dirty jobs // open

[azrael]

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/24ffzg5.jpg] Making an audit of the territory should have been a simple enough chore to complete. A quick lap around the norther ridge border to then veer east, following the river northeast to arrive at somewhere low in the valley. Sounded simple. It had not been so. The expedition was damnably difficult, unfathomably so really and the poor conditions that Hostel found herself facing had hindered her progress to an irritating degree. Had she not been gifted with an iron will – or perhaps bullheadedness – the female would have succumbed to the harrowing compulsion to return to the dens, an area far kinder than what she was traipsing through at present. Hostel's every step was a new challenge to overcome. The receding winter elements that had ripped across their lands and had spared them no luxuries. The northwestern edge of the mountainous territory had suffered before nature’s proclivity for destruction and the devastation that was their reality was neither pretty nor easy to maneuver around. While key roads taken by the pack were not obstructed by the encroachment of melting water and upturned debris, other paths were now lost or dauntingly difficult to access. Namely the ones used to reach the outer sectors being the worst affected by the snow storms that had sounded a terrifying death rattle for the past few months. This was her first look at it done, or it would be assuming she would be able to pull himself out of this mire. Well churned earth had absorbed the abundant moisture leaving the northwest topography swamp-esque and unstable. Hostel, heavier than most females would ever want to be, was discovering just how unstable the soupy soil was as she waded through the muck. Her every step was punctuated by a grunt as she wretched herself out of the mud that had now risen halfway up her limbs and collecting against her belly. The warrior could wield her own weight efficiently enough but the accumulating mud was staggering her balance and the influences of the brown sludge would probably only worsen the farther she traveled. She was fighting an uphill battle – quite literally because the borders of this particular outpost was located on the other side of the ridge, the climb made virtually impossible thanks to the slick road ahead. “What a mess this is.” Her murmurs lost to the silence as her sharp eyes beheld the torn landscape critically. There would be no prey here, of that anyone would know without needing to investigate as she had but more than that their routes were impeded upon now. Some may not think these back roads to be quite so significant when the remaining territory was lush and thriving from the press of spring but any proper strategist would see the negative aspects of this. Escape routes would be downsized to a sparse amount of niches and paths with the hindrances from harsh weather conditions. True that there was little need for them at present but it was no less true that danger was a fickle mistress. “This is absolutely ridiculous; we might as well not even attempt to make use of these routes anymore. Nobody will be able to get through here.” Her words flushed with irritation, both from the futility of her journey thus far and the encumbering disadvantages with these changes in geography. With a long-suffering sigh the Galaxy wolf managed to peel herself onto a patch of semi-firm earth that squelched noisily beneath her mud-slicked paws and with careful work she was once more fighting her way back to the safety of solid ground. By the time she reached the salvageable flat of stone her body was one miserable ache. Where one pain ended another began and her breathing came in short, hollow gusts of fatigue as she slapped her hackles to the ground, grateful that she was no longer sinking but parched, dirty and out of order where not what anyone could call an improvement.

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[okamiimaru]

Dull greyness seemed to blanket the sky, the world appearing dreary, gloomy and tired. Everything and the landscape had darker than usual features, cast in one giant shadow. The sun gone, the air had a stale feel to it, telling everyone to stay at home and inside. The grass was damp and cold, the breezes were on the chilly side and the earth was quiet for the moment. Winter was passing and spring was on its way, however, the transitions were always the roughest. A new climate to become accustomed to, new scents, and different flora and fauna emerge or recede from the landscape.

Oki was going to miss the snow, never was he going to get bored of playing in it and having his ways in the wintery conditions. The air was always crisp smelling, having a sharp freshness to it on some days. Despite this, he could always see the bright sides of things and in this case, spring. Right after it would rain, the air felt renewed and was easier to breathe, even relaxing. The slippery grass threaded in and out between his toes as the male strode leisurely along the ridge. He peered over the cliff and it looked a long way down. Understanding why, he could figure it was a good defense as a border. Though, with ones like himself, it would be an easy obstacle, as they could simply glide across the gap. In any case, he always had this instinct to keep an eye on the borders from past roles he's held. Though his current one didn't call for such things, he felt it helpful until more were able to do so.

A sharp sound came from behind him and Oki whipped his head backwards to see what it was, "Who goes?", he called out. Finding nothing, his eyes continued to search, trying to find someone or something that could explain the noise. Fully turning around, he trotted over to where he thought it come from and still found nothing. Glancing upwards from sniffing the ground, it occurred to him that he had just been wandering and didn't know exactly how he got here. Though he did remember there were a few paths that he had taken earlier. Some however seemed damaged or washed over by the previous season's harsh weather and he had to continue off a path and hopefully find another. It didn't bother him personally, but he did know that those who relied on those pathways were going to suffer. Perhaps he could find someone who's traveled some of those paths to help him restore them, if it were possible. Nose twitching, he looked away from the treeline he was staring at back out towards the open gorge.

Returning to his previous walk, the grass slowly became more sloppy and spongy, saturated with water. Trying to step lightly so he would sink into it, the pathway he took became more scarce in grass and became more muddy and slick. Soon, his sheek copper fur became dull and darker with the wet dirt that stuck to it. Disgusted, he didn't pay much mind to it anyway as it never was going to stop. As he continued, he looked up at the sky. Sighing, it hasn't changed all day and he figured it was going to be one of those days.

What sounded like rocks falling against rocks and footsteps echoed in the canyon to his side. Ears flicking, the sounds continued, though very faint at times. Eyes narrowing, thinking, he padded over to the cliffs edge. Peering down, at first, he didn't see anything and could swear his hearing was playing tricks on him. Then, he caught a glimpse of something moving. Humming to himself in thought, he stepped away from the edge. Then bursting forward in a sprint, he threw himself off the cliff. Allowing himself to free fall for a little, oh how he loved the feeling, it was cut short as he needed to keep himself from becoming nothing but a pile of blood and fur on the ground. Spreading his wings, they billowed as the air caught them and he continued to glide until he pulled up, just missing the ground. Grinning to himself, he loved the thrill. Once he was down there, Oki landed and folded his wings back, perching them onto his shoulders. Shaking out his fur, he found it to be quite big down at the bottom and wide. Wide enough to have a small river and have places to walk on either side. Looking at the running water, it seemed shallow, but deep in other places. Grass grew in some spots by the waters edge. It was just as muddy, if not more down at the bottom, Oki observed.

Curious as to where the other went, he followed where he thought they had gone to. Head turning in all directions, he came to a earthen wall that the water has carved its way through, but the pathways blocked. Thinking about climbing it, he then remembered how slick the ground was to begin with and how hard it would to get over it that way. Spotting the top was covered with a large stone, he decided he would jump up. Crouching low, he proceeded to spring upwards to try to get onto the rock. Not close enough, he felt back to the mud. Splattering, it got more over his fur coat, some even splashing onto his silvery underbelly. Growling to himself, he then thought it novel to use his wings as an aid. Crouching low again, he jumped upwards with a flap of his wings, giving him just enough to hop onto the rock. Pulling himself up, eyes looked around once more. Like an epiphany, the stranger was close-by, sitting on a flat stone. The only way back down the other side was a slippery incline. Figuring he could use his wings again to get him down, he lunged forward with a flap of his wings and made it over the hill, though slippery ground still beneath him. Trying to land as steadily as possible, as soon as his paws touched down, he began to slide. Feeling like as if he was on ice, he almost lost his balance a few times and eventually he stopped. Relief overcame him as his breathing has heightened for the moment, a cause of the sliding. Quickly realizing he had followed the other here, he looked up at the other and found they were only a meter or two away; a little closer than what he wanted, but nonetheless, he was there. Once they were to look at him, he would quickly click his wrists together and hold his head up as if he was dismounting from a maneuver, "I meant to do that", he would then say, seeing if the other would catch his bluff or even see it as a joke.

[azrael]

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/24ffzg5.jpg] The trees slowly creaking and groaning as they rasped at the crimson wolf lumbering about in the mire – beseeching her to, please, leave. She leaned against one of the gnarled trunks, which was just so mildly cool compared to the overall climate that was enough to send her skin crawling with a rash of goose flesh at the sudden, unexpected temperature difference. Black lids darkened the warriors vision as she closed them, blocking out all sight from her senses as she relaxed. Or gave the impression anyway. Hostel was so habitually wound up that she was virtually incapable of entering a true state of tranquility. It was more a limbo of attack and destroy. Bronze highlights flickered along her rounded ears, slowly cupping as they pitched forward along her horned crown to become twin peaks, listening to the sounds of unknown things moving about her – the hiss of a northern winds, the sloshing sound of the muck sliding around, a crow’s cry as it swooped overhead… though it was the whisper of something else that made her look up, eyes circling around in their slanted sockets as she sought the cause of her sudden paranoia and found nothing but shadows to answer to. Pressing her skull against the hollowing hulk of a base, as if the tree would answer the question that now harassed her: who else was here? Of course, the tree replied with nothing, merely grunted against her touch, louder, as if she were causing it physical pain by leaning against it. It was a sad little thing so perhaps the weight of a healthy wolf was too much for its mud-upturned roots to handle. Satisfied, or perhaps distracted by other things occupying her mind – for instance, the irritatingly cool movement of the sludge beneath her paws, whatever the diversion Hostel dismissed her initial suspicions and turned about. She wasn't going to feed into the unsung terrors of her mind when there was still more to do and the sun already raised to the noon point meant her time would be limited. Besides, she wanted to be clean and someplace where she might not find herself shoulder deep in watered soil. With her tail maintaining its upward tilt and ears erect in quiet observation, Hostel began to pick her way to firmer ground. But no sooner had she begun her unsteady trek did the beat of wings cause her to snap to attention. She might have dismissed it had been a gentle fluttering of feathers against the wind currents but the weight of the flapping was too defined to be anything she was used to. Immediately she searched the skies and her surprise doubled to see a wolf dropping like a rock. After pulling the proverbial ‘WTF’ face, Hostel had to smirk at watching the clumsy landing and then the dismount. By the time Oki realized she’d seen it all, the red warrior was roaring with laughter. “You fly with all the grace of an albatross!"

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[okamiimaru]

After hopping over the collection of mud and rock that blocked his path, he couldn't help but regret that decision. Perhaps he should have just swam or waded through the water that divided the stony wall. Oki didn't even rememeber how deep the water was. Oh how he didn't think that through...Drying mud was starting to crust up his legs and some was even speckling his underbelly, putting brown dots on his silvery coat. Maybe, after he had finished humiliating himself in front of this stranger, he would step into the small river and clean himself. For now, he stood waiting for the response of the other, if one at all. Though, he did have an idea of what it might be. Oki could even swear that he was sinking in this soft, wet dirt. Well, he was quite heavy for his kind and size...didn't really surprise him when he remembered that.

Of course the stranger was laughing it's tail off. Honestly, if he would have watched himself, his reaction probably would be quite similar. Over time, Oki has learned to laugh at himself and he never took most comments offensive, unless if they purposely were meant to be. Finding after the stranger made her comment, he found it to be a female. Her looks were quite bold and decieving to be a femme, Oki thought to himself. Nonetheless, he found her comment quite funny and tried to hide his snicker.

"Do not!", Oki rebuked as he looked at the female, though in a playful manner, "If you were watching, you would have seen it's the blasted slick mud that messed up my landing. I will have you know my flying is superb", he made his voice sound dignified, trying to make it all a joke, though he was serious about his flying and how the mud messed him up some. Oki fluttered his wings as if to puncuate his statement. All the while, deep blue eyes looked over the laughing femme, curious if she was part of Galaxy or a loner, though he would assume the former. Her red was bright and brilliant, just like his mate's. She's quite intriguing, he thought to himself. "Perhaps I should give you a set of wings and see how well you fly, then", he smirked, just having some fun. After a short pause, he changed the subject after the female had said what she wanted to say. "What're you doing down here anyway?...Not exactly the most beautiful day to go hiking", Oki peered up at the grey sky, then back at the female, "What's your name?" His tone has changed to a more sincere, friendly and inquisitive one.

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[azrael]

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/24ffzg5.jpg] Hostel flashed the brute her cheekiest grin, the expression itself fang-filled and wide, not looking nearly as amicable as she might have intended for it to be. Black velvet lips stretched across an equally dark face in a flash of ivory teeth, lucid blue eyes floating amidst the contrasting colors. The blue was dramatic and expressive, shadowed by the darkness of her fur and accented by the swirls of gold weaving up to her brows. What her smile didn’t convey with adequate strength her eyes did, thawed by honest mirth and good-humored welcome. The female’s posture remained lax and novel by tension, more excited then she was wary of the new face in front of her. She’d never seen a winged wolf before in her life so being able to scrutinize to her hearts content was an opportunity she took full advantage of. “Do to,” the retort hidden in a none-too-subtle cough that she shielded with a mud-slicked forepaw, unable to resist juvenile reiteration. Age-grayed memories manifested themselves from some alien era, glinting with indistinct faces and voices infused with white noise but the peculiar, neck ruffling sense of déjà vu. Like this conversion had happened before – not with the oak colored canine but with someone from a time she couldn’t quiet grasp. It was an interesting but unimportant sensation and she casually brushed it aside as the wing-bearing beta quickly explained his lack of landing coordination to which Hostel erupted with a swift rejoining statement. “Mud might just be the problem but it’s funnier to think you just have two right wings and no traction.” At the notion of being bestowed with a pair of wings, the image was unappealing. In terms of physical size her mass wouldn’t be capable of fully utilizing such feathered appendages to any real extent. With a soft snicker the female squared her shoulders, regaining some semblance of composure in the absence of earlier hilarity. “You know, I think I’ll pass on the wings pal, I’m not exactly what you would call aerodynamic if you hadn’t noticed.” Giving herself a glancing once over to highlight categorical shortcomings. True enough today wasn’t abound with sunshine and favorable conditions, the desire for a bath had never weighed so heavily nor been so tangible as it was here. Mud proved heavier once accumulated in decent enough quantities, restricting movement and filling the creases of her pads uncomfortably. “Territory audit, making sure the borders are properly marked and whether or not our routes have been compromised. Though it seems a moot point now seeing as how you have a bird’s eye view.” It was almost irritating to be informed last minute of his mobility in this muck. She could have been wasting her time elsewhere doing something trivial opposed to clawing through this swamp-like terrain. “The names Hostel, nice to meet ya Feather’s.” And so she bequeathed him with his own nickname, similarly done to the Alpha upon her first meeting. "Flutter on over here, you're galaxy right? That makes you off limits for biting."

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[okamiimaru]

Reading her face, Oki could tell she was enjoying this far too much. Trying to ignore it, it reminded him much like his own personality, wading in the folly and flustering of others, especially with his mate. There can't be a minute without him teasing her and making her pout so he could stop. They both knew it was just all for fun and games. Though, he doesn't like to admit he goes a little too far and upsets her. If this was how the female really was, he could tell that he was going to get a taste of what the receiving end feels like. Not that he didn't want it to be that way, but he could tell that perhaps, she could become a healthy rival of his with snide and dry comments that they would fire at each other. Perhaps she was having too much fun, he thought to himself, she seemed pretty giddy with herself.

The talking back she demonstrated was retaliated with a pushing out of his tongue at her, not something too uncommon of his slightly immature nature. As he pulled his tongue back into his mouth, he could taste a mustiness. Perhaps it was from the air or maybe some mud splashed onto his lips. It tasted not all too great nonetheless; he rubbed it against the roof of his mouth. His composure, compared to the female, has remained generally the same throughout. Though, his wrists were no longer touching. He has allowed himself to relax a little, his wings were still perched on his back. The scarf around his neck felt loose and he really wanted to check it and tighten it. Only problem was that his paws were covered in a nasty layer of mud, something he didn't want to get all over his treasure. Speaking of the wet dirt, the femme gave her own opinion of his landing. "Of course I have no traction, what wolf does in this kind of terrain? And contrary to popular belief, I have one left and one right wing, thank you very much", he punctuated his sentence with unfurling his wings to their full length of 12 feet, showing her the underside of them. The same blue of his eyes made the majority of his feathered wings, then creating an underside layer, a brilliant teal created some contrast with the deep blue and copper. After a short moment, he folded his wings back along his back.

Once she mentioned that wings wouldn't fit her and possibly even cramp her style, he couldn't help but laugh, too many crude and some slightly mean comments fluttered into his mind. If he hadn't thought for the extra second, his mental filter wouldn't have caught what he wanted to say and possibly would have said something a little too far. "Nah, not that much better than myself. How do you think I fly with all this?", he lifted a muddy forepaw to pat at his 'pudge' he calls it, completely forgetting it was covered in mud. Not to mention his metal covered bones that made his bones unbreakable.

Oki felt the need to sit, but he was still standing on the soft and nasty mud. He wanted to sit, but didn't want to seem roochy and unable to settle himself, especially as now the Beta of Galaxy. "Ah scouting; keeping an eye on the borders. Aye, you're right about the aerial view, but I'm not as familiar with the paths as you are, I'm sure. I know this may sound a little unprofessional on my part, but perhaps you can give me a rundown sometime?...You must've been out here since morning...", he couldn't help but consider how long she must've been out on her duties and how much easier it would be for him to do her job, especially with the terrain. He was about to suggest an offer, but he waited for the moment. He didn't even know her name yet or who she was affiliated with.

"Hostel", he repeated. It was quite the unique name. The nickname she gave him made him chuckle as it was almost equally unique. "Pleasure to meet you too...I'm not too good with nicknames, but I'll come up with one for you here soon", he winked, "...Perhaps for now I can just call you a dirty girl", he poked, smirking. As she seemed to invite him over to the rock she was sitting on, he never thought about approaching her until he knew she was more comfortable with it. Now that he did know, it made him happy now that he could sit. Padding over to the rock, he was glad to get out of the noisy mud. Finally resting his haunches, he settled in just beside Hostel. "Biting? I take it that's your usual greeting to others?", he playfully snapped his teeth at her, grinning, "Aye, I'm Galaxy. I take it you are too then?" After she had said she was, he couldn't help but state with a little pride in his tone, "The name's Okamiimaru Doashi; I am your new Beta."

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[azrael]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,400,true]

[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/24ffzg5.jpg] It took a lot of effort on her part not to grumble out her frustrations and grievances at hearing Oki speak. She liked him – or liked him about as much as she was capable of – but it offended her sense of reasoning in a way that was particularly unsafe for those duty assigners who had handed her the task in the first place. Why in hell would they single her out as the perfect candidate for the job when they had wonder brute over here that could fly out, get the lay of the land, and be back before lunch time? ‘I’ll have to apologize to Grizzly when he realizes he’s a few members short…’ because while she could destroy the evidence of her genocide there wasn’t much she could do to replace them. Plots of murder and cannibalism aside! Hostel was discovering that her new wingman – she chortled at her own joke – wasn’t all that bad of a guy. His easy personality and casualness toward her redeemed the fact that he was horrible with nicknames. “That would be funnier if it weren’t true or if I was a slut.” She rebuked amusedly, grinning broadly at him, an expression that melted off her visage at his last statement. “You are not my beta.” And just like that the situation changed, introducing a sudden disconnection to the conversation where mirth and good humor had presided. It happened in the precious seconds after Okamiimaru’s remark. It occurred so quickly, all but erasing a crucial transitional period from jovial socialite to repelling neutralist. In that instant Hostel was free of the curl in her velvet lips, the joyful squint to her eyes now absent of their descriptive flare. Those once telling sapphires, flushed with emotion and vigor, had become unimpressionable pools made to clash with ones of similar hue but were void of sentiment. They mirrored the gem whose color they stole, empty, alluring, and cold. It incited onlookers to ask themselves if they knocked on those windowed gates, would anyone be home to answer. The red titans’ words hung between them, a shapeless cloud of conclusive refusal and utter dismissal to his claim. Oki, for all the waxing approval he was beginning to twist from her, was not an individual whom she would permit to hold a state of prevalence over her. He was undeserving of such a position, not because she disagreed with Grizzly’s decision but because she did not count him as her beta. There was no acceptance or possession of him that would encourage her to curb her more rogue-like thoughts. Ones that specifically omitted him from the running of beta in her eyes and she believed her statement with every fiber. Okamiimaru might be beta over the Galaxy pack, but he was not beta over Hostel. It was poor reasoning but one can scarcely argue nuances with those of her caliber, at least not without angering them and tempting fate. With a Gallic roll of her shoulders Hostel proceeded to isolate sections of relatively stable earth and devise a route, attempting to avoid gathering more sludge then was already present on her frame. She wasn’t the sort to mourn the loss of the vivid coloring or intricate design, vanity had never suited her, but she’d much rather have less then more. “You do not know the territory, you do not know the pack, and you do not know me. You’re not beta, you’re a filler for a spot that’s necessary for Griz to look like he’s got his shit together.” There, it was out in the open. No maliciousness, no spite, a conjecture that was seen from her perspective and likely shared by others not willing to voice it. "Don't get me wrong you seem like an alright guy, but you're not dominant to me."

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[okamiimaru]

Okamiimaru was completely unaware of how Hostel was feeling. Though what he did know was that he was sorry that she had to do all this when he could easily do her job and more in the same amount of time. He would never do that as one, that would be too much responsibility and two, others had jobs for a reason. Almost wanting to apologize, he knew that it wouldn't solve much and possibly make the situation worse. Perhaps he could apologize in another way, he thought; rather than by just words. He didn't want to become submissive and weak, especially with his new role. Nor did he want to appear snuffy and dominant about it either. He was in tough jam. Oki always wanted others to like him and he was always looking for friends and will not stop at trying to make allies. However, his tough jam was about to get tougher.

The recent comment about his trouble with nicknames even made him chuckle at his own joke and he couldn't help his chuckle to escalate to a short laugh at her retort. "How do I know you're not?", he insinuated her latter suggestion, adding in a wiggle of his brows for more bemusement. Though, their fun and games would soon come to an end, much to Oki's dismay.

Hostel had just bluntly denied him of being her superior. It happened so quickly, Oki's smile slowly flattened and his mouth closed, wondering how he should respond. He was curious of she truly felt that way about him or something else...something that he didn't quite have a grasp on just yet. Oki was never good at reading other's intentions and subtle expressions to see what the truth was. He would just have to see what played out. Though, nonetheless, he didn't like the fact of how quickly Hostel changed her attitude and it made Oki wary. Many questions ran through his mind, invoking suggestive thoughts about his new home and Hostel herself. Questions like why and how and just the proverbial 'what??'.

Why did she have to put him in this position? It almost made the male feel uncomfortable and uncertain with himself, though he didn't indicate it anyway. Instead, he had become more stern, eyes narrowing at the female out of slight suspicion and lack of knowing what she was truly thinking. Oki felt that he needed to clarify his philosophy, though he wanted to Hostel to know her place and his place and if she really didn't like him where he was, he would make her. It wasn't going to change. "The territory I can learn as I can with everyone in the pack. Those things are easy to overcome. I am willing to become anyone's friend and am never going to turn down an ally...I am Beta of the Galaxy pack. Grizzly chose me for my experience, abilities and skills. I have lifetimes of experience compared to yours; three hundred and sixty-five moons to be exact. I am no filler and what I have accumulated cannot be duplicated...", he cut himself off and quickly stood up on all fours. He stood so his face wasn't too far from hers and it was almost as if he loomed over Hostel a little, deep blue eyes now turned crimson with slitted pupils. Taking a step backwards, Oki opened his mouth. Inhaling and holding his breath, electrical energy sparked at his maw and then it began to spin. Collecting more and more, it soon became a fast spinning sphere of raw electrical energy. A high pitched sound originated from it, snapping and crackling. Almost as if he was going to fire at Hostel, at the last second, he lifted his head up and away, quickly exhaling as he shouted, "Rairo no Hoko!" A fine beam fired from his mouth at the far side of the canyon wall. Although the beam a short burst, as soon as it made contact, a devastating explosion ensued. Watching it, the shockwave was coming and Oki shielded himself and Hostel from it. Once it passed, he evaluated the damage and he found that a large amount of the canyon wall had separated itself and had fallen to the floor. At least it didn't block much of the small river as it still easily flowed by.

Humphing to himself, Oki looked back at Hostel, watching her closely. "Do you still doubt me?", he felt his voice raise a little at the end, "I am not the one to constantly show my power for the spite of it and be snuffy about my role; I don't like that. But that doesn't mean I won't nor will I forget my duty and responsibility for this pack. You may not recognize it, but I see you as my friend, comrade and family, along with everyone else. I protect those that mean a lot to me fiercely....As Beta, I am able to do that." The final inhale and exhale came and went through his nose, finalizing what he wanted to say. Though, he continued to look at Hostel intently until she had backed away herself or at least lowered her body before backing away himself so he could sit, wrapping his tails around his thigh. Fixing his muffler and his sword strap, Oki looked out of the corner of his eye at the femme once more. "You don't know how bad I'd rather have others fight by my side than against me. My dream is to become strong enough to protect my friends from all harm. The more friends I make, the more powerful I get; they are the source of my power." A confident grin spread across his face at the statement of his dream. At this point, he only hoped that Hostel understood that he was Beta and he obtained his role through his hard work, not just given to him. That's the only thing he wanted...for her to accept him.

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