloud of fog. Her chest stung and her legs ached, but she was otherwise no worse for wear. She coughed again; her purple gaze flicked upward, a half-smile on her lips. "You see now why my job is to entertain the spirits," she mused, raising her eyebrows.

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#9
Paladin
09-24-2022, 12:43 AM
"Ye did very well fer, I suspect, an inexperienced fighter." Amaranth didn't have to hide that. Elysium hadn't seen much - if at all - fighting. In or out. Ms. Valeska said they had no enemies, so it stood to reason they'd not train very diligently. Tallulah dipped her head to the blonde, her respect already earned but displayed now visibly. At least she knew Amaranth could defend herself - that took her mind off some unease.

"There's no shame in losing — to a friend" Tallulah continued, eyeing the woman carefully. Wondering if her choice of word was too sudden or informal. Just remember that. Truer words could not be spoken about sparring. No friendly bout need to be about revenge and pettiness. She was looking to assess her own skills, too. Not just Amaranth's. "point is, ye tried. That's what I look for in sparring partners. Don't gotta be a master to fite me."

However. "I'm sure that Mordecai fellow would humor ye but... Maybe I can teach ye some defenses, surprise him a bit?" Tallulah shook out her fur and took a stance again. Her shoulders relaxed, fur bristling along her neck. Puffing it out, making it harder to hold. She planted her own paws, digging into a hold. She displayed this several times, so the blonde woman could try it for herself.

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FALLING TOO FAST TO PREPARE FOR THIS
TRIPPING IN THIS WORLD COULD BE DANGEROUS
#10
Paladin
09-24-2022, 04:56 PM
Tallulah offered soft compliments, and Amaranth exhaled in a snorting sort of laugh. "No need to humor me," she chuckled lightly, flicking her ears and breathing heavily through the soreness in her chest. Despite her past and living alone for most of her life, Amaranth had been oddly lucky blessed by the spirits in terms of her ability to expertly skirt around dangerous situations. She was not an aggressive wolf by any means, and yet ... how could she explain the build-up of poisonous fire that settled in the bottom of her throat? Her fangs, even, felt sore. Hungry.

"I'm sure that Mordecai fellow would humor ye but... Maybe I can teach ye some defenses, surprise him a bit?"

Amaranth looked up at her new friend, ears pressing forward. If this woman thought Amaranth was going to dare challenge Mordecai, she was out of her mind (the man might crush her by gaze alone). However, the woman wouldn't pass up an opportunity to learn. And maybe she could figure out what this strange feeling was.

Her shoulders rolled forward, alleviating oncoming stiffness; her heart fluttered lightly in her chest. Purple eyes watched the positioning of the other change, and her own body acted as a mirror. The golden fur of her nape bristled with anticipation, her neck fluffing. Paws evened out underneath her, her stance balanced and talons raking against the earth beneath her — feeling the very breathing of the earth itself. She practiced setting the stance a few times, feeling her muscles react quicker and quicker on each reset.

"How's that?" She tutted, eyebrows raising as she pressed her ears back in mock aggression. A smile lingered on her lips.

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#11
Paladin
09-24-2022, 07:11 PM
"I ain't" A soft pause "if ye had no knack fer this, I would be blunt. But ye tried despite yer inexperience and managed to one-up me at the end." Tallulah could be blunt and to the point, but she also spared feelings when possible. If Amaranth had no skill in fighting, she would tell her. For her own safety, honestly. Not all wolves could fight. Not all wolves stomached fights.

She approached Amaranth now, circling the blonde woman and stopping at her side. The cream-brunette leaned in, shoving her roughly with her shoulder. Amaranth would find she was more balanced now, not easily swayed to ricochet back either. Her blonde body would absorb the blow now. Tallulah stepped back, squinting but finding nothing wrong. "Good." She walked until she stood diagonal to the woman.

She set her own defenses up. "If ye narrow yer eyes, they'll be protected from someone tryin' to blind ya" Though it wasn't a hundred percent fix "or getting dirt, sweat and blood in 'em" Tallulah squared her shoulders and narrowed her blue-brown depths, staring off in the distance "pinned ears mean less fer somebody to grab onto. Tuckin' yer tail is the same." The tail was a sensitive part of any animal.

"Try lunging forward with yer defenses. See how it's bulker? But, aye, don't ya feel protected now?"

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FALLING TOO FAST TO PREPARE FOR THIS
TRIPPING IN THIS WORLD COULD BE DANGEROUS
#12
Paladin
09-28-2022, 02:11 AM
Tallulah continued to coddle her, and Amaranth subtly boiled ... her irritation as prickly as someone rubbing her fur in the opposite direction. Tallulah continued, appraising Amaranth's stance and discussing the importance of a tucked tail, squinted eyes, and folded ears. Protection and defense. And Amaranth's eyes remained pensive, apathetically thoughtful, following the other softly as her brain hatched an idea.

Perhaps, these lessons could continue.
 Perhaps, the student could best the teacher.
  In time.

The thought was not a sinister one, no. Was this a taste of competition? Was this a taste of the thrill of battle? Her eyes glazed over softly for a moment, her position softening as the words falling from Tallulah's mouth slowly faded into a soft mumble.

"Try lunging forward with yer defenses. See how it's bulker? But, aye, don't ya feel protected now?"

Amaranth snapped back to reality, stiffening her legs and blinking her eyes a few times in rapid succession.

The woman smiled softly, a sudden and mischievous glint catching her eye. She waited for Tallulah to circle back, waiting until their shoulders were aligned before jolting forward with a sudden and playful shove. Shoulder to shoulder, the golden woman collided, her stance giving her an added thrust as she jabbed in jest at her teacher.

"You are a good teacher," Amaranth murmured lightly, standing up tall now and raising her eyebrows as a smile coiled up the sides of her lips. "Perhaps I can ... learn more, in the future." The wraith's tail waved slowly behind her, ears flicking as the anticipation rose like a sickness in her belly once more. "And perhaps as packmates," she added, her grin widening devilishly. She would await the response of the other before letting the wandering warden go on her way.

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#13
09-28-2022, 02:30 PM
There was always going to be certain ways to do and deal. Tallulah could almost feel prickly heat coming from Amaranth. A subtle shift in mood, and the tense-like behavior that refused to be spoken. But the brunette was not coddling her. She was always kind but again - if the blonde woman hadn't a knack for this, she'd refuse to teach her or even spar with her. There would be no point, and it'd be a waste of her time. Still, she let it go; there was no pleasing some folks even if ya supported them openly.

She only wished in time, Amaranth wouldn't be so hard on herself.

The blonde did lunge — at her. Tallulah stepped back, refusing the brunt of it but also saw how it was better. She didn't want to be bowled over and thank whatever gods looked down on her that she had to speed to back up her tinier body. Though Amaranth did throw herself at Tallulah, knocking her, it wasn't as rough as possibly thought. "Careful!" she said, laughing "but that be better, aye." Amaranth spoke next, asking if the lessons could continue. She nodded, caught off guard by her next words.

"I'd like that." It was all she said before leaving the poor woman to her peace. In the end, they went back to the festival with renewed spirts. /end

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FALLING TOO FAST TO PREPARE FOR THIS
TRIPPING IN THIS WORLD COULD BE DANGEROUS
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