we make a {lovely} pair [OPEN]

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P_CO_AL_SL_TU_OX_R

<sup>The horrible, nasty cold was everywhere. Everywhere except the wonderful sand, which held the heat of the sun long into the night. The stars stared down like a billion pairs of eyes as Pollux dug in the sand, making a small indentation to lie down in. As he settled inside it, he felt the heat rush over him like a second coat of fur. He had spent too much time in the dark forest, where the trees kept the sun away and the ground was cold earth. And the best part of the beach was that no other wolves used it at night. Well, almost no other wolf.

"If you want a bed, make it yourself," Pollux snapped, speaking to the seemingly empty beach. He spread his limbs out more, as if to emphasize that the shallow hole only had room for one. "Stop hovering." The rusty wolf gave a slight shudder. "Always hovering," he muttered.

For a few minutes all he could hear was the roaring of the ocean. It was a constant, rhythmic throb that should have soothed him. Instead, Pollux seemed agitated. His ears twitched as he strained to hear something over the sound of the water.

"Still here," a cool voice chuckled.

If Pollux could blush, he would have done so now. "Didn't care. Didn't care." The extra growl in his voice suggested otherwise. He could feel Castor's glee at this, an awful, chilling glee. Pollux snuggled deeper into the sand, feeling the grains enter his fur and rub his skin. He heaved a great sigh, sending a cloud of sand into the air. The constant wind blowing in from the sea caught the grains and carried them off. That was the problem with the beach; the wind counteracted the warmth of the sand.

"Don't you wish you were in a safe den, filled with other wolves to keep you warm?" Castor's voice had gone soft, something Pollux knew was a warning sign.

"Talk, talk , talk. You talk too much." Pollux said this loudly to block out anything else Castor might say. If he started listening, it got harder to stop. And if he couldn't stop listening, Castor started to make sense. And when Castor started to make sense . . . Pollux never could remember what happened after that.</sup>

[Zel]

Sand. Sand. And more sand. It dug between toes and settled deep into fur. An annoyance yet the setting sun and the crash of waves made sand all the while worth it. It was warm and that in itself after a long winter made it tolerable. Still when the wind whipped up and dowsed the she wolf she gave an annoyed growl. Zelunik was agitated. Her hide stung from a fresh wound. She'd escaped trappers yet again. They seemed to be everywhere looking for fresh meat to sell in the auction rocks. Not today and not this wolf. She had more important things to do that deal with some wolf who wanted to dominate her. So she earned a bite to the flank and now she had to do the impossible and that was to drag herself into the water to let the salt water do its bitter deed of cleaning it. Zelunik shuddered at the thought. It would be bad enough that she had been chased here now she couldn't find her mint leaves so instead of a calming poultice to put on her wound she was stuck with salt water. Actually she was stuck staring it down. It was a beautiful and deadly force she ended up limping slightly closer and touched a paw to the chilly waters. And it was going to be a cold quick dip as well. She sighed no time like the present than to get something done.

Without waiting another minute the Mexican grey wolf sat her rump in the on coming waves and gave a loud yelp at the pain that seeped from the wound up her back. She ran from the waves half soaking wet and half dry. It still stung and she shivered at the odd feeling of it being numbed by the icy chill of the waves and of the salt slowly cleaning out the wound. Mint would have been much better. Now she was left to dry herself off in a beach full of sand. She'd have no where to lay unless she wanted sand in her fur. Which as it seemed, she'd have to.

For all that it was wolf she did get to heal that slavkin. As a free wolf she healed all slavkin, dominor, and other frieors like herself. She wouldn't discriminate. It wasn't in her nature. Eventually though she would have to find a pack that would accept her as a free wolf and understand that she was not going to be tied down to no beast or lands. Her heart was that of a healer not a slave or master. If she was cornered into buying a slavkin she'd certainly keep the poor beast as more of a helping hand than a slave they'd just have to earn their way to freedom. Which they'd do it easily by just being her companion. As a loner she did get just that; lonely.

She glanced around and realized the stars were out. She didn't even know when she stopped in her pondering. Zelunik sighed and plopped down in the sand and turned to give herself a good licking clean. It was a wound and it demanded licking. She stopped and began humming a bit which then in turn turned into full out singing. Her voice carried like a sweet tune that could calm even the most twisted of souls. At least that's what she had been said whether it's been true or not was still to be proven.

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P_CO_AL_SL_TU_OX_R

<sup>Pollux had fallen into a fitful sleep, the pounding of the waves keeping him on the brink of consciousness. Still, he slipped into the world of half-dreams that lay between sleep and awake. His charcoal paws twitched as he dreamed, perhaps of running. His ebony lips were pulled back to shows the tips of his ivory teeth, a low sound rumbling in his throat.

A rabbit ran in front of him, only inches away from his snout. Though he constantly increased his speed, the rabbit remained just far enough away to prevent him from catching it. He was just about to give up when he noticed the rabbit's fur had an unusual hue: rust red. Had it always been that color, or had it changed? While he puzzled over this, the rabbit grew larger. It seemed that the larger it grew, the farther away it got, though Pollux never changed his speed. Finally, he realized that the rabbit wasn't a rabbit at all; it was a wolf. He took in the wolf's inky stockings, so much like his own, and breathed in her sweet femme scent. The smell tickled his memory, but the the fae was getting too far away and the scent was fading. Pollux pushed his legs to the limit, but she only drifted farther away. Just when he thought he was going to lose her--

A sharp yip banished his dream. Groggy and disoriented, Pollux heaved himself clumsily to his feet. Somewhere in the back of his mind it registered that he would have to chase this other wolf away before he went back to sleep, so he stumbled out of his sandy nest. As he scanned the beach for the other canine, a sweet tune rode past him on the wind. It was smooth and enchanting, calling him forward.

Pollux followed the noise, not quite sure what he was doing. On the one hand, he wanted to hear the song better. On the other, he didn't want to go near any other wolves. Pollux didn't like other wolves; why he allowed Castor to stay around was beyond him, though he never seemed to be able to chase that brute off. There was something about that voice, however, that reminded him when everything was stable and nothing changed. Pollux remembered liking that period of his life, but Castor got upset if he dwelled on it too much.

The owner of the voice, it appeared, was a small female. Pollux examined her curiously. This was new for him, to approach a wolf without trying to chase them away.

"What are you doing?" he asked, walking forward to see her muzzle better. A mouth barked, it growled, it whimpered, but hers did none of those. "Why are you making that noise?" He tilted his head to one side, as if listening. "No, not a howl," he stated. "Then what?" he murmured</sup>

[Zel]

OoC: My muse isn't what it should be so forgive me for the shortness. But I don't want to keep you waiting. :(

'Well this is an interesting creature.' Zelunik thought to herself as the leggy maned wolf walked up. She stopped her singing when he started to speak turning her golden honey eyes to him. What was it he was talking about? Noises coming from her? She pondered for a bit then it dawned on her, he was talking about her singing. Had he never heard singing before?

Bewildered she raised a brow and spoke in her gentle tones, "I'm a traveling healer; have you never heard someone 'sing' before."

She was about as curious about this wolf as he was about her. To make it less obvious she had a small wound on her leg she tucked her tail a bit tighter around her body, seemingly for warmth, as even here where the sands soaked up the warmth of the sun, the water that clung to her chilled her and the gentle wind that blew didn't help. She wanted to sit up and try to be level with this wolf, impossible for his imposing height, but still laying down vulnerable would make him feel if he could dominate her.

Though by the sounds of it he was more interested in her singing than her meager presence. She was slightly glad for the night cause at least now he wouldn't be able to see her drenched in water, which it was drying quicker by the second so there was really no need to worry that much. Though in her mind she quickly made escape plans in case this beast decided to go psycho on her and attack or turn out to be a sklavin trader. The thought chilled her. It was tough for free wolves outside of a pack, they could be captured easily if they were inexperienced. Zelunik had been at this for a while and she was learning the games easy. Almost tracking down the dominors before they could track her. Simple minded fools.

She kept her eyes on the maned wolf in front of her. Zelunik noted how tall he was. She couldn't help but wonder how he was able to keep all four paws on the ground without toppling over. Hmm she would just have to see what this creature was all about.

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<sup>The noise stopped when he spoke to her. He hadn't realized that it would be a consequence for asking her questions. Well, now that the sound was gone, there was no reason to stick around. He was about to turn around and leave when she spoke. It wasn't as musical as before, but still sweet compared to his own growling vocals.

"I'm a traveling healer." Healer? That meant nothing to him. "Have you never heard someone 'sing' before?" Pollux contemplated this. "Yes. Or no." The way she phrased the question confused him; he wasn't used to the idioms and nuances of the language, as he spoke with other wolves as seldom as possible.

He noticed she was acting odd, her body held differently than before. He simply blinked at her, confused. Did she want him to do something? "She's intimidated you fool. Don't do anything stupid. If you play your cards right--" Pollux stopped listening, uninterested in whatever plans Castor had. He could smell faint traces of fear. Pollux knew that small things were scared of big things, and she was a small thing, which made him a big thing. Making this connection, Pollux lowered himself down to the sand. He kept his back legs coiled, ready to propel him upward if she tried to attack. For some reason, he didn't want her to be scared of him.

Pollux lay silently in the sand, staring at the female. What next? He tried to recall what he usually did when meeting other wolves. Most of the time, he tried to bite them. Somehow, he felt that biting wasn't the right course of action. What did the other wolf do, before he bit them? Pollux lit up when he found the answer. Names! They told him their names!

"I am Pollux and he is Castor," he stated, gesturing nowhere in particular to indicate Castor. A tiny ghost of a smile pulled on his lips. "Now you say your name," he provided, in case she didn't know.</sup>

[Zel]

Zelunik raised a brow in curiosity. She could sense that this wolf was all sorts of different. He was already a silted animal. Life as a wondered she had met quiet a few 'differents'. Not enough for her to really pin point what was off about this wolf. From his speech though she could guess the leaves didn't grow to the to of his tree. Well she wasn't going to go anywhere, not when he now interested her. She was like a scientist she wanted to know more about the world around her. Especially when it walked up to her in a form of another. She smiled at him, putting her own fears of a stranger aside, "what came from my mouth before?"

Should she talk to him like a pup? No she got the feeling that would offend him. Maybe if she spoke in easy, simple phrases. Too many words might cause him to get frustrated. She'd met slow wolves before, he felt like a slow wolf, but something told her it was different than that. Much different. Like a deaf wolf that didn't know how to communicate with words. The wolf wasn't stupid but it communicated differently. Just as this one lowered himself to the ground on the account of her small fear. Though she'd wait to tell him the story later. She was sure he'd probably like a story. That was something she was good at song and using song to spin a tale. Maybe she'd have to see if he was going to show his teeth or not.

It was then that he lay upon the sand, trying to level himself with her. Ah so that's how he mostly communicated with action not words. He must live a sheltered life, she thought to herself. Zelunik looked to where he gestured and saw no wolf there? Pollox? Castor? It dawned on her. Oh he was what her master called a Twoferone Wolf. A joke not something that she would call them to their face. Supposedly they had imaginary friends, had another wolf persona inside of them, or even more than one wolf. Depending on the level of how much protection they had needed at the time. Some wolves just had sweet imaginary friends that was like their conscience. Other's had a dark second half one that wanted to cause pain and hurt to others. Then the last one they had so many personalities in one it was amazing that they could function as wolves. She couldn't tell what this one was though. She'd have to wait. From the sounds of it this was either an imaginary friend one or Castor was a wolf that either protected their body or would try to harm her. She hoped the other but it was something she would just have to see for herself.

In her musings she caught his next phrase and let the tip of her tail wag happily. "Alright, I'm Zelunik"

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<sup>"What came from my mouth before?"

Pollux regarded her with a quizzical look. Why was she asking him? Didn't she know already? "Singing. You said singing," he reminded her. His eyebrows flew up as her first question suddenly made sense. "I have heard it before, but not after then." Pollux spoke as if the female knew his thoughts, not explaining anything. After all, Castor never needed things explained. Castor just knew.

"Alright, I'm Zelunik."

She wagged her tail, which Pollux knew meant a friendly wolf. Only sometimes it didn't. Sometimes wolves had their tail high in the air, swishing back and forth slowly. Pollux had thought this meant very happy, until they all started attacking afterward. But Zelunik didn't move, besides her tail, so he assumed she wouldn't attack.

"Z-z-z-z." Pollux tried out the new sound. He liked it. It reminded him of the fuzzy little bumblebees that floated through the air in warm weather. The rest of her name, however, was a bit complicated. He had already forgotten most of the sounds. Ah well, he doubted he would have to call her by name.

He let his gaze drift to the rising and falling waterline. With the throbbing of the ocean in his ears, Pollux was suddenly aware of how exhausted he was. The meeting, short though it was, had taken a lot out of him. It had been a long day as well, with lots of travel. The forest he currently used as a home was large, and prey was scattered. He'd spent the day hunting and now felt the ache in his muscles from chasing after prey. Pollux relaxed, staring at the waves as if hypnotized by the movement of the water.</sup>

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Posted!

[Zel]

OoC: Sorry it took so long my muse has been crap. :/

Interesting creature. Seemed harmless enough. Zelunik sighed and sent sand flying from her nose. Sand no matter where they went on the beach there would still be so much sand. Still it was warm and that was something that was a blessing Zelunik was a little sleepy from running. A small wolf like her was always tired from running. She moved a bit, making herself more comfortable. If the wolf was to attack well she figured he would have done it by now.

He reminded her almost of a pup. Not one hundred percent cruel just misguided or left to figure things out for himself. She grinned at him trying out her name. "Just call me Zel or Zelly" she suggested, or Z would work, she'd never been given that nick name before. She kept the thought to herself though. If he wanted to dub her something else why not; the meeting might be brief or she might have to reintroduce herself to Castor and there was no telling what Castor was like. . . .

She could ask Pollux. But what if that set off a reaction. Zelunik may be fast but she didn't think she could out run this wolf if he wanted to get violent. There would be a fight she'd have to hurt him, and she found herself not wanting to do that. The nagging curiosity she had thought was beginning to bug her. She settled her internal war with agreeing to ask him later. Or just hang around till Castor decided to come out. Maybe being around wolves helped Pollux keep Castor in his internal prison? That is assuming Castor wasn't just an imaginary friend. Growing more curious Zelunik figured she might as well talk to keep herself from blurting out something stupid.

"So Pollux," she noted him staring at the waters. "Do you like the water?"

It was a gentle enough question. Like asking a child what his favorite color is. She found herself wanting to ask him many questions. What was he doing out here or was he a part of a pack? Still she waited until he spoke, possible he was curious about her as well.

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<sup>Pollux's mind was far away from the beach, floating out by the horizon, where the boundries between water and sky were blurred and confused. His body, however, remained in the sand, ready for Castor's use.

"Do you like the water?"

"Don't patronize me," Castor growled. If there was one thing he hated, it was being treated like that simple-minded fool Pollux. It was just his luck he was stuck with someone so utterly useless. Were it not for the dragging weight that was Pollux, Castor could have been an Alpha by now. He would have slaves to do his bidding, loyal followers, and a stunning mate. His green eyes examined every inch of Zelunik, as if seeing her for the first time.

"So tell me, Zelly, what are you doing out here, alone at night, and," his face contorted into a grimace, "singing, of all things." Pushing his body into a standing position, he sniffed the air, trying to pick up her scent. It seemed like he had to dig through hundreds of earthy, green smells to find hers. She didn't smell like a pack. He sneered. Just some silly freior with no place to call home, just as useless to him as Pollux.

His eyes were suddenly drawn to her flank, where he could see the glisten of a wound peering out from her fur. "Now where did you get that, girlie?" It was obviously the work of teeth or claws, which meant she had been in contact with other wolves quite recently, and hostile ones at that. Maybe she could be of use to him; she could inform him of what was happening in the forest.</sup>

[Zel]

OoC: I've been watching the United States of Tara and it's about this woman who's got like 6 different personalities. BTW should we have Zel's NCP pursuers follow her there? That would be interesting while Castor is out.

Now that was different. Zelunik watched and listened as Pollux showed his alter. Shear fascination crossed her face as her question of what kind of twoferone wolf he was. Castor's body but the way he carried himself and stood screamed alpha male. To answer him Zelunik stood and shook her fur of sand. The water had dried and she was able to remove the visible parts. Her amber eyes looked at him with curiosity and she turned her head to the side, "You're amazing," she breathed and ignored his first comment to circle around his frame.

This must be Castor. Even the facial features used by Pollux were gone. This was a totally different wolf. Though the smell was still the same, though she guessed that if Castor had full control of the body that he would clean every single inch of his fur to at least come off a bit different than Pollux. It was just a guess though. She stood but kept her head a bit lowered than his; instinctively acknowledging his dominance. If it would keep her alive there was no shame in admitting to be weaker than another. Not that she wouldn't take a leg with her if he tried to attack. Just a simple courtesy she had no problem giving him.

"You must be Castor, please, Zel for you, Zelly for Pollux, she nodded her head and shrugged halfheartedly keeping her tones soft, sweet, and maybe came off a little flirty. "Keeps confusion down. And Zel would roll off your tongue better."

She sat and saw his eyes roam to her flank, she gave the wound a cleansing lick. Wondering how to answer. With a shrug she settled for the truth a spark hit her eye. If they were on nickname basis she might as well give Castor one. "I'm a traveling healer, Cassie. I was helping someone and some slave traders noted my talents. They thought I would be useful in captivity. I fought them off and ran, while one took a chunk of my leg here. They got the piece of me they wanted I guess."

She knew the one she helped would get away safely. While she may not her patient would. Healer's oath. She thought of

"I would join a pack," she scoffed, "But there's always idiot slavkin traders, like tonight, that look for wolves trying to join pack lands. They put me behind in my search for a pack."

She flicked an ear in annoyance and glanced over her shoulder. . . . Odd she swore she heard a noise. She shook her head and turned back to Castor. She wondered how much trouble she would be in for the nickname. She hoped he wouldn't want to take a chunk out of her other flank for it. Well too late her mouth already was getting her into trouble again.

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<sup>"You're amazing."

Her comment caught Castor off guard at first. He had wanted her to be afraid or submissive, not stare at him like he was a new species. He soon recovered from this, his ego fluffed and a sly grin on his face. Castor, despite looking down on this "Zelly" with contempt, looked incredibly pleased at her praise. "Tell me something I don't know," he said, chuckling. He arranged his body into what he felt was a casual but flattering pose as she circled him. It wasn't often that he was around a female long enough for her to realize what a fine specimen he was.

"You must be Castor, please, Zel for you, Zelly for Pollux."

Though he hated being told what to do, Castor agreed that Zel sounded less ridiculous coming out of his mouth. Calling her by a nickname might suggest affection for some wolves, but he thought of it as another way of showing her that she was beneath him.

Which was why he hated it so much when she tried to give him one. "Do not ever call me Cassie." He sneered at her. "If you must address me, it will be Castor and nothing else." During his short periods of freedom from Pollux's mind, Castor had taken every opportunity to be around wolves of higher ranking. He had molded his tone and wording to fit his picture of a regal-sounding wolf.

Her explanation for her wound nearly drove the matter of nicknames out of his mind. It seemed they shared a goal to join a pack, a goal Pollux did not share. Whenever Castor managed to worm his way into a pack, as soon as Pollux came back he would leave, not understanding where he was or how he got there. Castor had tried to persuade Pollux to join a pack, but Pollux was too anti-social and too stubborn. However, Pollux liked Zel, or at least tolerated her. If she joined a pack, Pollux might follow.

"I have been trying to find a pack myself. But Pollux is very . . . picky. I'm sure he would enjoy a pack more if he had a friend with him." Castor put on what he thought was his most charming smile. "Perhaps we could--"

The growls of a group of wolves interrupted him. Three large males stalked out of the forest. All had numerous scars striping their pelts and bulging muscles. Castor pretended not to notice these ominous signs. "We are tying to have a conversation, brutes. You can leave freely or I can make you leave. Your choice." Castor fixed them with a cold stare, feeling the adrenaline surge that always came before a fight.</sup>