The Dark Side in my Heart

Open to any Dynasty members

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So this was his life now.

He didn't mind of course, fishing was an activity he quite enjoyed. But @Hikari 's words were burned into his mind, and he hated it. Hated how she could get to him, like one of those grubs that burrows out of your skin, unnoticeable at first but soon turned into a real pain. Which is why he was in such a bad mood.

He sat near the water's edge, a steadily growing pile of dispatched fish beside him. He was at three currently, soon to be four. Four fish, he figured that would be enough, the total number of others still here was unknown to him.

There...

His agile paws moved in a flash, scooping the prey out of the water, and tossing it on the ground. It wasn't long before it too, was added to the pile. Which he stared at deep in thought. How exactly would he get them back now? Two trips would probably best, he didn't want to drop any.

So with his two fish in his mouth he headed back towards the group. It was good to be moving again, he had been sitting far too long. His selection process was a difficult and time-consuming one. Which was a good thing in his mind, as of right now hunting was the only thing he felt he could do to help the growing dynasty. It kept him from being useless, and his skills were sharp from his time spent at the Watering Hole.

Finally, he reached the others. He placed the fish down, hopefully where someone would notice them. Before turning around to fetch the rest.

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Izumi had been resting upon a ledge nearby when she had noticed the monochromes of a farmiliar man, catching the attention of her lilac visionaries. Izumi and Taro were practically twins if it came down to appearances -- well, with the exemption of obvious traits like height, markings, and a lack of a sack — Cheeto is coyrighting this joke. The big brother of the family -- the one many said would succeed father when they grew up...Izumi would never admit it, but she had always carried a small bit of envy towards him. So dependable and easy to look up to -- could Izumi do that, one day?

As childhood envy died down, however, it unraveled to reveal itself for what it truly was -- and that was the longing of attention from a big brother figure. Something she was too afraid to approach in the past...until now.

The Oni had returned with fish, assumed to be from an earlier hunt -- all by himself? She wondered if he'd actually mind her tagging along in another hunt one day, ecspecially when she needed to learn how to fish...

Hopping one paw after the other down the slopes, she'd slink up to her brother's side as she walked with him, attempting nip at his shoulder affectionately as a non-verbal way of saying "hey".

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Lazy late night post my bad, just want to find a way to slip Izumi in there LOL

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It seemed his sister had learned how to teleport. That, or he was too absorbed in his thoughts to notice her appearance. The latter made more sense, but he'd stick with the first. Either way her 'nonverbal greeting' terrified the shit out of him, and he practically jumped out of his skin.

His fear faded though as he realized who it was, simply being replaced with embarrassment instead. He preferred the fear.

“こんにちはティーが開催されました。 どうしたの?” — Hey, it's been a while. What's up? He asked. Izumi was a busy woman, he quite understood that, it just didn't leave much time for them to talk. Speaking of being busy he really had to get back.

“その考えを持って待って、私を助けて来てください。 まだ釣りたい魚がいるので話して歩いてください。” — Wait hold that thought, and come help me. There's still some fish I need to grab, so talk and walk. He said quickly, before leaving. Hopefully she'd be willing to follow him.

“よし どうしたの?” — Alright, now what's up? He asked with a light laugh.

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She blinked, and shifted to get a better look of his expression -- “なぜ顔？ クーガーがあなたを食べると思いましたか？” — Why the face? Did you think a cougar would eat you? she questioned softly with a straight face, as if there was actual confusion in her voice, though the look of mirth within her eyes could easily signal her own smug mischief. On the inside, she was very much laughing in victory that she was able to scare him. A gentle smile then appeared upon her face as she closed her eyes and snaked around to stand infront of the Oni. Though things feel different with age, things had felt much more serene and farmiliar ever since they'd all come together again, and that was the way Izu wanted to keep things from now on.

“Onii-San,” she greeted. Its seemed like things had been so busy nowadays that she rarely had time to speak with her own kin. “君を探しに来るつもりだった レッツ・レッツ-” — I've been meaning to come look for you. Let's- and it seemed like Taro had been busy in himself, briskly walking past her while leaving her confused, while he had his back turned he probably wouldn't have had the chance to see the pout she'd turn to give him over a pallid shoulder. Rude.

Still, the crane would follow till she caught up with the man, dark paws seeming to prance in her own floaty gait. The smell of fish became more and more pungent the closer they reached their destination, causing Izu's eyes to water a bit. “私は追いつき、私たちの家の未来について話すことを意味してきました。 これまでのところ、山はどのようにあなたに合っていますか？” — I've been meaning to catch up, and talk about the future of our home. How are the mountains suiting you so far?

Though she cared for everyone's comfort, she sought the opinions of her family the most, since they were in this reformation together.

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Her comment surprised him. He hadn't been aware she had it in her. A smug look appeared on his face as he let out a laugh.

“実は君がヒカリだったのか心配してたんだけど” — Actually, I was worried you were Hikari He retorted, mock fear in his voice. Most days he was sure he would rather encounter a cougar, though their interactions were usually good entertainment. As long as being verbally assaulted was your idea of fun.

It took a moment for Izumi to join him, though he didn't mind. He was still very focused on the task at hand, images raced through his head of some scavenges picking at the prey. That would be hours down the river, a complete waste of time. Almost like- nope, not going there.

“私は追いつき、私たちの家の未来について話すことを意味してきました。 これまでのところ、山はどのようにあなたに合っていますか？” He nodded at the question. Taking a moment to think it over.

“そこに獲物がたくさんあり、それは間違いなく見つけるのは難しいことではありません。 ここの空気もそうですが、私は新鮮なことを知らないのですか？” — There is plenty of prey, and it's definitely not hard to find. The air here also seems, I don't know fresher? His words were spoken in a flat tone, as if he wasn't completely connected to them. His heart would always be left out of such matters, he'd never want others to suffer for his feelings.

“唯一の可能性のある懸念は、ここで他のパックの数です。山はかなり混雑しているようです” — The only possible concern is the number of other packs here. The mountains seem quite crowded Taro didn't exactly thrill at the idea of being so close to other packs. But then again his knowledge about the subject was also all second-hand. Having no desire to travel the lands himself.

Finally he reached the water once again. Finding his catch left untouched , he sighed with relief. Promptly he scooped them up before that could change. He signaled to Izumi to carry the conversation as they began the walk back.

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❁

She lowered her muzzle as an amused snort left her nostrils at the comment on Hikari, nudging him on the shoulder as if telling him to 'stop'. At this point in her life, Izumi was confident that earth knew no wrath than the scorn of her sister, to the point where she actually might've preferred being around a pissed off mountain lion. Which reminded her; the siamese would probably need to speak to said sister soon regarding these matters, ecspecially Aika.

At first, Izumi's head would nod in approval of her brother's words -- for once, the weight of whether or not they might've liked the location she picked out for them was starting to lift from her shoulders, loosening in the confidence that she knew what she was doing...until he started to point out something that caused it to dissappear for a moment. The number of other packs..... Her gaze trailed forward in thought.

She had been so busy trying to look for a place within the mountains that she was slow to realize a potential liability that can put a threat to the Dynasty's future. The mountains were crowded -- so crowded that the storyteller was beggining to realize that amongst all the lands she'd traversed there was none more populated than the mountains were. This could put them at risk with things such as food competition or even potential enemies, troubles a newly founding empire like their's couldn't afford to create. Ecspecially not within the approaching seasons.

“おっしゃる通りです。. 私は私がそれについて考えるために停止していないことを私たちに家を見つけるために急いでそんなにしてきたと仮定します。 お疲れさまでした。” — You are right. I suppose I've been in so much of a rush to find us a home that I haven't stopped to think about that. Thank you. Izumi appreciated the input her brother gave, appreciated that she didn't have to figure all this out by herself. Admittedly there was a brief flicker of distress within her eyes -- they had been wandering for what felt like weeks and just when Izumi thought she was coming close to their final destination, it seemed like it was never there. Though if she had to choose between longer travel and keeping the pack out of harms way, the answer was obvious.

She straightened her posture and released a breath as they walked, determined not to let tired feet make her loose hope. “その場合には、我々はちょうど海岸に沿って、ここのより南西の場所を探していきます。 私は私の最後の訪問中に観察したものから、多くのパックは、そこに存在しません。” — In that case, then we'll continue looking for locations more southwest of here, just along the coast. Not many packs reside there, from what I observed during my last visit. the cranebird explained. “私は山から完全に逸脱したくありませんが。 これらのパックの間の近接性は有害であることを証明することができますが、関係を構築し始める可能性もありますよね？” — Though I don't wish to completely stray from the mountains. The proximity between these packs could prove harmful, but could also be a possibility to start building relations, don't you think?

A suggestion she'd leave up in the air for Taro to put his own input on, while she helped him carry some fish back to the pule he was making. A strange prospect to bring up, as her trust in groups she did not know was as thin as a fine hair, though the creation of allies could do more good than harm if approached with the right timing...

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Being able to do nothing but nod at her words was frustrating to say the least. Still he held his tongue until they reached camp.

“おっしゃる通りです。. 私は私がそれについて考えるために停止していないことを私たちに家を見つけるために急いでそんなにしてきたと仮定します。 お疲れさまでした。”

That he completely understood. He was far from made for a nomadic existence, he enjoyed knowing exactly where he would sleep each night. But these things took time, a lot more time than he wanted them too.

“その場合には、我々はちょうど海岸に沿って、ここのより南西の場所を探していきます。 私は私の最後の訪問中に観察したものから、多くのパックは、そこに存在しません。”

That he gave a nod too. Maybe he'd go and check it out himself, it couldn't hurt. He could definitely do with seeing the ocean as well, it had been a while since he'd gone for a swim.

“私は山から完全に逸脱したくありませんが。 これらのパックの間の近接性は有害であることを証明することができますが、関係を構築し始める可能性もありますよね？”

A valid point sure. Though he was hesitant to even form relationships with others in the case they might turn sour. It was something that would need to be done. If all didn't go well, they'd know not to settle in the same area. Alliances needed to be made, and having them should definitely influence where they settle.

Finally he was able to dispose of the fish as they reached the pile. Regaining the ability to speak once more he'd finally reply.

“もちろん！. いくつかの通信が必要になります。 私はあなたがこれらのパックをどれだけ知っているか分かりませんが、私は何も知らないので、私はその点で助けることはできません。 しかし、私は私たちが手を差し伸べることを選択した人たちを助けて喜んでいるだろう。” — Of course. Some communication will just be needed. I'm not sure how much you know of these packs, but as I know nothing I can't help in that regard. However I'd be willing to help with those we choose to reach out to. He specifically said 'we' as to not put all the pressure on Izumi , he would help wherever needed. Unlike exploring this was something he felt he could actually be useful in, being a trained diplomat and all.

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“選ばれた少数以外、私は私が言うことができない。” — Other than a select few, I can't say I do and there were still a handful, maybe even more to explore -- the mountains were chock-full of pack scents. Though sharing the same anxieties in meeting other groups as Taro did, she had little doubt in her ability to do so as long as her family was by her side. Ever since they'd been reunited, she felt a lightness in the steps once heavy by the chains of uncertainty.

As they talked the crane helped with the fish, pausing in her speech to pick some up and plop them into the pile her brother was creating. The taste on it within her mouth was strong, lingering on her lips like a stain and the crane couldn't help but spit out the scales that got caught up in between her teeth. All the while making a stink face.

Fish was not a common menu item on her hunting list, and for good reason; it wasn't her favorite.

“もちろん、それは私があなたに来た主な理由です--” — Of course, its the main reason I came to you-- she said, wiping her mouth of any left over fish scales. “--落ち着いたら手伝ってくれないかと思ってた 私は可能な同盟国をスコープするために山を通って旅行する予定です。” — --I was wondering if you'd like to help me once we've settled down. I plan on traveling to through the mountains to scope out possible allies.. Connections -- they would need some if they were to form. It was good for the pack, and an equally good way to spread their influence and culture to others.

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Her increasing disdain towards the fish was quite hilarious, and it was a struggle not to laugh at the face it caused her to make. 'Cause you know important matters and what not. Though it would be quite ironic settling down near the coast when their empress didn't like the main source of food you would find there.

He was very pleased with her words, and a grin lifted on his face. It was a good prospect, for both his mental sanity, and the dynasty's well-being.

“もちろん、あなたが必要とするものは何でも” — Of course whatever you need. Ah yes, don't make it seem like you're desperate. “すぐにどこかを見つけることを願ってみましょう、ええ？ 道路はそれの栄光のいくつかを失っています” — Let's just hope we find somewhere soon, yeah? The road has lost some of it's glory.

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SUPER sorry for the hold up!
Do you wanna wrap this thread up in favor of a newer one, by any chance?

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As the grin lifted his features, her own tail would wag contently. It wasn't often that Izu could find time to spend with Taro which was frustrating in itself, so in knowing he'd be up for the little adventure she had planned up ahead felt warming. Comforting -- knowing her older brother would keep her company in the act of diplomacy....something he was more experienced in, meanwhile she hadn't been as well seasoned.

Taking at least 2 or 3 steps away from the god-forsaken fish pile, the cranebird looked towards her brother again with a hint of enthusiasm in her lavender gaze “あなたは私を過小評価しています。 私の兄弟は、雪が私たちを埋める前に私たちに家を見つけることができないと信じていますか？ 泣けました。..” — You underestimate me. Does my brother believe I can't find us a home before the snow buries us? I could cry... yet her face remained as placid as ever, in comparison to the mirth in her voice.

She would then turn opposite ways of her brother, and back towards the campsite the stayed for the day. “その後、それは解決しました、我々は後日、これについての詳細を話します。 誰が知っている、私たちも、途中であなたの妻を見つけるかもしれません。..” — Then it's settled, we'll talk more of this on a later date. Who knows, we might even find you a wife on the way...

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Of course!

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If it wasn't for the tone that she said such words with, he would have assumed he had actually offended her. Like usual, her face was shrouded in it's usual apathy. But the humor in her voice was blatant.

“たぶん、より合理的な目標は、融雪だろうか?” — Maybe a more reasonable goal would be the snow melting? He smirked. Tail wagging contently as his sister turned to leave. The next words out of her mouth surprised him slightly, and he felt the need to stand there with his mouth open. Instead he traded that in for a small chuckle. “それで幸運” — Good luck with that. He called after her, before he too walked away to find something else to occupy his time with.

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