Bloodline's Howl

Bloodline's Howl
Date of Scene:	29 January 2013
Location:	Fluorgis - Desert
Synopsis:	Skoll meets his sister after his getting found - and leaving the Valkyri HQ.
Cast of Characters:	Skoll Ulfang, Hati

---

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Awooooooo!"

Such is the sound of a wolfish youth. One might be surprised just how loud a young man like this can be - or how much like a wolf he can sound.

Skoll howls amidst the dunes of the Fluorgis region, having made his way into Hati's currently empty camp. He'd called her, but he doesn't have her number. And he hadn't thought of asking Katyna or Avira for her number - not realizing they might have it. The werewolf is sitting on his knees, wearing most of his regular clothing besides his shirt. Instead, his chest is wrapped in plenty of bandages to count as 'upper clothing'.

Hati has posed:
While Hati had been the one to first notice Skoll missing, she had not been among those who had found him in the end. The wolf had done the only thing she knew how to do, and that was try to track him by scent. It lead her around the usual haunts, but with no way of following him through the portals that lead away from this world, his sister was left with nothing but dead ends. In the end, she'd finally crashed out like some vagrant, curled up in an alleyway, until one of the Fluorgis guards had shooed her elsewhere.

Once she got the call that he had been found, well... there had been less pressure to resume the search. Maybe, just maybe, she's a little hurt that it had been others to have found him. He was /her/ brother, what claim did they have over him? Jealousy in any form is an easy emotion for someone so used to darkness and anger, but in the end, she certainly can't blame the ones who had rescued him. She owed them for that, as much as she owed Avira already for taking her for getting her rear end out of the fire a time or two already.

So, the girl had been scarce for a time. She had other things to occupy herself, like roving the woods for ingredients, and apparently harassing the male members of the Shard Seekers. Her camp hasn't been long empty, the embers of a recent fire still lingering. The howl is what perks her ears, drawing her head up from her scavenging. She uncorks a metal tool from a nearby cactus, then corks her water skin before shouldering it and making back for the camp. It'll take time, so she gives up a howl of her own in answer.

Eventually, she appears over one of the dunes, walking at an easy pace. "Look what the whelps dragged in. You look like crap, big brother." She notes, none too kindly.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll remains quiet as he waits for Hati, but does at least get to work. He re-lights the fire of her camp and grabs a small pan from a bag he has on him, as well as some bacon. By the time Hati gets close enough to the actual camp, she can probably smell the scent of the delicious fatty bacon. The werewolf is doing his best frying it, with a little set of plates at the ready to pour it in, and a small blanket to ensure that sand doesn't get onto the plates.

When Hati comes over the dune and finally speaks, the werewolf perks his ears. It seems he's glad to see her. Of course, then she has to go and be unpleasant. "Glad to see you too Hati." He answers her. "Thanks by the way. Had it not been for you, I might have been fried werewolf."

Hati has posed:
The smell of bacon certainly makes the wolf-girl's mouth water, especially as she's been without a good hunt for a few days. Luckily, as much as real wolves might tend towards being carnivores, Hati is an omnivore, and can live on things other than meat. Even so, she isn't about to pass up the offer of delicious, crispy, mouthwatering bacon. Apparently the siblings have at least that much in common. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're alright." She walks over, chucking down her bag and then flopping onto the sand unceremoniously. Without an explination, she slugs him one in the shoulder, "But if you worry me like that again, I'm going to have to hurt you."

Aww, she worried, and she's threatening violence. <3 The girl looks over at him, ears perked, but rather than quipping back something, she just nods her head. "You're welcome." Those mismatched eyes watch him a bit longer than normal though. "Although it looks like you didn't get away free. The look doesn't suit you. Leather, maybe... but enchanted metal? So last year." Hati waves a hand dismissively. Apparently, she's seen such a thing before, "That a gift from your 'Lords'?" She seems none to happy about the prospect of it.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll just grins when the girl explains that she's glad that he is alright, and watches her flop down onto the ground. He shakes his head just slightly, and then is slugged on the shoulder. There's a small wince, showing that said arm had recently been hurt. In fact, she can probably tell that the arm is in worse shape than the rest of him. He must have gotten into a fight again. "You well, next time, give me your phone-number so I can speed-dial you as well." He tells her, before leaning in and grabbing one of the plates and 'pours' some of the bacon onto it.

"Bacon?" He asks, offering it to her. "See it as... a token of peace, or an appology. Whatever makes you happy." Skoll then turns back to the frying of further bacon, putting more onto the pan - and it spits fat a few ways. His ears fold down and the youth lets out a sigh when she comments about the collar. "Yeah, I prefer the leather myself. Especially with a nice metal brace or something. Or some spikes. This whole enchanted metal sucks..."

The youth shakes his head, his tail bashing onto the ground. "Indeed, a gift from the Lords. I tried to tell you when we met last time... about my doubts. About the darkness that is not my own..."

Hati has posed:
She doesn't seem too ashamed of making him wince, although there is a look of concern that shows in a quick glance of her nearer, blue eye. Without saying a word, she reaches into her jacket, then flips out her phone and offers it to him. "At least you have friends to pull your furry tail out of the fire." Which is something she can't claim for herself. While she certainly owed VALKRYI for helping her a time or two, she can't really claim they did so as a friend to her. "So, who came to the rescue?" She has a feeling what the answer might be, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

The wolf accepts a plate-o-bacon, plucking up a piece and chomping into it. "Nothing to apologise for, and last I checked, you didn't have to make peace with me, either. I'm your sister, I'm kind of required to like you." She chews thoughtfully, then pulls over that water skin and takes a long drink of it before offering it out to him. Cactus juice, but not the sort that makes you crazy, really.

Her own ears flick back, "I don't really care about that, Skoll. But this... this is ridiculous." She reaches a claw-tipped finger out and taps on the collar. "Some so-called allies. Then again, I wouldn't put it beyond some Shadow Lords to try to do the same thing." The girl tugs her knee up, "I'm guessing you can't just saw it off or something." Clever girl, but really, did you expect her to just go gnawing on the thing trying to get it off of him? She's worked under a dark mage for years, pssh.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Heh, you wouldn't believe who came to my rescue." Skoll mutters, taking the phone and putting in numbers, and at the same time browsing her phone-number directory. He ensd up double-checking on Avira's number, and making sure Hati has it - and correct at that. He notes that Katyna is in the list too. "Seems you have some ties with the Valkyri yourself." He comments, not actually giving away who had rescued him quite yet.

He gives the phone back to Hati, and then grabs some bacon from the plate himself. "It was both of /them/. Zia... and Avira." His ears fold down a little. "Came in fighting and the lot too. It was kind of impressive." He whispers. "After that, they dragged me to their HQ, and I laid in bed wrpaped up like a mummy for a while." He pauses, and then adds. "But then one of those 'so-called allies' showed up and tried to level the place."

The werewolf sighs. "I can't just stay in one place anymore. It'll be safer for them. I won't hide from my friends or anything. Just..." Her comment about the Shadow Lords perhaps doing similar things worries him. "No, we tried sawing it off. It shocks me everytime we try to remove it. And what's worse, it seems to infuse me with darkness when my emotions go awry... or maybe it's the other way around." He shrugs. "We'll figure something out. Thanks though." He grins. "Sister or not, it's still what saved my life. Your ability to notice that."

Hati has posed:
The younger wolf raises an eyebrow, but she doesn't play a guessing game as to who actually rescued him. Her first guess would have likely been the Burmecian, complete with maid outfit. It seems like a fairly unlikely answer. Accepting the phone back, Hati flips it shut and tucks it away again. It isn't anything particularly fancy or special, but it works well enough for getting in touch when she wants to - which isn't often. The wolf is the sort who tends to let everything go to voicemail. "Mostly just to Katyna. She, Morgan and I go back a few years." Hati hadn't seen Morgan since her master ahd been dispatched, but the three of them had trained together for quite a long time. There's no number for the elf, though.

"So the two prospective love interests come to save you." She notes, chomping down on another piece of bacon as she ponders this. "You know Avira has eyes for that other one, right? And the mouse is on the gargress like moss on stone." She huffs at that thought. Somehow, it bothered her how much Faruja was invested, because it meant she had to fight just that much harder for his attention. Grr. why did she even /want/ his attention anyways? Trying to push that thought aside, the girl chugs down another swig of cactus juice, then leans back onto a rock.

"What you need to do is get that thing off of you. They're probably using it to track you. Probably had something else on you before, too. If you lose the tracker, they won't be as big of an issue anymore." It's common sense from a wolf point of view. If they lose the trail, they won't be able to find the prey. Of course, figuring out how to make him fall off of their radar is the harder thing. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about that sort of magic, though. Haven't a clue." She shrugs. "Maybe a Keyblade Wielder, but good luck finding one of those." There had been that mouse, but he'd dropped off the face of the universe, it seems, and the boy that they had been warned about hadn't been seen in a while, either.

Her ears tick back, some measure of her posturing dropping in favor of the person beneath. "You're too good a person to stand me up, especially since you know how much I'm struggling lately. You wouldn't just skip out on meeting up with me without saying something."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Morgan?" Skoll brings out his own phone to make sure he has Hati's number, having memorized it - but not wanting the chance of forgetting. "You mean... pretty elf, black hair..." He continues to describe an elf he and Zia had once met within the marshes outside of Corneria. "Really pretty girl, but a bit strange. Very jumpy. And seemed to be more afraid of heartless than normal." He points out. "So I am guessing it's probably not her. Seeing as you and Katyna are fairly good fighters... from what I know. I mean, Katyna is part of Valkyri after all. She's got to have something." He doesn't lay the connection to the Shadow Lords.

"But yeah... the ehh... 'two prospective love interests' came to save me." He then admits, sighing softly. "I know. Avira has eyes on Angantyr. And Faruja has the hots for both Zia and /you/... I might add." He gives Hati a /look/. "I heard you practiced mom's trade on him. Heard you were quite... /good/ at it too. Confused the mouse something good." He smirks. "You'd like me to draw the Gargoyle out from underneath his nose, so you can have the mouse all to yourself?" Skoll muses, which in a ways, suggests that he's gotten interested in the gargess.

The werewolf then tugs lightly on the collar, and grabs another piece of bacon. "Yeah, I know. I'll find some way to get it off. If anything, maybe some sorcerer can figure out what to do with this thing." He muses, before adding; "A keyblade wielder? Well.. maybe. Supposedly they can do a whole bunch of amazing stuff." He notes. "And I would have left a note in your camp if I was going to be missing. As you... as you said, I am too noble and honorable for such shenanigans. You are important to me, Hati. And I want to see you through this period."

Hati has posed:
The wolf nods her head at the description. "Haven't seen her in a while, though." Apparently, Katyna had spoken to her a time or two, but it remains to be seen if she even remembers Hati or not. "I couldn't tell you about any Heartless or not. If they're following her, then it's likely under someone's orders. They aren't smart creatures, and they don't tail someone unless there's a good reason." That whole 'pure' hearts thing is part of it, of course, but for someone like Morgan... hrm.

"Katyna is a capable fighter." She affirms this much without giving anything else away. It might not be a great leap to suggest that the two have worked together, although with Hati's ties to the Shadow Lords being fleeting at best, it doesn't necessarily group the other girl in with that. "She's just ... high spirited. If she could stop looking for approval from everyone, and chasing every shiny thing she sees, she might be a force to be reconed with." The last slice of bacon is tapped against her lips, and then nomed without a second thought.

"Hmph." The wolf-girl's ears tuck back. "He does not have the 'hots' for me. If he did, there would be stupid love poetry being spouted in my direction." Hati shakes her head, but it isn't anger in her eyes, more... disappointment. "You've got the second part right, though. I confuse him." Which is about all she can tell at this point. With a sigh, Hati rests her head back against the rock. "I don't care about the gargoyle." She says in a flat tone, closing her eyes. "I just..." With a growl, the girl tightens her hands into fists. It felt frustrating. As much as she teased Skoll about his screwed up love life, she was no better off.

"The only person I've ever felt anything for is my wolf, and you, and mom. At least when it comes to anything /good/. I read the mouse's letter, and I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like... what /that/ feels like." Her eyes open to look towards Skoll. In some ways, he already did understand what she's still searching for. "How can I ever find my wolf, if I don't even know what love is?" She growls again, and this time, Hati just leans forward, laying her head on her arms. "At first, I just wanted to prove him wrong about me, but then..." She grabs up a handful of sand, tossing it at the fire so it crackles. "I don't understand what's wrong with me." She's gone over it a hundred times, everything from her scarred face, to her darkness. Nothing seems to answer anything.

It isn't often that the wolf-girl sulks, but right now... well, she's a bit more vulnerable than before. Opening up and talking about something like this isn't easy for her. Emotions are confusing. She listens to his reassurances that he wouldn't just vanish on her, and those eyes look in his direction, "You're my brother. It doesn't matter what else happens. We're still family." And their mother had taught them that family is important, and just how wrong their father had been about that.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"I don't think if it was her they were following." Skoll admits, thinking back on it. Back then, he'd figured them to be following Morgan. "Zia was there with me..." He whispers, looking at Hati hesitantly, before adding; "Some thing she's a Princess of Heart." He feels that this information is safe with Hati. She knows his interest in the Gargess. He feels that his sister - with the two of them getting along a bit better - would not betray that trust. In a ways, it shows just how much Skoll /trusts/ Hati. And that this isn't just about blood. He's trusting her with information that might put Zia in mortal danger.

"By the way, any idea what is up with Katyna? She's always like... grr grr at me." He makes little growling sounds and even raises both his hands and mimics clawing motions. "I knew she knows you, because she mentioned you once or twice. But really..." The youth sighs. "And I think he does. He may not yet 'love' you, but he most certainly finds you most attractive. Give it time, Hati." He whispers. "Give it time." he says again.

"I know how it is not to feel for others. How to have moved past all of that. It's you who helped me set my sights straight and consider both Avira and Zia." The youth shakes his head a little. "Just give yourself some time to find out what love is, Hati." He reaches a hand out to place it on her shoulder. "Visit the mouse again. Figure things out. I know he won't hurt you." As he'd said before. "You'll figure it out. You're my smart sister." Skoll suggests, smiling kindly at her.

"As you said... we're family. Nothing can part us."

Hati has posed:
There was a time where the prospect of finding a Princess of Heart would have sent the wolf-girl off to report such news to Lord Serrak without a second thought. Now, though, she hesitates. Strangely, her first thought isn't how she could use the information to her advantage, but more what this might mean for her brother. He did seem to care for this girl, and if she is a Princess of Heart, then she will become a target. "I can't say for certain one way or the other, Skoll." The younger wolf lifts her head a bit, her tail swishing against the sand. "I've only heard of them, but if she is, she's going to be in danger. Not unlike yourself."

One of the worst things in the world is to be powerless when someone you care about is in danger, and she has had to sit back while others take the lead in making sure that her brother stays safe. "The more people who become aware of the possibility, the more risk there is of the Shadow Lords coming to know of it. If I were you, I'd find out if she is or not as soon as possible. The sooner you can squash the rumor, the better her chances of escaping unnoticed." No, Hati would not be the one to report this, even if it would earn her clout among the others. She owes her brother that much.

"Katyna is strange." This is the only answer she can give in response to the girl's reasons for disliking him. For the same reasons she wouldn't betray Skoll's trust, she also isn't going to reveal anything about the Ember Knight. "I would talk to her about it, if you can get her to sit still for a few minutes at a time." The wolf muses. Her moment of vulnerability passes with the touch to her shoulder, and the girl just nods her head. There's a lot to think about, and a lot of potential hurt there for someone who hasn't really ever /tried/ to open up to anyone. "I just wish I knew where to start."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll nods his head. "I hope it's just a mild rumor that hasn't been passed on yet." Skoll admits, "Because from what I understand, this 'Princess of Heart' thing is a rather important thing?" He's not sure how it works, he wasn't there when Merlin made the announcement, but the information is starting to trickle in as time passes by. "I don't want her to be in danger." He whispers. "She's in enough trouble just for associating with me." In a ways, he's glad that it had 'only' been Avira that the Gaudium Lord mooks had concentrated on, rather than both her and Zia. On the other, he wishes they had not at all.

The youth's ears remain flat to his scalp, and he lets out a tired sigh. "I'll do what it takes to keep them safe... my friends." Skoll points out. He nods a little in regards to Katyna, but then turns his attention to Hati's own problem. He moves his hand to her back and rubs it for a moment, trying to comfort her a little. "You started with Faruja, and you started with the Valkyri. I think it's working. Just keep at it. Even if jealousy and such get in the way... that's okay. You can always talk to me about it. Although... I am probably not the best for the whole 'relationship advice'." He sighs, and then moves his hand to his heart. "But that doesn't mean we can't feel love. We're both in a strange place... but we can do this."

Hati has posed:
"Important. Well..." Hati seems to consider the notion for a time. "I don't know that much about them, myself. I do know that they're of a particular interest to the Heartless and the Shadow Lords." There was a great deal of information that she had never been privvy to, since her master had been the 'lord' and she just the servant. That doesn't mean that she hasn't picked up bits and pieces here and there, though. Just what such a title would mean for someone, other than the obvious danger of falling under the eyes of darkness... well, she may not know, or may jus tnot be willing to speak about it.

"You need to stop blaming yourself for others wanting to step in on your behalf." The girl looks over at him with one of those wolfish looks. "We're wolves. The pack works together, and protects each other." It may not have been like that in their birth pack, but it is something that Hati believes in. She would make a fine alpha, perhaps more-so than Skoll, but the girl has never had any willingness to lead. She is a lone wolf, at least for now. "Let it be their choice to put themselves in danger, but respect that choice and honor what they're willing to do for you."

Her gaze moves to his arm, watching it briefly. She doesn't say anything for a time, but nods her head. "We're both pretty screwed up." She admits. "Guess it comes with the territory when you have a jerk for a father, a blown up world, and a destiny to chase something that doesn't exist."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Yeah, something about Heartless following them around." Skolls comments, nodding his head quietly. "But if they are of particular interest to Shadow Lords as well, that means I gotta really get to it." Skoll adds, mumbling to himself before letting out a sigh and hanging his wolfish ears. He's truly worried for the gargess. Her world has fallen, he - probably her best friend - is in immense danger, and now the whole Princess of Heart thing.

He looks up and perks his ears halfway when the girl looks over at him and reminds him that he needs to stop blaming himself. He knows she's right in one way. But even Avira had agreed that if he was around, her Valkyri were in danger. "I always have honored their choice. And I greatly appreciate it. I just don't know if their choice is the right one." He whispers... and that whisper then turns into a strange laughter.

"Oh yes, that /we are/. Screwed up. /But/. As much as we may have had a jerk father - and all of that. I am telling you... that destiny, she exists. Or... he." He rubs his chin. "Who knows, maybe your silver wolf is the mouse. If you won his heart, I am sure he'd do /anything/ for you."

Hati has posed:
"You didn't hear anything from me." Hati grumbles to herself. "Honestly, I don't know why the Shadow Lords are interested in them, but the Heartless are clearly drawn to their 'pure hearts'." The wolf girl's tail thumps against the ground. The worst thing about not understanding your own heart at times, is not realizing why things hurt. If the gargress did turn out to be some princess of purity and light, how could she ever hold a candle against her? If she can't find a way to love and be loved in return, then would she ever find her wolf? It draws her ears back, but she doesn't put any of these questions to words. It's written in her body-language, though.

"Maybe they want to eat them or something. There have been those bigger, more powerful Heartless lately. Maybe they've been chowing down on princesses and it gives them power." She's guessing, stretching for some understanding that she doesn't have. Then again, th emental image of a heartless nomming down on a few people she doesn't like... well, the vengeful part of her wolf seems to enjoy it, even if she feels a bit guilty for the thought after the fact. "I'm not the best person to talk to about it. I've kept my nose out of their plans, and I'm glad of that." It gives them one less reason to come after her if she does decide to leave their service.

Still, her scarred eye looks at him, "Not your job to determine if they made the right choice or not. That's up to them. Apparently you matter to people. Going to have to get used to that." It isn't such a hard thing for Hati, who really wasn't close to many people except for Skoll, and perhaps Katyna. Then again, would the Ember Knight even realize if she vanished? Sometimes, the wolf doubts it. "Pssh." Hati blows a few strands of hair out of her eyes, dismissing the idea of her White Wolf being a White Mouse. "I don't want to win anything. If that's what this was about, I'd go and challenge the gargress. Somehow, I don't think that's the answer."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Didn't hear a thing." Skoll raises his hand as if he were swearing this, and then puts both his hands on his ears and pushes them down to his head. "Not a thing." The werewolf then lowers his both hands and leans back a little and finally takes the pan with the last bit of bacon off of the fire and shoves them onto the plate. He then puts the pan away onto the sand - so it won't burn the small blanket - and offers her more of it. Bacon made by Skoll - the best kind of bacon. Makes and flavors it himself.

"Maybe. Maybe." Skoll notes on the topic of the heartless. "Maybe there's giant cake heartless out there eating princesses." Really, he wouldn't be surprised if this was the case. "Omnomnom princess. Or perhaps they prefer them roasty and toasty." Roasty toasty princess!

The werewolf sighs and noms on the bacon and quickly chews through it. "I'm glad for that too." Skoll whispers. "But no, it isn't my job. But I want to keep them safe too. It's... hard to get used to. I was always the one to protect others. Always going out of my way. Now there's all these badass girls who can take care of themselves." He chuckles. "Oh, what would dad say? Getting my ass saved by a couple of girls." Probably not the best question to ask of Hati.

"Anyhow. No, it's not about 'winning'. It's not in the way of a contest. What I mean is... do what you do. Get used to being around someone, see where it goes. But most of all, just be yourself Hati."

Hati has posed:
that she's been giving away trade secrets. Then again, loose lips do tend to bring problems down on people. It's why she usually turns a deaf ear to a great deal of what she hears these days. The last thing she wants, if she does choose to go her own way, is to have people trying to drag her back against her will. Her eyes go to that collar he wears, without making any comment. Obviously, Skoll knows that feeling all too well.

Accepting some more bacon, Hati smirks at the prospect of roasting princesses. "I don't know, most of them are too scrawny to really be much of a meal. The poor Heartless would starve." Maybe it's not the best place to joke, but she isn't around people who would take great offense to the idea. "Except maybe if it was that Alexandrian princess. I heard their queen is huge. The girl probably could feed an army." Clearly, she's never actually met the princess of that particular kingdom, otherwise she'd certainly be eating her words instead of delicious, delicious pork products.

"You know what dad would say? He'd tell you to grow a pair and start acting like a real wolf." Hati points out, aiming the bacon slice at him and waggling it at his nose. "Spirits forbid that you ever let a weak female be better than you at /anything/. Now you better go march in there and show that you're the dominant wolf." She's layering it on a bit thick there, but it isn't far from the truth of how their father actually acted. There were not that many females in the pack, and none were allowed even a rank as a hunter. All the males except for Skoll were meant to be cowed beneath the alpha's power.

"You aren't dad. There's no shame in acknowledging a girl's strength. Better to have them be strong and fight at your side, then for you to always have to protect them. It makes for a stronger pack." She shrugs, then chomps the bacon before he can snatch it from her after the nose-waggling. "You don't even know who I am, and you want to tell me to go be myself? What if 'myself' is a raging wolf who bites the heads off little fuzzy animals?" She rolls her eyes. "Not everyone likes the darker side of us. Do you really think /anyone/ will want to deal with that part of me? You don't even want to acknowledge it most of the time."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Oh yes, they'd starve. Although I do think you're thinking of the Alexandrian Queen rather than the princess." Skoll warns the girl, having at least seen the 'Missing' posters here and there, looking for Princess Garnet. "But the Queen - most certainly - could feed an Army. I think she'd make a fine Large Body." He puffs up his cheeks and makes a little 'wobbling' motion, and then bites at the bacon that gets waggled at him. There's the hard sound of teeth hitting teeth as she pulls it back quickly.

"Oh yes, I should go there and put Zia and Avira on a leash, and drag them around and make them my mates, and~..." Skoll carries that joke for a little, but for the sake of Disney, they actually start playing a nice song done by Phil Collins while he is having this important conversation with Hati. The youth ends up blushing at the end of it, realizing he'd gone a bit too far with his joke.

"Anyhow, as I was saying..." Before Phil Collins interupted. "I am not my dad, just as you say. And you are right, I rather have strong people in my pack. But... I'm not sure I'm really the kind of wolf for a pack anymore. There's room for my Golden Wolf, but... other than that, there's just family and friends. Nobody to be the Omega." He points out.The youth sighs.

"And no, not the you that bites the heads off of cute little fuzzy animals. I am pretty sure now that you doesn't really exist. You may be a bit hotblooded, but you have a good heart underneath that. And if anyone can deal with that darkness and vigor, it'd be the mouse. You'd be surprised how well he can keep up.

Hati has posed:
"Oh? The princess doesn't take after her mother?" Hati asks, but then shrugs it off without much concern. There is no royalty here to get offended, and honestly, with Skoll making his joke about the queen being a 'Large Body', the wolf-girl can't help but just smirk. "Early on, a couple of the Shadow Lords asked me if I could scry for those Princesses of Heart, but they're pretty well guarded. Some probably don't even know what they are. I would have thought, though, that when Manhattan was in danger, that if there was a Princess, she'd have shown herself then." Hati shrugs again, trying to dismiss the thought.

While Phil might start up to save Skoll from breaking rating, Hati is also quick to just stick a hand over her brother's mouth. There's a zzzzttt sound like a record being drawn to a hard stop. Apparently, this wolf isn't a fan of musicals. "How about you keep your weird fantasies to yourself, big brother." Somewhere, Phil Collins thanks her for not having to write a song about /that/.

Her head tilts a little, and in some ways his words do seem to hurt. Sure, he did include family and friends, but something about it felt strange. "You're part of my pack. You always will be. There doesn't have to be an alpha, or an omega... but it doens't change things, either." She lays her head back down onto her arms after that, smirking a little when he goes so far as to point out just how much she'd exaggerated some aspects of that 'dark side'. "He put a spear to my throat when we first met, Skoll. Just for having some darkness in me. I would say he's got a long way to go before he's ready to keep up with me."

The wolf rolls her eyes. She doesn't want to think about it, but she does think about it none the less. "Besides, he loves /her/, so nothing else matters.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Hey... I'm just joking." Skoll pouts at Hati. "I don't have any weird fantasies." The pout he has on his face looks kind of hilarious, along with his single-ear-up condition on his head, and the tail swishing behind him all irritated-like. The youth then sighs, catching on a little to the hurt that he might have instilled. "Don't get me wrong, Hati. You are my sister, you are my blood. You know perfectly well that we are the closest of them all. You'll always be part of my pack. I just... I just meant to say that unlike dad, I won't take multiple women as my mate. I want to choose." Skoll points out.

That's probably why he's so afraid of chosing wrongly. If he choose someone, and then found out they were not the Golden Wolf. Then what? He reaches out and pats the girl's head if she'll let him, rubbing through her hair along her fuzzy ears. "He'll learn. Putting a spear to your throat means he'll at least keep up in a fight. Keep you on your toes. I dunno... maybe it's not a good idea." He sighs.

"Honestly, I am a bit jealous of him. Or rather... I feel... a bit angry at times. Like I want to beat him up to take the gargess from him. To stop him from spewing that romantic stuff at her. But... maybe that's just this collar talking." He pulls on the thing.

Hati has posed:
The way that Hati looks at him just then, it isn't too hard to see the girl she had once been beneath the scars on her face and the mismatched eyes. Family has always been important to her, and even through the cruelty that Odin had always thrown upon her, she had always /wanted/ to belong. Skoll is really the only family she has, and try as she might to resist that, it matters to her. "You're not dad. You never will be. The best thing you can do to spite his memory is to just be the person he wouldn't want you to be." It's what she's told herself, and despite her anger, it has kept her from acting on some of those darker impulses. "I hate him." She mutters under her breath.

She doesn't know what to say about it. It had been a bold move to try something with the mouse, and perhaps it was a foolish choice on her part. "Oh trust me, I know the feeling. We're wolves. It's in our nature to want to take and protect what is ours. The problem is..." She sighs then, ears folded down. "We're people, too. We both know well enough that we can't get what we want that way. It's not a matter of showing we're stronger, or forcing them to back down. We aren't wild animals... and that's not how love works." For what little she knows of the emotion, Hati undertands that she can't force it. It has to come on it's own.

"Well, if it bothers you so much, why don't you go do something romantic for your two? See how they react. See how it makes you feel." She'd tried that with the mouse, and honestly... it hadn't gone well. "I'm sure you've got some charm in there... somewhere. And brush your teeth will you? No one wants to be close to someone only to get the doggy breath." Skoll better watch it, or he might end up the victim of the makeover mantage.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"I hate that I never saw what he did... I... can I hate someone retroactively?" Skoll asks Hati, sighing afterwards. He only has her words to go off of, but he trusts his sister. And his father had always behaved a bit odd. Things kind of just fit together with what the girl offered to him. Yet he can't really hate him as much as Hati does. Simply because he'd never seen any of it. It's irritating. "I'll just be who I am." Skoll sighs. "I don't know who he wanted me to be, though I can guess. And I'm pretty sure I won't be."

The youth shakes his head. "But yeah, we're people - and we're wolves. We're not perfect. And we're kind of between the place of humans and the beasts. It's harder for us to fit in. But I've gotten better at it." Skoll admits. The youth then makes a little handmotion. Another sigh - he does that a lot. "Maybe. Maybe. Something roma~ hey- I don't have doggy breath!"

Hati has posed:
"I wish I could show you, but memories aren't my strong suit. That was Serrak's magic, not mine. Otherwise, I would have nuked everything about my past a long time ago." Perhaps her words are a bit harsh, because it speaks volumes for how much pain she's experienced. The wolf-girl would trade her memories of both her mother and brother to get rid of the feeling of laying on the cold ground with her life's blood staining the snow. Her ears fold backwards and her arms wrap around herself. The way she reacts to the mention of the older wolf is sign enough that she's telling the truth. The best actor in the world would have trouble faking that.

"He wanted you to be like him. To lead the pack as the ultimate, destined alpha. To take over other packs, lay waste to his enemies, so he could watch them suffer." While it seems impossible that Hati would know these things, she did spend a lot more time with their mother. Once, she had been Odin's mate, and the two had shared all things. Maybe someday Skoll would understand. There were ways of such things, and he'd experienced some of it when he went to Castle Oblivion. Maybe that way he might know the truth of it.

For now, though, Hati just tries to shake the chill that those memories always bring. It's always the cold. "You do /too/ have doggy breath. And you need a bath. And a good hair-brushing, too. If you take some time to look like a gentlemen..." She starts, plucking a bit of something stuck in the fur of his tail. "Go drag Avira out somewhere nice. Or take that gargress to watch the stars or something. Use your brain, you'll figure it out."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"You would nuke all of that?" Skoll mutters, tilting those ears back down agai and silently chomping a bit more of his bacon. "They're still important memories to me." He adds to that, looking at the girl. He knows how much she must be hurting - or at least he can try and imagine. "I wouldn't be like that. Mom made sure of that. The honorcode she instilled in me... you know I would never have done such things willingly." Willingly... just like the trouble he was now in with the Gaudium Lords.

"I would never want anyone to suffer. You know that." He hasn't thought of going to Castle Oblivion. He'd gone there once... but the events there... he barely remembers walking into the place. That place is strange. The comment about the doggy breath has him make a joking growl at her. "Well, maybe I just /will/ take a bath and get my hair brushed." Though he's pretty sure it will never stop looking like that wild mane-like hair. He might remove a few snarls... but his hair just... is always going to be like 'that'.

"But... who do I take out." He leans back. "They're both nice... and I am pretty sure that taking them together is a bad idea."

Hati has posed:
The question only has Hati hug herself a bit tighter, shaking her head. "You have no idea." Even with the fire, the girl shivers. She might be an adult, but there's something young about those wide-eyes and the way she seems to just curl around herself. In that moment, she looks truly miserable. "You've always healed. No matter how bad dad pushed, no matter what got thrown at you, you survived because of what you are." Her haunted eyes look at him then, "You have no idea what it feels like to feel yourself fading. To feel the cold set in your limbs, or the way that the predators come at you, time and again, because they can smell your blood... your weakness." Her eyes are glassy, but the girl just growls and turns her head away.

"And worst of all, no one ever comes. No father, no mother, no brother, no wolf." She shivers again, her voice growing darker even as she speaks. There is nothing so terrible in all of her memories as that night in the woods. That next morning, when Skoll had tried to track her, there had been so much blood in that little clearing, and perhaps he had tried to tell himself that it wasn't hers, or that she'd somehow survived it. The truth that she had is a miracle, but what she would have had to endure is unimaginable.

"Can we not talk about it, please?" Her head tucks down, trying not to think about it anymore. At the very least, his love-life makes for a convient change of subject. The wolf lifts her ears a little, "Take them both out separately. See how it works. Worst you can do is be turned down." She'd already had to deal with some measure of rejection from Faruja, so surely he can manage to see how a date with each of his potential girls could go. IF they're even interested.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Hati's description of what had happened to him, and her reference to the fact that he healed from everything... it haunts him. The image of that blood on the fairly fresh snow. How cold it must have been. He has been in situations like those. So badly wounded. Bleeding. But always he knew he'd be okay. Unlike her, who knows that her life... her life very well might fade.

"I'm glad you survived. But yes, let us not talk about something this depressing." He mutters, "Think that would work though? To take them both out for a date?" He raises a hand and rubs behind one of his ears. "I've never taken someone on a date. I mean, I've seen like... movies and stuff. But that's just not the same. You said staring at the stars? Won't that be boring for them? They're more similar to humans."

Hati has posed:
"Don't go in expecting to find your Wolf, Skoll." Hati replies with a shake of her head. "Go in to learn about /them/. To enjoy time with them, to figure out what you feel about them. Forget the rest of it, put it out of your thick head." She reaches out and taps him on the side of the head, just next to his ear. There is still a glassy quality to her eyes, but at least with this, she seems to be able to focus on something more positive. "If you think it's boring, then come up with something. You know them, be creative. Figure out something they'd like." She shakes her head, reaching for the cactus juice and draining another long swig of the stuff. Brothers are hopeless.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll gives the tail-movement a respite of sorts, while he dejectedly agrees with Hati. "Right..." He whispers to her, realizing that indeed, he should not be so fully concentrated on the Golden Wolf thing. This is followed by a quick wince as she taps him on the side of the head, and he ends up sticking his tongue out at her in counter of her physical argument. "I don't really... know them /that/ well though. I could probably entertain Avira with a hunt, but I'm not sure that's really a romantic thing. And Zia... well, I know she'd probably like to look at the sun rather than the stars right now. I could maybe take her to a beautiful place to see a sunrise?" He is kind of hoping that Hati gives him an 'okay' on something, or gives him an idea for Avira.

The werewolf then scootches closer to her, and moves an arm to Hati's back. That glassy look in her eyes... he feels...

"Hey Hati. Let your brother give you a hug and forget your sorrows for a little while. We're blood."

Hati has posed:
"For one of us, a hunt might be romantic, but for a human..." She smirks, shaking her head. Then again, that is kind of her next current plan with Faruja. The two of them were to go hunt down some sort of Mark and see if they can't make some coin for the Shard Seekers and the Church in the process. Maybe it's not exactly the stuff of great lovers, but... it would let her get to know him. A step in the right direction, perhaps. "The sunrise thing sounds good for your gargoyle. Not sure about Avira..." She doesn't know the VALKYRI leader all that well, except for those rare few moments.

"I think with her... she's mostly looking for you to show some interest. So, maybe something from where she comes from. Maybe figure out how to make her something from her world she likes." She's stretching here, trying to think of things, but at the same time, she's trying to consider gestures she might like, herself. The wolf isn't exactly an expert on romantic things.

When he offers her the hug, though, the girl pauses and looks over. Her ears tuck back, but after a time, she does nod her head. It doesn't come quite as naturally to her as it had in the past. When she was young, the girl loved to roughhouse and play, and snuggle, and generally was everything you could have expected out of an affectionate child. Her father had changed that, made her harder, but... without any real complaint, she scootches over and leans in, sliding an arm around his side, nudging her head up beneath her brother's neck.

"I missed you, you know that, right?" She asks, not sure sometimes what he thinks of her.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
When the fellow werewolf comments on what might be a better idea for Avira - and how the humans are indeed different from them, Skoll nods his head. "Yeah, I figured that might not be a good idea." Skoll admits, letting out a long sigh. At least the girl goes on to explain what might be a better idea, and the werewolf certainly is listening. "Maybe. I think I know that she likes meat, so... maybe some kobe beef." He notes. "I dunno, I couldn't very well ask Zia. Maybe some of the refugees might know." He could send Emi to find out some recipes.

The youth then shakes his head a little and tries to think of something while Hati is busy considering whether she should hug her brother or not. When she finally leans in though, Skoll finally smiles and relaxes a little, wrapping his arms around his sister. How long had it been now? Years! YEARS since he'd given his lil' sister a hug. So in many ways, this moment is incredibly special to him. He rubs his cheek along hers as a sign of familial affection.

"Welcome home, Hati." Skoll answers her. "I missed you too. After all this time, I am so glad - I was already so glad that first day - when I found out that you were alive."

Hati has posed:
The younger werewolf certainly doesn't have much in the way of suggestions when it comes to a girl's heart. She isn't exactly close with many of the women she knows, with the rare exception of Katyna. Sure, she had that battle-worn respect for Avira, but it isn't exactly that sort of thing. She'll leave figuring that out to her brother. "I'm sure you'll figure something out. You're creative." She reaches up and pats him on the head in a manner that might be condescending to some, but mostly, she's being as close to playful as this girl can manage.

She stays within the hug for a time, "Yeah, and I wanted to bite your face off." The girl isn't exactly proud of that moment, but he had caught her at a very, very bad time. "Especially when you tried to defend dad." Letting out a sigh, the girl just shakes her head. "I'm not so close to the edge anymore, but it was close."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"You bet I am." Skoll flashes a grin in response to Hati's comment about being creative. "Maybe she'll like chains... no... no wait, that's a bad idea. That'll totally come off wrong." Skoll kind of nods to himself while stating this, and then goes back to giving the girl that hug. "It's okay, I understand wanting to bite my face off. From what I could understand, you couldn't remember me right away. And with dad... well... I didn't know. So..." He shrugs his head.

And then she admits that she's no longer on 'that edge', and that smile on his face grows - both kinder and in size. "I'm glad." She is moving away from the edge. But her brother, thanks to this collar, is moving towards it.

Hati has posed:
"The answer to all the world's problems is not: Bacon, and chains." Hati looks at him with a smirk, then leans back, seemingly having had enough of cuddly wolf-time. Maybe later, but she can't let people think she's gone too soft. Hrmph. Not like there's anyone out here to watch, but still.

Remembering Skoll had been a turning point, something to lead her away from the worst depths of the darkness within her. It's still a long journey ahead, though, and she hasn't really made the first steps. Right now, she's not getting worse, but so few forces are pulling her to be something 'better'. Time will tell. "Now we just need to make sure you don't get pulled towards it." Her mind seems to echo some of his internal thoughts.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"The answer is totally Bacon and chains." Skoll points out, teasing Hati and prodding her shoulder with a single finger as she leans away - letting her move away from the circle of 'affection'. Yeah, can't let people think he's gone soft either. Oh who is he kidding - Skoll is a /total/ softy! The youth leans further back and starts to finish off the rest of the bacon on the plate, offering Hati some in between his own pickings.

"I'll resist." He whispers to Hati. "That's all I can tell you on the subject of that internal darkness. I will resist. I have friends who will keep me on the path. You, Faruja, Zia, Avira, and others of course." He can't go naming them all. The youth then slowly starts to stand up.

Hati has posed:
It's some mild reassurance that he has enough reasons to resist that darkness, and the influence of the Gaudium Lords. It is a testiment to the wolf-girl's own strength that she has managed not to fall victim to her own darkness. Skoll's influence certainly had helped with that, but it's still a hard fight to take on your own.

When he gets up, Hati looks towards him, "Heading back?" She asks, ears at half-mast as she asks the question. Before, when Serrak had been in her life, she sometimes spent weeks by herself without so much as blinking an eye. She hadn't remembered anyone then, so she had no one to care about, and no one to miss. Now - well, she knows just how much she's lost. It's a lonely feeling, but she can't bring herself to give up the lone wolf persona. Not yet.

Looking back towards the fire, the light of it reflects in her mismatched eyes, once again making her look young - without that hardness that time has forced onto her. "Stay safe, will you?" It's as much of an admittence of her worry as he's going to get, and as close as she can manage to a goodbye.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Yeah." Skoll answers her, patting off his pants. "You can keep that blanket. It's mine from back at Valkyri - laid on it during most of my recovery. May need to clean it off a bit, but it should be able to keep you warm during the cold desert nights." He points out. "Just in case you needed a bit of extra blacket." The werewolf then sticks his hands into his pockets and relaxes a little. He can tell how him leaving her is making her sad...

"I don't want to stay in one place too long. I have the wanderlust - Hati. I need to move... it's hard for me not to. It's dangerous for me not to." The werewolf looks out towards the lights of Fluorgis in the distance. "I'll be safe." He whispers. "You stay safe too, okay? You're my sister... and you've got my number now. Don't hesitate to call if you need me." He takes a few steps away from Hati towards the city, then stops at the top of a sanddune.

He looks back to her, and raises a hand up from his pocket to wave at her. "Let's see who finds out what love truly is first." He calls to her, and then descends down the dune on the other side.