Two Mammals & a Avian in the Woods

[Rafael]

Moving throughout the forest as fast as he could jumping over any sort of fallen branch or tree that he happened across was the massive panther that over the last few months had started to make more of a name for himself in the Rukongai where all of the human looking souls lived under the boot of the Shinigami. None of that was important to the panther though the opinions and thoughts of those that lived with or alongside the Shinigami weren't of importance. He hated them for all they did. Now that he was in the wilderness once again he felt more at peace. It had been several weeks since he and the others had gotten back from the Rukongai where the shinigami had accused them and attacked them all. Never again would he bring the girls there nor would he go there again himself. All they did was cause trouble and problems.

At the moment he wasn't out hunting or adventuring like normal. Those were the usual things that he did whenever he left the pack home. At the moment though he was rushing throughout the forest several miles away from the mountain where he lived. The reason why he was running was simply that he felt eventually the day would come that Shinigami or something else would find them and wish to challenge them. He had to be ready and training himself in more than one way was key. Running was basic exercise and even with Rafael's muscles the way that they were he knew that he had yet to reach his ceiling he could still get stronger and even if running wasn't enough it would still be enough to keep him in the right shape. He knew that Zadora was far faster than himself though and he had to reach at least a closer speed to her own then what he was currently able to achieve.

He had to get stronger and this was the only thing that he could think of at the moment to help him progress. He had to push his limits by sprinting throughout this forest constantly moving from side to side in order to evade all of the trees standing vertical along with all of the wood that decorated the floor of this natural structure. It was going quite well until Rafael underestimated how tired his muscles could get from sprinting for so long and after hopping over a fallen log managed to touch down on the ground at just the wrong angle. Which resulted in him tripping forward with enough force that he bumped into the side of a pine tree breaking off a large chunk of its body with his shoulder sending splinters all around him. Well this sucked and his panting was making it difficult to hear anything around him now, but he was sure that he smelled something . . familiar.

[Skoll Koryu]

“Ahhh… fuck, the breeze feels good today.”

It was a pretty good day, even from Skoll’s usually negative point of view. The half-demon sat stretched out beneath a large oak tree in the middle of the wilderness, away from people and Beast-Clansman alike, listening to the wind blow through the trees, feeling the warmth of the few sunrays that pierced the canopy flowing over him. It was just him, nobody else around. No Odin nagging him to work for the sake of the pack, no irritating Konoe with her dramatic displays, no random Shinigami picking him up for seeming “strange” to their senses. Nope, not a problem at all. These sorts of days were rare, and Skoll was more than happy to take advantage of the peace and quiet.

The Nakabakki had just come from the Rukongai only a few hours back, having been sent on the usual delivery route that his pack kept up with on a weekly basis. Skoll had found himself lugging a large pack of herbs, spices, and small plants found in the deeper parts of the wilderness to a few shops in the outer Rukongai who commissioned the Volsung pack to gather said goods. This was usually Skoll’s task due to his weakness compared to his full-blooded brethren; the others usually hauled large bundles of timber for repairs and construction, bags of ore or massive slabs of meat from successful hunts. It was a simple task, at least, and it got the half-demon out of the den for a little while. Usually by the time his task came around in the schedule, Skoll was so tired of being around his half-relations that he was ready to practically run out of the camp.

It was partially his own fault, though. Crass, rude, and abrasive, Skoll was never one to get along with anyone, and it showed in the friction that existed between him and just about every other member of his pack. Their own impressions towards him didn’t make things any easier, though; most saw him as the son of a demon, which for all intents and purposes, he was. But they saw a monster, a fiend sired of sin, rather than a person who had not chosen the unfortunate circumstances of his birth. Blame rested firmly on the half-demon, and in some cases, even hatred was sown against him, leaving him uncomfortable staying around his pack for very long. There were those who legitimately cared for him, but the number of people who did were vastly outweighed by those who would see him dead or gone.

And so here he was, gone, at least for the time being; eventually, Skoll would have to return to the pack, as the work of living off the land alone sounded extremely tedious. At least with the Volsung pack, judgment and anger towards him paid for a roof over his head and easy meals. Until he was tired of roughing it in the wild, though, the Nakabakki would be more than happy to give them space, to let the malice towards him die down. Well, maybe “malice” was the wrong word, aside from a handful of pack members; frustration with his existence, perhaps? Well, whatever. Skoll didn’t care what others thought of him… or at least, that was what he asserted, whenever asked. Even to himself.

A loud crash caught his attention and broke the temporary melancholy that had interrupted Skoll’s relaxation. The half-demon casually pushed himself to his feet, adjusting his spirit’s nature as he did so. A unique ability among Beast-Clansmen, Skoll was blessed (or cursed, as one looked at it) with the ability to use abilities and techniques created by others, including races whose abilities a Beast-Clansman didn’t normally have access to. Perhaps it was his half-demon heritage, or maybe there was something more to it, but it did give the Nakabakki the ability to fling spells and other surprises at anyone who gave him a hard time. Few expected a Beast-Clansman to unleash Kido, after all!

Moving around several trees, Skoll was just in time to see a familiar face pushing himself off of a tree where, judging by the splintered bark and the battered appearance of said individual, suggested a high-speed impact with the trunk. Yeowch. Yet the half-demon couldn’t help but chuckle at the other’s expense, especially with who it was; he and the panther Beast-Clansman had met in the past, albeit not on the friendliest of terms. “Hey there, pussycat. I guess you really fuckin’ missed me, given that you’re fallin’ all over yourself for me. But no worries, the Big Bad Fucking Wolf is here, and happy to show you what a real man is like.”

[Nesr]

Nesr was out like normal, flying around trying to figure if she could find anything interesting for her to do now that her pack seemed to be no more. She had kept her nest near the area that they had originally gathered. But, she was starting to realize that her collection of gold to honor her god was getting boring. It was the same old same old, and she needed to find something new to give to him. She had wandered closer to home of the black and white people, knowing that usually around that area is where the best things are found. She had brought a bag with her this time, just in case she found a lot of gold this time around.

So, she made her way to one of the districts outside of the big city and sat in a nearby tree, trying to find what she was looking for. Several things catch her eye, so she stays in the branches of nearby trees and waits for the right time. Once they weren't looking, she swooped down and grabbed what she could that she had recognized, quickly stuffing it back into her bag to look at later. She then looked around to see if there was anything else that would interest her in the same way. She found several things, so she spent a great deal of time in this village, swiping anything that she assumed was valuable.

After what seemed like several hours, she flew back towards her nest, chirping to herself happily. Her pouch was nicely full of golden trinkets, but she just had to actively check them to see if they really were worth what she thought they were. So, she found a nice pine tree and landed in one of the many branches. She wasn't too far up in the tree, so someone, if they were looking closely, would more than likely be able to see her. Reaching for her pouch, she grabbed the first golden item and lightly looked it over, putting it in her beak to see if it would bend against her strength, using less strength than normal since she broke a golden thing with her full strength.

Spending a good deal of time looking over her items, she was content that she had grabbed a good deal of good golden items that would spruce up her nest quite nicely. She was so focused on her task that she didn't hear the creature running towards her tree. She had just stood up and stretched in her tree when someone hit it hard. Her feet were slightly lifted during the stretch and when she tried to land, the tree was hit, so her feet missed the branch. She fell backwards, hitting hard on her back, but popping up to her feet quickly. She looked and saw that her trinkets were now spread out around her. She glared at the cat. "YOU MAKE NESR DROP GOLD THINGS. YOU HELP NESR CLEAN UP THINGS!!!!"

[Rafael]

Well it seemed that despite gradually getting faster and faster Rafael unlike Zadora still wasn't able to control his new speed which caused the tree that he had just slammed into to knock him down onto the ground. It was obvious to Rafael that he would need to keep pushing himself while developing his focus so that something like this wouldn't happen during an actual confrontation with a foe that could potentially defeat him. One small mistake and he knew he could be brought down by some of the individuals that he had met already.

A moment later and Rafael started to hear the sound of things hitting the ground around him. He normally would have just assumed that branches were falling yet the sound that he heard didn't match and thus he looked around for a moment and saw that they were golden accessories. Confused Rafael would reach out and grab a golden bracelet that was much to small to actually wrap around his massive wrist. Almost as if on cue the big feline would look up and manage to see the female . . hawk dropping down to meet him. She screamed at him which just pointed out that Rafael had more than likely ruined her mood. She wanted Rafael to help pick up all her golden accessories and Rafael didn't have a problem with that.

Knocking his head a few times as he got back onto his hind legs to reach his full height Rafael would look around for all the golden materials. It was clear based on how this female had just spoken that she was still somewhat Beastly in thought or maybe it was just because she was so angry at him. He wasn't really sure yet either way it didn't matter. He was surprised to see another Beast especially a bird as he hadn't met one before. If Beasts could be birds as well as mammals and insects did that mean that all animals could be Beasts? "I'm sorry I didn't mean it."

He would start to walk around for a moment and squat down in order to actually grab at the small golden pieces with his index and thumbs simply because of the size difference. He didn't wish to accidentally bend them with his grasp so this was the best solution. It was going fairly good for that brief moment of time until suddenly Rafael smelled a familiar scent and then heard an all to familiar voice and the tone that it was drenched in. Turning as the Ebony Wolf continued to speak in his normal provocative manner Rafael sighed as he saw that his assumption was correct.

"Be nice. Don't need anymore adversaries. He could still make for a good alley and rival." the thoughts rushed throughout Rafael's mind as the wolf continued to speak. "Yes, yes flirt flirt. I know I'm beautiful. Now will you help out. I'd like to catch up, but I've got to pick up this mess since it's my fault." Rafael turned to look at the bird Beast. "This is a friend of mine The Ebony Hound Dog. My names Rafael it's nice to meet you."

[Nesr]

The cat apologized, but Nesr continued to glower at him. How dare he hit her tree so hard that she lost all of her pretty gold things. He apologized, but it didn't make her feel any better. He had no idea how long it took her to get all of these golden items. She meticulously chose every item while she watched the people moving around, double checked to make sure that they were good enough for what she needed them for to then have them scattered all over the forest floor by this cat who couldn't stop himself. She started to slowly pick up the items, checking them over again to make sure that they weren't marred in any way from their fall.

She was so focused on her task, she didn't take notice of a new smell or someone coming until he spoke. 'Hey there, pussycat. I guess you really fuckin’ missed me, given that you’re fallin’ all over yourself for me. But no worries, the Big Bad Fucking Wolf is here, and happy to show you what a real man is like.' What? She looked up at the wolf that then walked into this clearing. A real man? He wasn't a man, but a wolf. Did he think of himself as a man instead of the animal he was? It was a weird thought, to be sure. It was extremely obvious that the two of them knew each other, for this wolf to talk to him like that. It bothered her more that he didn't even bother to recognize that she was there.

Nesr watched as the cat talked back to him, pleased that he took his role on cleaning up this mess first before talking to this weird wolf. He then introduced himself as Rafael and introduced the wolf as the Ebony Hound Dog. This 'Hound Dog' he called a friend, but he didn't really talk to him like Nesr pictured a friend would talk to someone. But, she didn't know anything about them, so she pushed that aside as she grabbed her last golden bauble, carefully inspecting it before replacing it in her bag. She turned to the cat, named Rafael and then noticed the huge height difference. "I'm Nesr, nice to meet you, though you made me drop baubles. Why he called 'Ebony Hound Dog?' Name sounds stupid, especially since he wolf." She would then look up towards the man and start to float upwards.

Using her wings, she would fly up till she was the same height as his arms would be, filled with all her golden items. She would open her own hands, waiting for him to hand over all of her baubles. Once he had done so, she nodded her head and floated back towards the ground, giving her golden baubles a quick once over. Once she had done so to her satisfaction, she put them carefully back in her bag before turning back around to face the beasts. "This is most beasts I've seen since Pack. Was in Pack with a lizardman and a bug lady. Think she was Hornet. But, Pack is no longer. Lizardman, Umaroth, gone. He left us, so I wander now. Why you two here?"

[Skoll Koryu]

Oh-ho, what was this? Not being rebuffed? Sure, there was plenty of sarcasm and dismissal in Rafael’s statement, but it wasn’t outright scorn. Grinning to himself, Skoll couldn’t help but play along, approaching with his hands in his pockets, giving the panther a light kick to the rear as the feline bent over to pick up something off of the ground. Oh, it would do no harm given the Nakabakki’s average physical strength, but given Rafael’s posture, it had the potential to shove the panther face-first onto the ground. A bit of a playful move from Skoll, given that the half-demon was usually far more aggressive and abrasive than most, but despite that, the wolf bent down to pick up the first bauble he saw on the ground. A golden bracelet that was a size too large for his slender wrist was lifted up on one finger, and Skoll casually twirled it around as he looked over the other person present.

An avian, eh? A dumb bird, and a screechy one to boot, if her demands over her “gold things” and “baubles” were any hint. Skoll didn’t feel like bothering with the headache that this one would be, casually flipping the band in his hand with surprising dexterity as it rolled from finger to finger, so he turned his natural charm towards the lady. “Hey, birdbrain, can’t you see this is a talk between men? We don’t need a gal like you fuckin’ up our good time, so why don’t you scram back into the trees or whatever the hell it is you do? Go scream at some other shithead.” Yup, one hundred percent pure charm, that’s what Skoll was on the best of days.

His “request” given, the Nakabakki turned back towards Rafael, still twirling the trinket he had picked up rather than giving it back. “Hey, pussycat, would it kill you to give me a properly badass title if you’re too stupid to remember my name? ‘Ebony Hound Dog?’ Seriously? First off, I’m a wolf, dipshit. Second, I know colors are simple enough for simple minds, but let’s try and get some fuckin’ personality in there too, alright?” Compared to his normal combative attitude, this was still mildly diplomatic for Skoll, but it was likely to be grating for both of the other Beast-Clansmen. Never stopped the half-demon from speaking his mind before, though. “I don’t know how you fucked up my name though, seriously. It’s one syllable: Skoll. If your dumb ass can’t remember even that much, then I don’t know what the hell you even bother having a brain for.”

Still spinning his new toy around—one that he truly had no intention of giving back at the time—Skoll stepped away from the other two, keeping a short distance from them while leaning against a tree. The bird-broad decided to keep talking, to the Nakabakki’s dismay, commenting on the surprising number of Beast-Clansmen in the area. Skoll simply snorted, taking in the three of them; please, three was a large number? Clearly the avian—Nesr was her given name, it seemed—was low on the social hierarchy; even Skoll was used to being around more people than that! “Pfft, you think this is a large gathering, featherhead? Please, you need to get out of your damn nest once in a while. My whole pack alone is a good thirty or forty individuals, fuckers though they all are, and we’re at best a modest-sized group.”

[Rafael]

Collecting all of the golden trinkets that he had apparently caused the avian girl to drop from the tree top when he had crashed into it Rafael was less than pleased to know that the wolf he had fought off roughly a month or two earlier was right beside him. They had left things on peaceful-ish perhaps neutral terms was a better way of phrasing it. So he wasn't going to just tell him to leave yet Rafael couldn't help, but growl and flex when he felt the kick to his back.

Just maybe this pup needed to be reminded how it felt to kiss the ground. Rafael would keep his irritation at bay and answer the questions that Nesr asked now. "Sorry for hitting the tree again. I call him that cause he so angry and confident like little dog instead of noble tough wolf." Rafael knew this wasn't going to go down very well as despite only meeting the Wolf once he knew very well the type of Beast he happened to be.

Rafael then turned to Skoll after he had remarked as well about the name Rafael had called him. "You prove my point by speaking. You want nickname that fits your personality. Hmmmm ok. Giant Angry Asshole." Rafael would hand over all of the trinkets that he had been able to find around the ground that hadn't already been picked up by either of the others. He had no interest in these and couldn't really understand why Nesr would beyond perhaps it really was just a female thing whether the female was human or Beast.

The way that Skoll spoke to Nesr was quickly angering Rafael who despite not really knowing the avian girl felt like if he were to say the same things to any of the pack members he did have he wouldn't have to wait very long to be reacquainted with the ground. The insults directed at him personally Rafael could handle although they were irritating in their own way. He had lived his entire human life being treated far worse than how Skoll was speaking to him yet still it brought up bad memories that despite beginning a new life still hadn't left him.

When Nesr said that this was the biggest gathering of Beasts that she had seen since her pack Rafael's attention was grabbed completely. This was a problem that had been going on. During his travels he had found a few and learned from others Beasts and packs of them. A group of Beasts that were some sort of insect that attacked both Shinigami and Beast alike without cause. Rafael was ready to ask if her pack had been attacked by one of these bugs when she described the other pack members and Rafael's muscles twitched slightly.

This really was a chance encounter or perhaps fate really did exist. The mere fact that Nesr had said that she had been in a pack with a bee and a lizard had brought Rafael to the idea that she might have been in a that pack yet when she said the name Umaroth there was no doubt anymore that she knew Lisa. "Hornet Lisa she fine now. I'm out here to get stronger and see the wilderness." Rafael would stay silent while Skoll continued to display just why he was called by such a nickname.

[Nesr]

Rafael had apologized to her for making her drop her baubles, giving all the ones that he had found back to her. She herself had found the rest, besides the one that the wolf was playing with now. If she never got that one back, it made no difference. She had found plenty of golden baubles for her collection and was even thinking of giving some of her older pieces back to the village she had just stolen from to be a nice eagle. Nesr nodded her head and said to Rafael, "Apology accepted, Rafael. Your wolf friend a fucking asshole." She then glared at the wolf, who just kept talking and bad mouthing them.

What the hell was wrong with him?! Why was he just talking mean things to the two of them? He didn't even know her and for someone who was called Rafael's friend, he was being very mean. She had not met many beasts in her time, but all the ones she had met were nice. This one was an ass. She glared at him, missing every other word he said since she had decided that what he was saying wasn't really going to be worth her time if all he was going to do was spew nonsense and meanness. She spoke of her pack that was broken and watched as Rafael's eyes immediately met hers, completely focused on what she was saying.

When she was done, he told her that hornet Lisa was fine now. Her eyes lit up and she walked closer to the cat man, ignoring any semblance of personal space. Her spirit lifted, she talked hurriedly. "You know where hornet is? Is Lisa with you? How did you find her? We fought weird insect man and lost sight of her after. Nesr been wondering where Lisa went. Glad she safe. Can I go visit? Wait.....must visit after I drop off gold things. Then we go visit!" Nesr was hovering slightly over the ground now, her excitement literally taking her off the ground. It had been too long since she had seen her.

"You see lizard man when you see her? He gone for long time. Nesr worry he passed." She sobered slightly at the thought, visible with her slowly descending to the ground. When the thought passed, she lifted herself back up into the air again, thinking more on the happy news that her past pack mate was safe. She then turned towards the wolf, thinking about what he was saying. Was he saying that because he wanted to fly like she did? It was the only reason she could think of for him to be so mean to her. "Wolf jealous he can't fly like Nesr. That why you mean to me. Wolf just not special enough."

[Skoll Koryu]

Skoll simply grinned as Rafael threw an insult back at him, more amused than bothered by it. “Well at least you’re trying, pussycat, but try not to fry your brains any further—just my name will do.” Still twirling the bangle about his fingers, the wolf strode across the clearing, doing a poor job at remaining still. The chains on his tail let out a soft clink with each motion, the links rattling against one another as a reminder of his damned heritage. It did little to sour Skoll’s mood, however, and his amusement helped stave off his self-loathing for a little while longer, especially when Nesr decided to agree with Rafael’s assessment.

“An asshole? Yeah, I suppose you could say that. I like to better think of myself as a half-breed fucker, a bastard son-of-a-bitch, and one hell of a wolf.” Self-deprecating humor was as much as part of Skoll’s social skills as his charmingly belligerent nature, so the words just simply rolled off the tongue without hesitation as the half-demon mocked his own nature. All of it was true, after all, and he didn’t let it bother him any more. Well, most of it—the half-Akki thing was occasionally a sore point, but whatever. He didn’t care right now. “Besides, you wanna talk about some fucked-up manners? A certain bitchy broad shouldn’t open her mouth to screech at everyone else if she can’t keep a hold on her own shit.”

As he spoke, Skoll subtly shifted the nature of his Reiatsu, something that only experienced sensors would actually pick up by examining it. It was his own unique ability, his unusual nature that made him stand out from other Beast-Clansmen. Lore of the Spirit altered his actual soul to be more receptive to spiritual compositions from numerous races, but at the cost of limiting his access to other types of abilities. Still, it was enough for the trick he had planned; as he finished his statement, Skoll simply snapped his fingers, and Nesr’s bag suddenly was thrown back from a burst of unseen spiritual energy as Hado #1: Sho slammed into it. Though he was no master at it, the Nakabakki didn’t have to be in order to accomplish his goal; all he had to do was hit the bag hard enough to send the golden baubles flying all over again, scattered about the forest.

“Ah, and there you go again, wench; you’ve dropped all your shiny shit everywhere again. Guess your flying isn’t too special when you’re stuck on your hands and knees on the ground again, eh?” Skoll let out a bit of a nasty chuckle before using his abilities to summon a small dagger to his hand, the black edge looking as though it were made from obsidian, emerging from a hilt shaped like a canine maw. Two more heads emerged from either side of the blade, forming a three-headed hilt on the weapon. The Nakbakki casually twirled it in one hand as he walked over to one of the fallen items, kicking it up into the air before him. In a swift motion of his arm, Skoll sliced through the golden pendant, his supernatural knife easily piercing through the mundane item.

“Besides—” As the pieces fell to the ground, Skoll motioned again at a small golden brooch, and another Sho demolished it, shattering the metal under the force of the half-demon’s spiritual energy. “I’m a special fucking snowflake every single day of my goddamn life!” Special. A word to define him, a word to set him apart. No, it was more like “different.” Different, apart from others. He was like no others. Unnatural; yeah, that was it. He wasn’t how he was supposed to be. He wasn’t right. The fear and paranoia that gripped him daily came up, triggered by those words. Special. Different. Unnatural.

Monster.

As though a switch had been flipped, the half-demon’s mood shifted to a stark negative, his expression slipping into a snarl. Stomping over to a set of golden chains, he slammed one large foot onto them, feeling the metal dig into the sole. “You think you’re fucking special? Because you can fly? Newsflash, featherhead—you’re just about as special as any damn bird out there, and probably less than that! You want to talk special? Huh!?” Again and again Skoll’s foot came down on the chains, and he ignored the bite of metal into his foot. “Can you manipulate spiritual energy at a whim? Can you take anything that hits you and make it your own? Are you a half-breed bastard that everyone sees as a freak of nature? Huh!? Are you? ARE YOU!?” The last statement was punctuated by a powerful kick that sent the golden chains flying into the brush, leaving Skoll to face the other two beasts, his face twisted into rage.

“No… you two… are nothing.”

[Rafael]

Rafael couldn't help, but feel happy that Nesr was so happy to learn that Lisa had survived and was currently safe. The interest in seeing the former pack mate was enough that Nesr for what it was worth had won over Rafael's trust. "She's back with rest of pack, doing fine now. Found her out by lake. You welcome any time Nesr." Rafael couldn't help his paws clenching into fists as he learned that they had fought against one of the large insect beasts. They were still a problem even if he hadn't found one in a few months. They needed to be stopped somehow.

"I couldn't find Umaroth, but he strong. Don't count him out yet." Rafael wasn't all to sure whether or not Umaroth would have been able to survive an attack from one of the insects again, but he had done so before so just assuming that he was killed wasn't all that smart. Until he saw a body he couldn't believe that Umaroth had been killed and didn't simply take a nap. He was happy to see the joy Nesr felt though even getting up off the ground by flapping her wings enough.

Rafael wasn't all that certain how to feel at the moment. Nesr was giving him a good feeling just from her being happy, but Skoll just kept on trying what Rafael hoped was his best to be mean to the both of them. Rafael may have met him some time ago, but between that time and this the two of them hadn't really spoken to one another all that much and neither of them had learned all that much about the other. The main thing that Rafael was learning at the moment was the same thing he assumed last time, Skoll is an asshole.

It wasn't until Skoll called himself a half breed that Rafael actually gave anything he said any second thought. What did he mean by half breed? Was it possible for beasts and shinigami to procreate? That was the only thing that could make sense if he meant half breed how Rafael thought he meant. He knew that Skoll could use the same kind of magic that the shinigami did so it made sense. So weird though.

Rafael had seen the kido many times before yet had only ever seen it done through hand gesture which was why when Skoll cast his spell Rafael was caught off guard. For a moment he thought Skoll may be trying to attack him once again so that he could get back at him for the first exchange between them. He heard the sound of Nesr's golden trinkets dancing across the forest floor and immediately felt a wave of annoyance wash over his happy demeanor.

Rafael was reaching his limit on what he could handle in terms of bullying. He had dealt with it throughout his entire life as a human and now seeing it done to someone else now it made him question was he really going to allow Skoll to keep doing this even to someone he had just met. "Skoll why must you do these things. Just stop you don't have to make everyone you come across an enemy."

That was when Skoll used his ability to use magic to make the dagger that he had used against him during their fight once again. Skoll didn't seem to want to stop though as he slashed one of the trinkets apart only to then use his magic once again to shatter another that was on the ground. He was definitely crossing over the line of just an asshole and now was in the territory of an actual bully.

He could see the change in Skoll's face as the black wolf seemed to embrace his inner douche-bag. Rafael was really starting to get mad now though as Skoll kept pushing Nesr breaking the things that he could only assume she had gotten through thief of the humans. His outburst although Rafael was mad told the giant dark panther that despite how he was acting that Skoll was troubled. He didn't feel like he belonged. He wished he was different all the time. Rafael knew what he was feeling because for so long Rafael had felt the same way.

"Always so quick to anger. You claim to be so special yet you snarl like a mutt. I don't know what you mean by Half-Breed, but that doesn't mean you can just treat everyone else like shit. You may believe me nothing Skoll. Last I checked though this nothing kicked your ass. Stop assuming everyone hates you. You Beast just like us. Stop fighting each other. Shinigami enemies not other Beasts."

[Nesr]

Nesr was overjoyed to hear about the insect lady that was once a part of her pack. She was worried about both of the members of her pack since they split, and hearing that at least one of them was safe was like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. When he said that she was welcome anytime, she almost flitted around the clearing in happiness. Being around other Beasts again would be something that she would welcome! It would also give her a new area to try to find more of her golden shiny things to take and set up at her nest to be a new addition to what she considered as an offering to her gods.

While she was happy and thinking on these great thoughts, she felt a tug on her bag of golden goodies as it was shot out of her hand and strewn across the ground again. She looked at her hand, slightly confused at what just happened, since she had never seen Kido being used before, and looked up at the wolf. Did he do this? Skoll started to talk again, to which she listened out of politeness. After she heard wench, she made an effort to ignored most of what he was saying, since based off what he had already said, he would just spout bad words and stupid things just to get a rise out of her.

Sadly for her, it was slightly working. She had worked all morning to get all of these baubles for her gods, but of course he didn't care about that. She was working on some deep breathing and hearing every few words wasn't really helping. She looked towards Rafael and it seemed like he too was starting to get upset. Nesr had assumed that from the way he acted he would help her. But, to see him reacting the same way she was was a nice relief to know that at least the other beast was on her side and she assumed would help her out if it came to blows. From the way he was acting, it might actually come to blows.

It wasn't until he talked about controlling spiritual energy that made her actually pay attention to what he was saying. What was spiritual energy? It sounded special but doesn't everyone have life energy? What is the difference between the two of them? He could take a hit and then make it his own? Did he absorb an attack and send it back or maybe reflect the attack? Thinking on that he mentioned that he was a half breed. Half breed? What did he mean by half breed? She thought it might be like he was the child of a wolf and a feline maybe. Though, thinking more on that, it didn't seem possible.

Did half breed mean a Beast had bred with those black and white people? Or maybe the white mask monster things or even what Nadezhda had called herself, a beant. Nesr was slightly confused on what he was saying, but when he called her nothing, it crossed the line. He had no idea what she had gone through while she was alive and what she had done now. Before she could say anything, the panther spoke. It seemed like he had had enough of this as well. He talked to the wolf, trying to ease him off this weird stance he was talking about. When the panther was done, Nesr glared at the wolf, starting to hover over the ground and feeling her power itching at her feathers to be released. "Bring it."

[Skoll Koryu]

So, two on one was it? Go figure that the two of them would gang up on him. Skoll’s snarl became more pronounced, his fangs bared in fury as he stared down the two beasts that thought themselves so much better than him, thought themselves so special. They thought themselves so great because they didn’t get angry? Well news-fucking-flash: he had every reason to be angry! The Nakabakki was a freak of nature, an aberrant being; he was the scion of a damned soul, cursed to fit in nowhere and with nobody. Everyone who associated with him eventually turned him away in one way or another, and he had no reason to expect that anyone would do any different. So yeah, he had every fucking reason to be angry at the others, who got to enjoy their “normal” lives.

Rafael’s words pierced through the haze of anger, but they did little more than stoke the fire. Stop assuming everyone hated him? There was no assumption—he was a monster, a being whose very birth had killed his mother, a half-breed whose damned sire had threatened an entire pack for his own amusement, and could return to do so at any time should he choose to. Everyone had every reason to hate him. Skoll still didn’t even understand himself in the slighest; what did this combination of cursed beast and damned soul create in him? It wasn’t just his unique power—though that served to set him further apart from the rest of his people, who relied on their strength and speed rather than whatever magic the half-demon had—but more, what did it entail for his future?

And yet…

Skoll’s hackles lowered, and his snarl faded, but just as quickly, he turned and began to walk away. “I don’t have time for you two. Go enjoy your little reunion—it’s clear I’m not fucking wanted.” His tone was still bitter, his words pointed, yet there was a subdued nature to it as well. Nonetheless, the wolf simply left the clearing, practically stomping his way past the trees. Any attempt to convince him to return would be ignored—having crafted his own self-narrative and having fully wrapped himself in the belief that he was as always rejected, Skoll wanted nothing more to do with any of it. He wanted to be alone, because it seemed that was where he always ended up.

It was only minutes later he found himself sitting at the base of a tree, however, his back to the place where he had met the other Beast-Clansmen, his knees pulled up to his chest and his head resting on his crossed arms. “...damnit...”

((OOC: At this point, Skoll has left the thread.))

[Rafael]

This gathering although random hadn't been going all that bad especially considering that Skoll was involved at all. At least that's what Rafael had been thinking since he had only met Skoll one time before and the black wolf had been so mean during even that first meeting. They hadn't actually spoken to each other all that much in the grand scheme of things yet when you live out in the wilderness seeing anyone more than once means you kinda know them. Rafael didn't have any sort of problem when thinking of Skoll as a friend despite fighting against him in the past or perhaps it was more because of that fact, but now he had just been horrible to Nesr.

All of the signs that Skoll was ready to actually start attacking Nesr for what Rafael saw as simply being a avian began to fade. It seemed that Skoll wasn't going to actually attack yet Rafael could see in the eyes of the wolf that he was hiding sorrow beneath his rage. The massive panther had to think for a moment perhaps this was why his sensei when he had been a human had always told him he was a hassle. He had been so angry yet sad while a human just as Skoll seemed to be now. In only a matter of a few minutes the conversation and greetings had all broken down for no other reason than Skoll seemed to be looking for conflict.

Skoll began to walk off saying what would likely be the last thing he did before vanishing. "You're always welcome Skoll. A friend is never turned away." Rafael wasn't sure if Skoll would listen or give his words any sort of thought, but he had to let him know if nothing else. No Beast was his enemy only the Shinigami and most humans. Wait no those fucking bugs were his enemy as well. Rafael turned afterwards looking to Nesr. "Sorry that he so mean. You are welcome to come see pack Nesr if you want."

[Nesr]

Nesr stood there, waiting for the wolf to strike. She was never one to actually start a fight, but she would defend what she believed in and defend herself. Even though he spoke of some weird things, if he wanted to attack her, she was ready to bring the wrath of Horus on him. She waited for him, hovering over the ground and ready to attack him to defend herself. She completely ignored the panther next to her since he was specifically attacking her. She was about to turn towards the panther, telling him that he didn't need any help, but something started to change.

He said that he didn't have time and then started to walk off. What the hell?! She cocked her head to the side and watched him go. She landed on the ground and was trying to think of why he would just immediately back down. Reunion? They had never met before. Not wanted? He was the one being confrontational and just an overall ass. He made himself be not wanted. Why would she want to talk to someone that was just insulting her the entire time? It made no actual sense to her. Also, the only reason she was excited to talk to the panther was because he knew where one of her pack was.

Also, how dare he insult her with what he said?! It wasn't her fault that in her fairly short time here, she had not seen many other beasts, let alone other packs. He assumed a little too much. She was thinking on this and completely missed what Rafael was saying to the leaving wolf. Nesr just didn't seem to understand how his emotion and disposition change so quickly like it did. It was leaving her baffled. It wasn't until Rafael started to talk to her did she actually get pulled back to the present and get out of her own head. Turning to face him while he talked, she was slightly surprised by what he said.

Apologizing? Why was he apologizing for that obviously troubled beast? It didn't seem like they were friendly, but this panther obviously believed that they were friends. He did tell her that she was welcome to visit the pack. It perked her up slightly, but she still needed to address something first. "You not apologize. Wolf need apologize. Also, Nesr can defend self, has dealt with worse males than him when Nesr was in other world. But, would like to see pack. Miss the friends and safety of pack."

[Rafael]

Rafael wasn't the best when dealing with other individuals as the large panther had very little experience in the area of social interaction yet despite all of that it seemed that his good nature led to him being one of the more pleasant Beasts. He couldn't help, but try to make others feel better so when he saw the happiness in the eyes of the large avian erase the anger that had been there only a moment previously the massive fur-ball was understandable happy.

When Nesr spoke to him Rafael just had to nod his head yes when she informed him not to apologize for what Skoll had said and done. He knew she was right and although he wasn't quite sure himself why he had said that or why he felt that way it just felt natural. Skoll wasn't a part of his pack nor was he someone that Rafael owned anything too. In fact the only other time that the two of them had interacted had been a fight between them. So why did he feel like he was responsible for what had just happened even if only slightly?

"If you want to see Lisa and meet others than follow me." Rafael smiled to Nesr making sure that she knew she could trust the large panther. He had only just met Nesr, but just like when he had met Zadora the large female gave off an aura of pleasantness. She seemed like someone that would be nice to have around more often. Not to mention Rafael was excited to see the interaction between Nesr and Lisa. The chance to make one of his pack happy was a chance that Rafael wouldn't let go easily.