Wolfsbane

This thread was a collaboration between Black&White and myself. Most, if not all, of the credit is due to her~! =D


Storyline:

Survival means everything - especially when you're us. If you knew our secret, maybe you'd wonder why we'd want to survive... but everyone has their own realms of normalcy. Welcome to ours. It wasn't always this way, but the majority of us here have adapted to the change... heh. I said 'majority,' not all. But hey... nothing's perfect. Take a look inside our lives; you could be the next to live it.

Isolated from outsiders, a group roams among humanity in a small community built within the mountains of British Columbia. Secrets separate this group from normal humans, not easily spotted on the outside. Linked by an infection, some of them would say, while others may call it a gift. Wolves wander the legendary forests surrounding the town at night, keeping away from prying eyes and those who want to exterminate them.

Selections:

Wolves:
Aside from being considerably broader in the build, with larger paws, claws, and teeth, all werewolves appear as normal wolves when changed. Though they do display a heightened intelligence, and roam as a pack in either human or wolf form. They understand each other, despite talking to one another in different forms, and can converse with other canines. The moon will make the wolf in them stronger, their instinct and drives will be more present in the person’s mind and body, but unless very weak the change is always by will or when provoked and loss of control occurs. There are two types – Infected or Purebloods.

Infected:
Those humans bitten by either a Pureblood or another Infected. They have more of an attachment to their humanity, and thus their resistance to their wolf’s desires and drives is stronger than that of a Pureblood. They stay in packs, groups ranging from pairs to twenty or more members, and often act as a support group for the newly changed and a family for those forced out of theirs by the virus. At first a curse, it's understandable that their moods will vary in such a situation, but the pack will attempt to have them see the benefits of the change.

Purebloods: Pureblood
Those procreated by Infected. Born with more wolf instinct than humanity, they’re more out of control and dangerous to humans. They are from either an Infected pairing, or from only one were-parent pairing. Infected see the danger of creating these creatures, and if one comes into being the parent will largely be outcasted. Purebloods are more rogue, however, and thus leave the pack on their own most times. Any ‘mate’ of theirs will either be another Pureblood or a claiming rape and Infection. Appearance-wise, they are probably the most fierce and... blatantly intimidating of the wolves. Large gleaming teeth, wild eyes, and just... MASSIVE, and that's just their wolf form.

Hunters:
There are humans, and then there are creatures called Banshees. Both Banshees and humans dedicated to the Hunter cause are given a counter measure if bitten, which reacts negatively with the wolf virus to kill themselves.
+ Banshees: Female; Male
These are higher beings in Hunter terms as opposed to humans, dedicated and bred to kill wolves and exterminate them. They are quicker healers, stronger, with faster reflexes to be able to contend with the wolves. They have an unsual obsession with the animal's eyes and fur, often wearing both on their person to, Idunno, reinstate their threat to the wolves. To let them know just how powerful they are, and what lengths they'll go to in order to annihilate them.

Note ~ The pictures given above are merely to use as a reference as to what the species generally look like. They're your charries, so creative expression is yours to utilize. *nod.* ...ON TO CHARRIES!

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Template

Name:
Gender:
Age: (16+)
*Personality: (optional, seeing as we'll find out through chatting anyway)
Species: (Wolf - Infected or Pureblood, or Hunter - Human or Banshee)
Looks: (Image and/or description; if a wolf, please provide both human and wolf forms)
*Bio: (optional)
Other: (if nothing, leave blank or put 'n/a')

Name: Zepour
Gender: M
Age: 25
*Personality:
Species: Banshee
Looks: The typical white-pale skin with skull markings on her face with crimson red details that extend over his arms in runes or tribal tattoo-looking shapes. Very tall and slightly built body, but with a hidden strength behind it and broad shoulders. He wears a white tunic, over which is protecting armor and plating. Black trousers and a black belt to hold weapons. He wears a wolf pelt as a cloak, a skull on his back which he sometimes wears as a helm. The white style eyes. Red - like an autumn maple - hair, braided to his shoulder blades length. It would feel hay-textured if one were to touch it.
Other: his markings-


Name: Latimier Tyler
Gender: M
Age: 30
Personality: Serious toned, even when joking. He's got a one track kind of mind - he gets a goal on his to do list, he'll go until it's done
Species: Human Hunter
Looks: Black hair, about an inch long, cut professionally. Dark blue, nearly black, eyes. He's built up physically, but not disgustingly so. He's got tattoos on his arms. Usually dressed in black jeans, boots, a tshirt of some kind, and a heavy overcoat for the weather. He has a leather wristband with the names of his family branded into it.
Bio: Joined into the Hunters' league when his family had been mysteriously murdered and his younger sister kidnapped - later concluded she was most likely murdered as well. The Hunters approached him, telling him the truth to get him into their ranks. He won't kill unless it's in self defense.
Other: He's always accompanied by his German Shepherd, Angela

Name: Gordon Gates
Gender: F
Age: 34
Personality: No BS kind of woman. Very black and white, you either follow her or you cross her.
Species: Human Hunter
Looks: Fine, light brown hair cut in a ton of layers. Thin faced, brown eyes. More professionally dressed, a woman looking exactly like the power she has in the society.
Bio: Born into the Hunters' league, a member of the council from inheritance and experience.
Other:


Name: Natalie 'Wolf' Tyler
Gender: F
Age: 19
*Personality:
Species: Infected
Looks: dark brown, almost black, wavy hair that goes just past her shoulders. Slightly tanned, a few freckles on her arms and face. Tallish, 5'6'' or so. Steely blue-gray eyes. As a wolf: she's dark dark gray, appearing black most times, with some white details and icy blue eyes.

*Bio: bitten when she was six, so this is pretty much her life now - so much so she recognizes Wolf as her name over Natalie
Other:

Name: Adam Allen
Gender: M
Age: 25
Species: Infected
Personality:
Looks: Sandy blonde hair, dark gray eyes. 6', maybe a little less. As a wolf he turns a light gray with a few brownish red details on his face, haunches, feet, and tail, white on his belly and nose

Bio: Just starting out with his life when he was attacked by a Pureblood. Left a pregnant fiancee behind because of it, and is rather spiteful about the whole thing.
Other:

Name: Axel Lea
Gender: M
Age: 29
Species: Infected
Personality:
Looks: Very short mid-toned brown hair with intense dark green eyes. 6'2'', muscular and broad shouldered. As a wolf, all light brown tones and beige colored, very splotchy. His green eyes stay, but get more intense.

Bio: born Infected, when his mother was bitten while still pregnant. She died during child birth. Took over the Alpha Male position when Namine's mate died, though he disagrees of her keeping the position since she will not mate with him now - plus his incling that something's wrong with her since her family died.
Other:

Name: Grace Draumur
Gender: F
Age: 23
*Personality:
Species: Human
Looks: dark dirty blonde hair that starts out straight, but ends wavy at mid back. blue eyes. She's average height, around 5'5''. She has on a zip up brown sweater vest with a short canvas overcoat tied at the waist, along with hook and eye clasps, with leather detailings and brown pockets. Dark blue skinny jeans that go into thigh high hiking boots. Usually with a canvas backpack.
*Bio: regular human. Came to the town to do field work as a botanist, cataloging the plants of the area.
Other:

Name: Jonathan Bane
Gender: M
Age: 20
*Personality:
Species: Pureblood
Looks: tanned. His eyes are amber, which stay that way through his change. His hair is a chocolate brown, at a shaggy length but nothing very crazy. Quite built, quite powerful. In wolf, in the shape given, he stays chocolate brown - darker on the back and tail and lighter on his stomach, limbs, and face.
*Bio: just a rogue wandering in the area.
Other:

and the wolf maker I used for Wolf and Adam's pictures -

http://www.dolldivine.com/wolf-maker.php

Name: Namine Okami Tentousai
Gender: F
Age: 34
*Personality:
Species: Infected
Looks:
Dressed as shown above. She's still got her looks, and the suitors to prove it. Short slate blonde-gray colored hair, and knowing eyes that once upon a time had been a stunning bright shade of blue. Now they've lost their vibrancy, settling for a coal-ish navy tone. Her skin is a tender milk white, marred with scars all along her back courtesy of a close call with a banshee in her youth. As a wolf, Namine is a breath-taking spectacle of pure white. You can easily spot her scars, of course, and with her age her coloring's losing luster, but it's still very close to the sight of freshly dropped snow.
*Bio: Has lost all three of her younger brothers (who were also changed) and her mate to the Hunters. She can't recall her former life as a human for the life of her, and after this long... it doesn't concern her anymore. She's kinda indifferent on the whole situation with Axel - gave up fighting him a long time ago, though they still have their quarrels. Namine may not have the strength to full-on oppose him, but she knows there's nothing he can really do to force ties upon her (besides the obvious, but she doubts Axel's that type of man). She doesn't care what opinions he has... If he doesn't like it, then he can GTFO. But deep down... she really appreciates the company of a male, no matter how... headstrong they both are.
Other: Schizophrenic.

Name: Jiro
Gender: M
Age: 19 (the book version of him is like 25-30's... but I've been using his younger self, so)
*Personality: (optional, seeing as we'll find out through chatting anyway)
Species: Infected
Looks: Barely 6 foot, pale-ish... muscled, with both of his arms completely tattoed, shoulders too - nearly down to his collarbone. He has soft black hair that's long-ish, but doesn't reach his shoulders. It's thick. Eyes are a deep rusted brown, almost appearing tinged with red. Attire-wise, Jiro's simple; black and baggy. It flows well with his black furry ears and tail. He often goes around without a shirt and has a black choke collar around his neck. As a wolf, he's large, and it seems as if he weighs A TON. Dunno why though. Maybe he's just sturdy. His fur is coarse and bristled, and his eyes seem like orbs of blood when he shifts.
*Bio: Been with Namine since... forever. Even before the whole 'infection' business. Her brother Yao was his best friend. Also lost his sister Hana. (In the book, she's his mate, not his sister. xDD)
Other:


Name: Kaname
Gender: F
Age: 18
*Personality:
Species: Pureblood
Looks:
She's slender, a fast little devil... probably around 5'5.'' Realistically, I could see her at a grand total of 100lbs, which probably plays a big factor in her abilities in speed. Pale. Bright blood red eyes and a head full of white hair that goes to her midback with a strong blue lavender hue to it. Prominent fangs and claws. And I honestly have no clue what she wears, considering... but her ears and tail are white. Her other form is a beast, and quite literally, which is why you'd think that her human appearance is some sort of illusion. Because going from something so... delicate, to something of such a level of monstrocity... it would seem almost laughable. But this is no laughing matter. Kaname grows almost a full foot in her raw Pureblood form, and her limbs are the size of your average tree trunk. Her coat is matted and shaggy, white and silver toned, but develops some eyesore spots of an ugly dark gray.
*Bio: Both of her parents were purebloods. Not much else to say.
Other:

Name: T'sa
Gender: M
Age: 21
*Personality:
Species: Banshee
Looks: 5'10... somewhere around there, lean with frail limbs and a head of ashen black hair. "His skin was solid white, incredibly pale with deep pronounced scars upon his beautiful face, looking almost like thick veins that stretched down to disappear beneath his cloak. Tattoos of black painted across the canvas as well, looking like a hellfire gracing his face." The easiest way to describe him would be like... a broken doll. His eyes are white, and he wears a spacious hooded black cloak that conceals everything but his eyes and cold bony fingers. Several pairs of wolf eyes hang on the outside of his get-up, displayed almost like ornaments. Painted on the center of his forehead is an interpretation of the "Third Eye."
*Bio:
Other:

Name: Anton Cass (Alias: Yang)
Gender: M
Age: 20ish...
*Personality: Heh.
Species: Human - Hunter
Looks: Lean and suave, muscled, with scarlet tattoo designs all over his body. Blonde hair is easily waist-length, braided and streaked white and pink. He wears Halloween yellow colored contacts, making his pupils shaped all weird... kinda like diamonds. Yang's real eye color is brown, though. Sorta tan... Dresses like a Nazi.
*Bio: TBD
Other: Has guns equipped with tranquilizers. And minor explosives that aren't equipped to guns. Oh joy...

Axel

I gaze out at the sunset, sitting upon a tree stump, my pack of twenty strong around me. We were at home, near the sloping end of a mountain behind me. Before me, about two hundred yards away, was two rivers conjoining to one. We were very sheltered in this location, giant, tall pine trees giving shelter and good cover from anyone who had wandered this far from the nearest town a few miles downstream, near where the river drained out into the ocean. Up the left stream one would find a large glacier fed lake, other rivers feeding it. The right stream led up the mountain, to such a melting glacier. Between myself and the river was a relatively clear area, in which a few wolves lounged upon the soft and thick pine needle carpet which gave a comfortable ground for either feet or paws.

The town held a few of the missing members not present - those who wished to stay near humanity for the supplies offered and had a great enough control to resist the wolf so close to a natural prey. Though I had enough control, I had no desire to venture into the town. I was alpha of this pack, born as a wolf within these woods, the one who had won the fights for position after the late alpha male had been killed. My eyes find the alpha female for a moment who, despite the position, refused to be my mate. Namine...

The sound of two feet approach; I look over to see the spiteful Adam come into the clearing and go to his usual nook in the den rocks to sit, not speaking with any of us. Wolf comes out of the shaded den, like a living shadow, eying the young man but not approaching in her wolf form. Instead she lays down at the entrance.

Grace

I cut a final fern before looking to the sky. It was getting dark, and you didn't want to get caught outside after dark this far north. I didn't want any frostbite, even if it was spring. The sun was up for barely eleven hours, I had to make every minute count in this study.

I close my book, pocket my pencil and zipper up my backpack. It's been a month into my studies already, and still I needed to get to higher altitudes, deeper into the mountains... As I walk back to the village through the dense pine forest, I contemplate putting up a sign for a guide or simply going myself. I knew survival well enough, and I knew enough plants to survive on by myself. My only problem might be an encounter with a grizzly or wolves...and guide would know the routes better...maybe if I just asked around for directions...

It had to be the fifteenth time she'd glanced at Jiro in little more than half an hour, and by now he'd all but fallen asleep. Sprawled out over the sunbathed rocks in his wolf form, he wasn't paying attention anymore. That much was obvious, because he'd realized shortly after this game had started that Namine wasn't looking for any sort of response. He’d said all he needed to the night before anyway, and it was that very conversation that kept her mind going ‘round and ‘round in circles.

[ “Have you ever considered bearing his child?” She’d stared at him like he’d gone mad, but the shock of those words leaving his mouth had rendered her unable to form much of a complimenting expression. It was as if she’d gone numb.

“Something like that... What the hell’s the matter with you, Jiro?!” If she’d had enough sense, Namine would’ve struck him down where he sat across from her, but she was frozen. Especially by the way he stared at her; so leveled and at ease. And then he asked again,

“Have you ever considered it?” She faintly remembered hearing the sound of her own breath, shivering as it left her mouth, letting her chest relax again... but she had never even realized she’d been holding it. Nor had she noticed her body trembling beneath the weight of his words.

Of course she’d considered it... but could she tell Jiro that? No matter how close they had been in the past, things had changed.

Truth be told, she’d like to think that every woman would entertain the idea of motherhood, if only for a moment. Every woman, however, did not live in the reality that Namine did. Bringing a child into this world... even if it did somehow retain its sanity and grow with enough self-restraint to avoid becoming a danger to its own and to the humans, where did that leave her? The mother of a taboo. The majority of the pack, if not all of them as a whole, would sooner cast her aside than be accepting. They couldn’t afford the likeliest deadly consequence, and they all knew Namine well enough to know that she was aware of the dangers everyone would face if this came to be. All that aside... what about Axel? Could she honestly be so selfish as to lure him into something like that? He would lose his dignity, respect, and his pack all in one; all because of her. And that was assuming he didn’t decide to kill her from the moment he found out...

“Namine.” Her gaze had fallen to her lap while she was slowly ensnared within her thoughts, snapping back up at the sound of her name. Echoes still resided where she’d been brought away, words, images so loud that she was surprised at herself for being able to hear him. She couldn’t concentrate, but she could all the same. Everything was so persistent, as if taunting her into getting frustrated. It was overlapping, and yet she could understand every individual thing perfectly... like always. The thing she never could figure out was how. She supposed it didn’t matter right then. She needed to focus on a response, or else he’d stay sitting there putting her on the spot like he had the power.

“Yes.” Nothing but a quiet little whisper . Namine swallowed, unaware that tears had come to her eyes.“Yes, Jiro, I’ve considered it. . . but that’s all I’ve done. Don’t you think you’re crossing the line here? You know as well as eveyone else that... That’s just not rational. Any part of it.” Besides, when it came down to it, Axel harbored no feelings toward her that were expected of one's partner, let alone of one's mate... as far as she could tell. And she didn’t know if the situation was mutual on her end or not. They had “been together” for a few years, but Axel was the Alpha – he was not her Alpha. It wasn’t like she hadn’t gotten used to their... unique understanding of each other, but...

Jiro was talking again.

“Are you attracted to him?”

. . . She was really getting tired of this conversation. What kind of question was THAT? The remainder of her air left her in an exasperated sigh, gawking at him. And her tears were let free, falling down her face in abandon. Did he really just ask her that? DID HE HAVE NO SHAME? Namine fumbled for words, desperate to remember her place... which certainly did not involve her sitting there like he had her, open to the world, divulging her feelings. By this point, she couldn’t remember the reason why he’d asked to talk to her to begin with.

“Wh-What the hell does this have to do with anything?!” she hissed, glancing around at the faces of dozens of the sleeping wolves not far from them. She seriously doubted all of them were really sleeping...

He didn’t answer; not in the way she’d expected. And he didn’t press her for an answer this time, either. Jiro’s eyes never left her throughout the whole ordeal, as if he was unfazed by the thought of someone overhearing them. But even if no one had been eavesdropping before, they were bound to her hear the resounding slap he recieved after speaking his next words.

“I want to make sure you’re happy. Axel’s made his efforts, but nothing’s going to change if you don’t try to hear what he has to say. It’s been eight years, Namine. Give him a chance.” Eight years? No. . . Had it really been eight years ago now that the Hunters had claimed the lives of her family? Her eyes flashed, lips pulling back tight to bare her fanged white teeth, and a low snarl tore through her. When she struck him, he didn’t dare back down. Such a display of cowardice would disgrace him even more than he’d succeeded in doing with forgetting his rank before one of his Alpha. Again, no matter how close they had been in the past, things had changed.

“I don't give a damn how concerned you might be... You will never forget your place and step out of line again. Do you understand? If you have anything you need to speak with me about, it will not involve my personal life.” The steady flow of her tears that had started was now running faster, falling to the ground despite the hardness of her gaze. Her voice was restored to its usual collectiveness, and if they hadn't been face to face, Jiro probably wouldn't have ever known she'd been crying. Namine proceeded to dismiss him after that, falling silent and going off on her own. ]

In the end, she didn't sleep at all... being too preoccupied with the whole thing. No one'd mentioned anything, so she figured she didn't look too worn down. Giving Jiro the silent treatment was turning out to be easier than expected, and Axel... well, she pretty much already did that on a daily basis, so... What did it matter if she was being a little childish? She wasn't denying it--not that anyone had called her out on it to give her a chance to. Namine considered herself a damn good Alpha. That was enough, wasn't it? She didn't claim to be anything else.

Hold on a second... had Axel just been looking at her? No no, don't look at him. It'll give you away. Oh come on. . . What was she, thirteen? Psyching herself out with these games. Major eyeroll. She was behaving like she actually had something to hide. Did she? No. No... Well... there was the nagging question of if Axel had overheard that little 'scene' last night... But it wasn't like that would be something to hide, right? It was a simple conversation. Right...? No reason to be nervous. She wasn't nervous at all. ... ... ... WHY WAS SHE SO NERVOUS, DAMNIT?!

Namine swallowed, unknowingly making a small noise in the back of her throat similar to a groan. "Hrm..." Her eyes swiveled away from Jiro and swept across the terrain in front of her, expression controlled, but she wasn't really looking at anything. She did vaguely register Adam coming back and holeing himself up, which prodded Wolf to emerge but didn't really react to either. Everyone knew Namine to be kept in her thoughts most of the time--kinda like Wolf with her solitude--but not really in the fashion of your average daydreamer. That was yet another reason on her long list of "Why to NOT Mate Axel" compilation. If he knew her secret, he would have the leverage he needed to dispose of her, and LIKE HELL she was going to let that happen. Oh, he'd like that, wouldn't he... Stupid conniving bastard. The only ones who knew were now six feet under - all four of them. Of course Jiro didn't know. All he'd want to do then would be pity her more, and the humiliation would just get worse. As for Axel, if he thought low of her now, just how much further beneath him would she have to dig herself once he found out...?

Fuck him. She wouldn't be mocked for something she had no control over, by anyone. Especially not Axel Lea. At the back of her mind, though, Namine knew she was just being bitter. ...Mostly. At least, like... 71.5% THE REST OF IT WAS ALL HIM. ALL. HIM. As much as she'd rant and rave and fuss to herself, she was proud. Because not once had she disrespected the Alpha aloud.

In front of his pack, at least.

I'll post for Yang tomorrow. ^_^

Wolf

I understood. The difficulties...first changing...the wolf and its urges... I still had them. Still. And that was my struggle. I wasn't from here, the pack accepted me, and yet I felt I still didn't belong. The outcast.

So I didn't really sleep. She gave me nightmares. Memories that were not mine, but the wolf's. What was a child to do? I was six, and then suddenly ten. Four years not my own. Finding myself in a place very far from home. Struggling to keep humanity. Still fighting. Made me almost as bad as the stories I've heard, of the Purebloods, at least in my mind... Nine years later, the wolf still believes she is the one in charge of this body.

I had my bouts at times. Random snaps at the others, signs of challenge to authority. Always Namine or Axel to put me in my place. Leave me to lick my wounds the wolf still gives me.

And I heard. Namine and Jiro. Namine was the alpha to me, yet the wolf proclaimed a weakness in her. I couldn't do anything about it. Couldn't. Me, trying to take alpha... And then what? Stupid wolf. I couldn't lead anyone with you so stubborn. I didn't see the point of me attempting to comfort the new members of the pack, if I myself was not the example of how things could turn out.

I was the outcast still. Wild, humanity struggling. No better than a Pureblood. Yet Axel, born of wolf, was no where near this. He knew humanity, even if he never really experienced being human. It was strange. Foreign. Made me all the more weak. The weakest among this group. So I felt that I wouldn't belong. Ever. But here was the best place for me to...attempt...to learn what thirteen years on my own couldn't teach.

Wouldn't happen if you remain so reclusive. Like the newly changed. Adam sulking from his losses. Not that which he gained. What I may gain. It was...a possibility... Natalie has gone. The girl didn't exist in me anymore. There was only Wolf, trying to find the balance between extremes. I found I wasn't the only struggling with that in the night. Namine wasn't one to be challenged...if she found that I had heard... so Jiro? Despite his extreme views...simply trying to help...

Dozing. I utter a low growl at myself, standing sharply, walking off into the woods. Something else. Do something else. Sleeping gave weakness that the wolf attempted to take advantage of.

Yang~

"Damn it..." His hair was everywhere, coming loose from the braid and proceeding to snap his frail patience in two, almost simultaneously with the twig that'd ended up beneath his foot. His hands swiped at his face, too brash with his irritation to actually move anything out of the way. And then there was the fact of him sweating. How in the hell was he sweating in these temperatures...? This jacket wasn't exactly warm, you know... Could it even be considered a jacket? It was stiff, and unless it was a jean jacket, jackets weren't supposed to be stiff. They were supposed to seal in your body heat, not chaffe your arms.

Yang let out a growl of a sigh. As much as this jacket pissed him off, it was useful for blending in with the greenery of the forest... and he'd take chaffed arms over a bruised back any day. The butt of the gun he had strapped onto his back just loved to dig into his kidneys. The jacket succeeded in softening any noise it might produce to avoid giving him away to the mutts, and it could protect him from the damn thing's pounding into his flesh... expect for the fact that this gun was MASSIVE; large enough to take on a Pureblood. Crazy sons of bitches. Just thinking about them made him grin. What he wouldn't give to see one of those fuckers make a meal of your run-of-the mill Infected...

Jiro~

He couldn't say he was exactly proud of what he'd done, causing her a sleepless night, (not that she wasn't already used to those, but...) filling her head with the last thing she'd ever want to think about, (i.e the cause of afforementioned sleepless night) but she needed to realize what she was doing to herself. Namine was all he had left now, and he was going to make sure she was well taken care of no matter the consequence to him. Last night wasn't the first time she'd knocked Jiro off his ass... and he knew it wouldn't be the final. Her being Alpha didn't make him anymore afraid of her than from when they were human - which was not at all. But he did respect her, and always would.

Axel, in his eyes, was viewed in the same light. While he would never hold a sense of fear toward the man, he would never dare challenge his position. Nor would he ever show any sign of disrespect toward him, unless he were to wrong Namine in some way of course. They were Alpha, and as such they held superiority over him. Jiro accepted and honored that. A mentality like that didn't make him any less wolven. It made him him. That's just... who he was. Now, saying this didn't necessarily mean that he always stuck to this way of thinking. Because, again, it didn't make him any less wolven.

He didn't appreciate the Alphas stepping into his personal space, pressing certain buttons... And he'd be lying through his teeth if he were to say that he hadn't snapped at them. Jiro was a reserved specimen; didn't show a lot of emotion, calm in certain situations and flying off the handle in others. That's why he'd always felt... sympathetic? Was that the right word? . . .No. 'Connected'? No. That's why he'd always felt a sort of understanding with Wolf. Of course he didn't know her story. He wasn't the type for that. But... it was... something.

So, was that the reason for why he'd noticed when she left? And why he slowly got up and followed after her? Namine was looking at him, but she was taken care of. Axel was there.

...Who did Wolf have?

Him.

Wolf

Fur bristles and raises down my haunches. Being followed, I could hear it. If there was a single thing I appreciated from the wolf, it was the heightened senses. ...The only thing I appreciated. I'm tense, trying to disappear without a sound. I didn't really want to talk; they were always trying to get me to talk. I wasn't really worth knowing if I didn't know how long I might stay. If the wolf might make me leave.

Axel

...I wasn't good with comforting. Patience, yes, though that was starting to wear thin like the ice. Eight years. I had not experienced the loss of anyone I really held close to me... My mother...? I don't even know her. I knew her three brothers, the past alpha. I knew Jino's sister. The pack had suffered losses, and it stung all of those within our family... Isn't eight years enough time...?

I didn't want to overstep boundaries, what few I had still. Respect to my fellow alpha was a large one, as she had been leading before I became her equal. Filling the void that her mate had left had seemed nearly impossible, but his memory is very close to me and I wouldn't cross him - even in spirit. Ive tried to stay understanding...I am just not the one to relate with that sort of loss. I cannot comfort in this situation, like with the newly Infected. And I believe I have exhausted every other possibility.

I was at a loss. Taking a mate other than her would uproot order. Would challenge her and paint false colors unto me. Politics... We had to appear partners without truely being partners. Work towards a common goal despite not being joined. The pack supported her, despite her age. Despite...problems we saw yet didn't want to acknowledge, perhaps. Many times lately, ive wanted to talk with her, but I cannot find the words. There is simply the desire, with no way to execute it...

I stand, approaching her yet wasting time with checking on the other members. Many were retreating inside the den. Another difference between normal wolves and ourselves, as we didn't truely act nocturnal most of the time. The full moon stimulated, kept us up, but other than that we hadn't really changed like that. "Shall we check our territory boarders?" I ask her, staying largely apathetic with no knowledge of how to really act. Our territory... yet we were not one.

He’d expected her to try and evade his pursit. . . Not that Jiro was really pursuing her to the begin with. He’d made no attempts to hide his presence. So, he slowed down as she picked up the pace on her end, allowing some more space between them while continuing to follow after her. The silence that accompanied him gave the perfect atmosphere to think. And the first thought that consciously entered his mind was,
Why was he following her again?

~

Unprepared.

That’s how she always felt around him – unprepared. Unprepared for the casual glances he’d throw her way whenever they were walking side by side, or running across the iced ground hunting for game, or even just like they were now; lounging in the comforts of a place that was deemed safe... for now. He was always searching, waiting, hoping for some sort of reaction – a tell-tell sign of change. But she’d never indulge him. It was always a simple stare, a confirming nod or shake of the head. Her words were just as careful. Simple. Without meaning. Anything Axel Lea could possibly decipher was kept inside and locked away, away from the surface. Because that was what Namine was good at; keeping control in her element. Letting someone disrupt that. . . could easily land her between a rock and a hard place. And she couldn’t afford that.

You think she didn’t want to branch out to him? She did. A lot more than she would ever admit aloud. But the thought of being connected in that way... to someone who didn’t love her... That was something she physically just... couldn’t do. Looking back, though, she supposed she never gave the man much of a chance to even try. She knew none of this was his fault. . . she wasn’t stupid. Sick, yes, not stupid. It was the fear. The fear of once he knew that she was sick that her life would change again, Axel and the others having left her behind.

Speak of the devil. He was coming this way. But he was taking his time, going around and checking on the others. She would have to do the same later on; especially with Adam and Wolf. ...Wolf. The girl had went off and Jiro went after her. That lazy bastard. He wasn’t sleeping. But in a way it was good; Jiro always had his eye out for her... sort of a personal request from Namine herself.

Keeping her dark eyes on the Alpha, she focused on him, her expression neutral, but her fingers had tensed against her leg. Other than that, she kept her body completely relaxed. Inside, it was a whole different story.

Uncomfortable. Her heart had sped up. Anxious.

. . . Shit.

That’s why they can never know, the feeling seemed to remind her. She figured they all already had their suspiscions that something was wrong... How could they not? The moodswings, off comments, conversating with herself occasionally, contridicting herself with one action from another... but they’d never confirm their suspicions, because Namine would never come clean – even if confronted. If someone finds out, there will be a way to kill them off.

For a moment, she didn’t even register that.

. . .No. She wouldn’t kill her family. For any reason. She’d lost too many already.

But then what would she d—Axel. She met his gaze, heard his proposal, and did something she’d never done before. Not once in their estranged eight years. She offered him a smile. A small, genuine smile, and nodded.

“Yes.”

Then Namine’s eyes widened, faltering for a split second before turning her head. But it was far too late.

Wolf

Why was someone interested in me this way... They trailed farther, but still followed. A challenge? Wanting to see if I left this time, stopped bothering this family?

This was stupid. I waver, pacing, wasting time to see who...cared... Who was trying to help... Or harm... I wince at the wolf's instincts. Stay prepared. Get ready to attack. Get blood.

I close my blue eyes and just freeze. Tense and stiff as a board. Ears back, a low growl to...myself, or this follower? No, I wanted help... I wanted this to stop, so maybe... to just surrender, for now... I shift human, if maybe to feel more human, and sit cross legged at the base of a long dead oak tree.

Axel

I pause a moment before giving a slight smile back. Don't make too much of it. This is just...her. How she acts. But there wasn't much more she could have done to make me feel like a pup again. Inexperienced, in way over my head, unsure... But ive always been unsure around her. Even more so, was that possible? Why? Trying to have me show my weaknesses?

I nod, not finding words around her still, turn and shift to what I consider my true form. Four limbs always felt more at ease upon the ground, tooth and claw to fight off a threat... This was what I am more than my human side. Perhaps that was my downfall with Namine, as my teachers warned. I paid more attention to my wolf's instincts than human emotion and desires.

Are you attracted to him? Well, was I attracted to her? I saw the grace of her movements, yet I observed that with any other being. She was...the strongest female, the best wolf for alpha female... And there were the moments of desire, but that could be said for many through my years of growing and gaining more power in the pack. Her specifically. ...Her smile was...nice to see. Finally healing, perhaps, or accepting me as her mate's replacement as alpha.

Staring, that's what you're doing right now... I shake myself from my thoughts, beginning to walk down towards the river as we usually did to check our boarders. What was...different this time, to make her smile? Just the usual reaction when I approached her, the scent of anxiety. The usual one word answer. But the smile...

...I told myself not to make so much out of the gesture...

Yep alright im gunna be a creeper and join ^^ I had remembered you guys saying something bout this... just.. couldnt look at it at the moment *nodnod* Alright so sorry if my charries are lame it happens ^^.

Name: Joslien Clear.
Gender: Famale
Age: 16
*Personality:................................ one thing i must say........ Stubborn...... oh yes... stubborn....
Species: Hunter - Human
Looks: She also has tattos on her back. One on her lower back which is angle wings and two on each wrist. Then she has swriling tattos along the sides of her body and along her waist. They are blue back and red.
Other: Uses knifes and guns. She likes things that equal a quick death. She also has a small knife which fits her boots.

Name: Luke
Gender: M
Age: 19
*Personality: heh...... lets not go there.
Species: Wolf- Infected.
Looks: Is a muscular build but lean at the same time.. Has a green and a pale blue eye and stands about 6'3. He has long black hair that touchs eehhh half way of his neck. He has pale skin and he has snakebites. He has strong hands and a deep voice. He has tattoos all along his back and has stars going across his chest.
WOLF FORM
Other: n/a

(First post, so, I'm just going to wing it!)

Name: Seanne DuPont, "Scout"

Gender: F

Age: 21

Personality: Seanne is the, literal, lone wolf. Not so much out of choice but out of design; she's fully capable of taking care of herself and has only had to look out for 'Number One' up until very recently when she joined the pack. Although completely comfortable and able to work in a group, she doesn't require anyone else to survive.

Seanne rarely has much to say unless spoken to directly, but, she's always watching. Maybe in an unsettling manner, but never menacingly. She just likes to keep an eye on things.

Species: Infected

Human Appearance

Clothing

Seanne is a 5'7" brunette with fair blue-green eyes and full, mischievous lips. She has a medium build and disproportionally long legs, lending to her speed and agility.

Infected Form




Bio: Seanne has been alone most of her life; that much is true. Born and eventually abandoned in Quebec City at age 8, Seanne had always had a sense of separation from the other people of the world. Not so much a hatred, but an apathetic detachment. The handful of foster families she'd been a part of proved that to her. Some people were kind, while others went out of their way to do you harm. The one and only family she'd ever run away from due to their unending abuse was the very thing that changed her life in more ways than one; it'd brought about the encounter that infected her and made sure that she would never go back to her old life. Not ever.

Other: Seanne keeps a careful journal of the places she's been, people she's met, and things she's seen. There's some hypothesis on the varying effects of the Infection on people based on their human traits and some comparisons as to the effects of the Infection on people over time. Nothing thus far has proven conclusive. Additionally, she's very fond of her native French tongue and thus tends to curse, mutter, or sing to herself in said language.

( I have two more characters that I will post when I can get on a computer... for now I will post for my two right now....)

Joslien~
Why did it always have to be trees? I sighed frustrated. This.. lead me now where. I didnt know where I was or aything for that matter. I looked down at my black slim boots. Nothing made sense anymore. I had watched a pack come through here every freaking night and did that happen now... NO!
I again sighed frustrated. I needed to get the hell out of here before something came to get me. I walked on an uneven path for a good while. My breath seemed to hang in the air and that frustrated me more! It was like a sign to everyone everywhere! It was saying 'HEY IM OVER HERE COME KILL ME!' My eyes had become adapted with the night. I looked around. ... yep everything looked the same. Was I going around in circles...? I couldnt tell...
I slung my bag over my right shoulder and took off again. I needed food and water because Im such an idiot and forgot it... But hey thats what life is about right....? Not knowing crap....
Finally... I gave up trying to find my camp site. I found a tree that wasnt as tall as the others but just tall enough for me to be out of harms way. I took out my knifes and began climbing. Lets hope no one finds me... like this.. because... that would not have been good for me.. or the thing that finds me.

Luke~
Dont look around... just dont do it. I had to keep reminding myself. You how this thing goes. Your looking for someone who understands but guess what... you havent found that yet. I rolled my eyes at the voices in my head. Yeah yeah... they knew. I got kicked out of my pack and now here I am trying to find another one. Freaking women suck... I sighed frustrated and sat down on a near by rock. There was nothing for me here.

Quickly, Scout’s eyes lifted from the scrawl of her own writing, her hand pausing momentarily over the paper as she observed the lush, dark evergreens and blue-gray sky that stretched across the expanse before her. From her distended perch located a good 40 feet up the mountain side, made accessible by protrusive rocks and small tress that acted as natural footholds and grab-points, Seanne had a safe place that gave her exceptional eyesight the capability to dart from one end of the horizon to the other. It was a perfect place to keep an eye not only on the pack in the clearing below her, but on the surrounding area in case of an incoming threat. Her light irises tracked the path of a hawk, whose flight had startled her from her writing in the first place. The dark bird soared off to the South, Seanne’s head turning slowly to follow the bird’s transit until it disappeared around the swell of the mountain side. Once the lupine female had reassured herself that everything was more or less as it should be, she placed a small smudge of ink at the end of her paragraph and closed her journal before tucking it away in her knapsack, which hung from a young sapling off to her right. Yes. For now, everything was right with the world.

More or less, anyway. In the short time Seanne had been a part of the pack, she’d come to know the names of most of the members of their assembly that preferred to distance themselves from civilization like she did. Namely, there were Axel and Namine, the alphas; Natalie, Adam, and Jiro; none of which she’d ever spoken more than a few words to. On top of Scout being naturally non-confrontational, the fact of her being at the bottom of the hierarchy made approaching most of the others a cautious matter. She’d yet to ‘prove’ herself as a true team player, and up to this point she had no real intention of becoming attached to anyone. Despite their group mentality, their instinct to join together to form a sturdy unit, Scout had always had her doubts about whether, in their position, it was really a good idea to /be/ in a large group. She’d been in almost a handful of packs or small convoys in her 6 years of being Infected; and half of those groups had been annihilated by hunters or Banshees. After losing her best friend and possible mate, the beta male of her first pack, Seanne had opted to be a drifter. Nothing had been worth what she put into it.

Being a part of a pack was hard, like being part of a family. For Scout, she was still at the threshold of trying to figure out if it was worth the effort to stick around. As far as she knew, they could be attacked in the night by hunters, or a conflict within the pack would splinter their numbers. But right now, on the outside, everyone seemed to be at terms with one another. Seanne picked up a rock the size of the palm of her hand, marveling at its peculiar cut and edges, before dropping it off the edge of her perch and watching it clack against the face of the mountain about 20 feet down before slowly tumbling through the overgrowth. Like Scout, a rolling stone would never gather any moss.

Adam

Sitting here. A waste. Not good for anything anymore. Over and over again in my mind. These...what? People? Thought loss happened during all of...this... A 'mate'. A sister, a brother, even if it was only in mentality and not in blood. Humanity, what about humanity? The desires of the wolf were murderous. The heightened senses obnoxious. All of these...people...trying to persuade otherwise. I was forced to leave my future wife, my son or daughter. You cant make me forget that.

Sharp noises brought me back to the current moment. Each one too loud. Each making me wince. I turn and glare...at a simple rock going down the slope. I follow its path up, seeing Scout.

Getting to her feet and standing with her toes just over the jagged edge of the overhang, Seanne stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket as she pursed her lips in concentration. The wind brought the scent of fresh water, pine, assorted flora and fauna, and a few trails of greasy smoke from the nearby town; nothing noteworthy. Her gaze shifted down to the small clearing, almost instantly meeting Adam's eyes as he looked up the slope of the mountain toward her, as well as noting that the rock she'd dropped had landed near his person. She offered naught but a simple nod of acknowledgement, and possibly of apology for disturbing him, before allowing her eyes to drift off in pursuit of something new to occupy her vision. More often than not, it was difficult for Scout to stay focused on one thing for more than a second or two; there was just so much to see. And, after having to watch her own back for so long, she learned it was best not to fixate on one thing. That got people killed.

A small plan was forming in her head; nothing grandiose or intricate, but it was sufficient. She would, to her best ability, stay with the pack for as long as she could. The wolf who, like a second person in her own body, was trying to push away as if it could tear itself free from her body. But, Scout had asserted dominance over that unpleasant part of her many years ago. And it was that control that allowed her to remain where she was instead of bolting like the wolf so desperately wanted. She could see the struggle in some of the eyes of her companions; the gnawing, unending urges, some of which they had no hope of understanding at that particular moment. It was not something you could ever completely ignore, no matter how long the Infection has been a part of you. Her first change had been fierce, and terrifying. She ran across Canada for weeks until she was taken in by a small pack of Infected individuals who taught her how to change back. Without them, there is no telling how long it would've taken her to figure out how to change back on her own, or if she would have ever figured it out at all.

Perhaps their instinct, their psychological need, to form these small bands wasn't an entirely terrible idea. After all, there would always be more like her; alone and frightened. Isn't that how many of them started out? Seanne's eyes slowly returned to the ground, darting from head to head as she counted their numbers. There were so many... It hurt to think of all the pain that'd been forced upon each person, no matter their age. And to think that there could be more out there, lost and confused, with no one to show them the way. Scout soon grabbed hold of her knapsack, pulling it onto her back as she began to climb back down the mountainside, using the sides of her feet to slow her descent across the soil and pine needles while occasionally leaning back and using her hand to grab hold of a nearby rock or sapling for stability until she touched down on level ground once again.

Yes, this life was hard, and although she would never wish it upon anyone, Seanne had come to terms that just maybe this was the life she was meant for. And maybe, just maybe, she would be able to help others in their slowly growing pack come to terms with themselves as she had. No one deserved to be physiologically trapped or emotionally abandoned. No one.

Adam

She was coming down towards me, but I stand to wander away. Sleeping with what I had thought to be animals just a few weeks ago... wasn't used to any of this. Wouldn't get used to any of this. It was like trying to climb Everest when you couldn't even climb the eleven stories of stairs at work when the elevator was broken. I had found my place for the night, and it wasn't in a den with twenty others. It was a half mile away, in thick outcropping of bushes that sheltered from the wind and any rain or snow. Though I had to be the beastly form to beat the cold alone.

( And here are my other two charries ^^ )

Name: Anistel
Gender: female
Age: 18
Species: Hunter Branshee
Looks:
She also has red lines down her sides and black swrils all alround and white.
Other: N/A for now..

Name: Jarrod
Gender: M
Age: 19 almost 20
Species: Wolf - Pureblood
Looks:
HUMAN


WOLF

Grace

Stepping out of the woods, I take a breath before trecking along the trail I had walked in on. This went to the main road, aka the only road into town. Darkness was closer, but the sun was still tainting the sky deep pink and purple - enough light for me, although I pulled out my flashlight a little bit ago so I wouldn't need to fumble in the dark. It wouldn't be so long. Ten more minutes before I could see the edge of town ahead on the road.

Jonathan
I raise my snout to the wind and breathe in; taking in the scent of pine, of glacier water, the slowly uncovered dirt, and blood. The slight cold of the setting night stings, but I ignore it as I continue on. My paw tracks rival the size of this young stupid bear who had just awoken from the winter's sleep. Try and challenge me to my kill...

This was not a hunt from hunger, but a hunt to end it. Damn creature had it coming. The wounds I had given before the coward ran off were not satisfactory enough. The thing would die for its mistake.

Joslien~

I looked around. My eyes searched the ground below me as my heart was pouding in my chest. I could feel something.. something was there.. but to what exactly? I had no idea. I clutched my bow close to me. I needed to know... what was out there. I dropped to the grown and looked around. "Where are you?" I whispered.