Love Never Wanted Me

[Texan]

Open thread, as many people as you like. The night was livid and full of fairies as Michael strutted on doe-like legs through meadows dripping with velvet jewels and the cold caress of crystal water. He blinked his large black eyes at the sky and admired the moon, the ghostly galleon tossed upon those cloudy seas. But oh, what sin was this! No cloud tonight, only a smattering of silver freckles in cruel mockery of Lady Moon, forever teasing her by allowing her to see only tiny bits of her reflection. Dark trees loomed on a dark horizon, but the stilt-legged fox paid no attention to what horrors might emerge; he was the greatest of all horrors - the yarn spinner walking in his own tale. It was with Lady Moon casting a silver sheen on his crimson coat and with the long, untamed grass hiding his long, dark legs that Michael strolled and searched for company. For there was bound to be somebody out here, in this wilderness, that was just dying for someone to talk to. The scenery changed, though not the emotion, and Michael found himself to be gaily bounding to the music of water, falling from the very heavens or so it seemed. It sparkled in the moonlight, twinkled in the moonlight. it came to him by moonlight, though Hell tried to bar its way. He watched the waterwall with contented eyes, and they glittered like rapiers in the silver twilight. As though in a trance, he watched it for many minutes, hypnotised by the delicious spray that coated his fur more with each passing second. Then, with a jolt and a bark of laughter, Michael snapped forth from his trance, and admired the world around him in conjuncture with the 'fall. He danced a merry pattern in the shine of the Lady, providing her with her own entertainment, and tipping his metaphorical hat to the imaginary creature in the sky. She was his guardian angel, his saving grace; he, in turn, was delightful as the dark moon's jester, the Puck of the wolven world, made forever to cause mockery, pain and suffering. The moon was perhaps the only female that Michael could ever have respect for; she was up in those black velvet skies night after night, growing smaller and larger as the world chose to make her. Michael loved Lady Moon, and he sincerely hoped that Lady Moon loved him back with all her heart, because, let's face it, who else could love such a monster? Who else indeed could feel affection for that which feels nothing but malice? Who could grieve for those who cannot grieve? Who would defend a murderer? But these are heady questions for a night so young, and Godly Michael had no intention of even attempting to answer them. Instead, he will dance and sing by the light of the moon, casting his sound high into the sky for all those that care to listen. Michael will have his love affair with the Lady and the night, and he will come out of it unscathed and refreshed, for there is always another one night stand to be had when your only conquest is the silver galleon herself, that most unreachable of all prizes. And so we leave Michael, as he dances there, not for the first time in a world of his own. But leave him, for he is happy - at least until the moon is gone.

[Rivendell]

This isn't a very 'Lucy' post. But he is gonna have some changes for the time being. *sigh* And then I'll need to get his edge all over again. And, love, your table stretches the board a bit. If you want, I could re-size the image for you. <3

So, there were four packs. Lucifer chuckled to himself. Funny how things always had the tendency to fall in place to his favor. The only one he felt the need to worry about at all was Shaitan, but hey, he had plenty of time to figure him out. At the moment, any lone wolf he found he could gobble up into his pack if he so pleased with neglecting to tell them about the other packs. Some wolves, he was sure, he would gladly give away to that Shazel. Tender and caring, oh what a lovely thought! Not. He saw her pack going one of two ways. Not a lot of wolves were 'friendly' and 'one for all, all for one' like, so she might night get too many members. Or, for some freak chance, she got a lot of members, and then she can't feed them all, and then her pack shatters. No problem there. Shaitan might be the only competition to worry about. He seemed strong and just as hard headed as Lucifer, he might want his members. Lucifer knew better then to have an all out competition with the wolf, though. His members still needed to be the best. Shaitan could have the second best if he wanted. No, and if Lucifer got his best then he could crush him in whatever battle decided to ensue. Talk about the wins of war. No matter how Lucifer looked at it, he could only see himself on top. Not that he wouldn't be careful, sometimes the footholds you have aren’t steady. Just look at this place, he had basically been in this land for a year, alone, and knew that things could quickly look down. Now was the time to become an alpha, he decided. Start earning respect, rather then thinking he should automatically get it. That didn't mean he was going to get all soft though, that wouldn't happen even if the sun went away. (That and fact there was another force driving him to brutality.) Yes, if he wanted to have the strongest pack for miles and leagues around, he would need to be a good alpha. This was one of those rare moments where Lucifer had actually decided to push some of himself aside for other wolves. Of course, this would benefit him the long run. So this character change, whether it was a real character change or an act, would be a good thing. Lucifer decided to not go home on this night though. The torrents of rain had parted and uncovered a clear winter night. The plain echoed with the howls of winds and the silence of night. He stuck his nose to the ground and could smell that old familiar smell of Neith. Did she have a right to know about the other packs? He started walking towards her, thinking it would just be fun to go and be secretive about something in front of her, but his mission changed. A new scent came to his nose, from very far away. Farther then Jayna. He adjusted his course a little, following the smell being pulled to the plains by the sea air. The wandering brought him to a river, this river could not be the same as the Mantey River running through his pack lands; it was too fast. A new sight to see, something new. This place never let go of its surprises, did it? He sniffed the air again, then the ground. He was getting closer to it. Not before long, a thunderous sound entered the air. The waterfall could be heard far before it could be seen, and he walked along, knowing what to expect. Not before long, he falls was revealed. He stared at it watching the falls, trying to find the source of the smell he had been following. Then he saw it. There was a wolf on the top of the falls. He wasn't doing much of anything, but he too was hypnotized by the falls and the night they had found themselves on. Winter was here, but he doubted very much that this waterfall would freeze over, not even a little bit. Further into the winter, the water would probably get so cold; you would die on impact from the intense temperature. He chuckled a little, then a little spill over the edge... He made his way up the rocky steps to the top. Bravery or stupidity to be traveling so close to the water, he didn't know, Lucifer didn't even think twice about it. He walked up, wondering what he was going to do once he got there. He wasn't summoned, called, or in any other way asked for. He was in a loner land, he didn't belong here anyway, and even if he did he had no authority here. That wasn't going to stop him much from acting like an alpha, it didn't matter where he went, and his rank asked for respect and demanded manners. He made it to the top and stood possibly, ten feet from the other wolf. He stood as tall as he could and stared at him, waiting for him to say something first.

[Texan]

No worries. :) The skinny, maned wolf stopped suddenly, and pointed like an arrow over the edge of the waterfall, even daring to dip his dainty front paws into the shallows of the water. The current excited him, and he wondered what it would be like to be a wave, to be swept off a cliff... This place reminded him of his sister. He smiled vaguely and wondered what she had thought as she flew. Not much, he considered - afterall, she hardly even existed. The story teller shook all thought of that description from his mind, concentrating instead on staring at the moonlit skies and the tremendous view. As far as the eye could fathom, darkness crept, ensnaring the unwary in a death grip and dragging them to the underworld. The underworld, a place where all nightmares and creatures of the dark dwelled, ready to pounce, rip, tear... He recomposed. Now was not the time for a story. But, whispered his trecherous mind if now is not the time, then when is? And so the world around him... changed. It was not obvious, simply a mild shift in the pattern and order of things in Michael's head. It made the sky grow claws, the grass die, and the colour fade into obscurity. Now it was a nightmare world, where the very trees would surround you and lead you astray; where there was a gingerbread cottage waiting around every corner, and in every cloud a disgruntled god... The figure stuck to shadows as it came, but the brave red wolf saw it all the same, and averted his eyes in feigned fear. He watched under veiled lids as the monster crawled, slithered, bounded up the mountain side, the impossibly steep mountain side that was covered with black ice that it was impossible not to slip on. And yet still the monster came, shrouded in darkness, his eyes aflame and his mouth a gaping void filled with dagger points. Still, the brave red wolf stood to attention, tensing, ready to spring and slay the dreadful monster. And now the monster was crossing the tightrope held above a mound of jagged rocks and water rapids, and Michael was certain that he must fall off, but he did not! The monster bounded up to him, and Michael waited for the inevitable... ....Which never happened. Instead, Mickey watched patiently as the alpha asserted himself in what he was sure was loner land. There had been no scent. It was this, and a sense of mischevious fun, that made him adopt the exact same arrogant position, staring back and curling his lip a little as though he was disgusted by what he saw. Michael was the hero, sometimes the villain, but never a secondary character. Everything was about him, which meant that this other wolf couldn't possibly be as important as Michael himself. He grinned faintly at Lucifer, dropping the snarl, but not bothering to drop the alpha position. Why should he? Loner land meant no jurisdiction, no matter what gung-ho here seemed to think. And so, Michael waited. And waited. He might have waited longer still, but instead smirked and began to speak. He was getting too bored for the pride of silence, anyway. "Good evening." Afterall, what was the point in being psychopathic if you couldn't be impatient and slightly looney?

[Rivendell]

Lucifer looked at the wolf who he had managed to get in front of. Nothing spectacular to look at. There was that wonderful thought that surfaced in Lucy’s mind: There could be more to him. That was Lucifer for you, always looking deeper and trying to find out who the real wolf was behind the madness. He was always doing things for other wolves. Give and give. What an interesting new idea. Of course Lucifer only gave in hopes that he would receive, but who didn't? Who was truly selfless and wanted the best for other wolves? Lucy knew everyone had a flaw, and you needed to know that flaw to find out how to handle someone. As Lucifer observed he noticed that the wolf had a faint appearance of disgust. No, this was nothing faint, and nothing that caused you to strain your eyes to look at. This wolf was standing like Lucifer, and if Lucifer was one to jump to conclusions he would almost say this wolf was mocking him! Good thing he didn't jump to conclusions easily. No, there was little doubt this wolf mocked him. The hope that Lucifer had for gaining another member of Esha almost deteriorated at that moment. He wouldn't have someone who was so juvenile and immature in his pack. If he thought he was good enough to do this out here, then he might do it in the pack system and cause general unrest with everyone. He paused himself, knowing full well that he couldn't give up all that easy. He shifted on his feet listening for something, anything. He wasn't really sure what though. He didn't want to do anything that would make this wolf mock him some more so he didn't do much of anything. Wise move? He didn't feel so good about when he noticed the wolf smirk. That smirk was the most infuriating thing he had ever seen. It didn't make him feel good, and Lucifer did not like that. It was almost like this wolf thought that he had gotten the better of Lucy, and Lucy almost thought that was how he felt. He felt almost like the wolf put him in a situation where he was supposed to do something, but chose not to. "Good Evening," Lucifer had made the right choice. How childlike was this wolf anyway? He didn't like him at the moment. Not one bit. Respect! He demanded it, he had earned it, he deserved it. He almost missed that the wolf had said anything and realized that he had indeed spoke. Lucifer cocked his head and smiled back at the wolf. A friendly conversation? Is that what he expected? Well, how interestingly wrong he was. Lucifer started to take steps forward and to the side, so that he could maneuver his way around the wolf. He looked up at the lit moon and then back down at the wolf, planning what he was going to say. What to say though? Something casual, dark, or something else? What something else? He wanted to chuckle, and felt it resonate inside of him, but nothing audible was able to be heard. "Is it?" He simply asked the wolf stopping his short walk once he was behind the wolf. He stood and stared at the wolf almost happy with the way he was now handling the situation. Time to calculate everything and see where this went. Too much calculating got most wolves into trouble, Lucifer knew this, but this was a special situation. If someone was going to test him, he would make sure they knew who was the smartest. After all, if you weren’t the smartest and the best, then how on earth would you get any power in being an alpha? This wolf in front of him presented him with a situation he liked and was now going to take full advantage of. Who knows? It might even end well for the Alpha.

[Texan]

xxxxxx As the cooling crystal broke into thousands of mirror fragments beneath them, Michael observed his dance-partner with the under-cautious brazenness of those who truly believe they rule the world. He seemed to simply bathe in the moon's cooling glow, his pelt shimmering with a coat of mercury. In the stillness of the air, he could almost taste the anticipation, his senses heightening in exhilaration at the sheer tenseness of this story. It was horrific, the way the blood on Lucifer's coat stood out against even the purifying rays of the virgin moon, and Michael's mind began once again to make the situation more interesting. His metallic eyes observed easily what others would not see; the underlying malice and the desire to kill that surely lurked under the other brute's skin. The arrogance and demand for respect that dictated the wolf was not used to being messed with! The way he paced, full of the grace of shadows and murderers, trying to unnerve the other male that stood firm against this mental assault. Oh, no, the red wolf would not be won over by such petty fear tactics as these. How could he be, when he was the one providing the fear? So, the red, beautifully maned wolf opposed the dominating, evil brute that threatened his very existance. The maned wolf advanced himself, circling the other with the grace of a black-eyed doe, his gold eyes silver and sinister under the light from above. He was the hero, the other the evil, that which threatened the damsel in distress... Oh, yes, Michael would triumph! Our hero would triumph! And what was this? The evil parted it's gaping jaws, those black holes filled with ivory needles, and it spoke, oh, it spoke words of malice and hate, but Michael did not tremble. He did not fear such a thing, for no hero fears evil; evil is their job. Instead, the maned wolf brought his long legs to a halt, lazily flicking his tail towards the ground as a partial sign of respect - just to fool the other into thinking he had him where he wanted him - and gazed at the other wolf with a now neutral expression. He wiped the smirk off his heroic visage, because he must gain the trust of the monster before it could truly be defeated. How does one defeat a tyrant? They simply come and ask Michael. So Michael's streamlined lips parted themselves, and his tongue ladled forth words of wisdom, courage, and beauty. "Why, certainly. Can you not see the full moon is shining? Do your eyes deceive you or is the crystal fountain really by our side? When is an evening in such a beautiful place not good?" He offered his most charming smile. "Excuse me, I am new around these parts, and the exotic wonders are enticing. My name is Michael, and might I be so bold as to inquire for yours?" Lo, the beast would be defeated, by our bonny hero's own hand.

[Rivendell]

Was it a beautiful night? Lucifer wondered. He wasn't sure if he was exactly interested in deciding whether this night was to be considered beautiful or not. There were only facts to him, at the moment. Fact number one: the moon was shining very bright tonight and it was lighting up the frozen ground as though it were a very pale day. Fact number two: there were not any clouds in the sky to cast celestial shadows on the ground where they stood. Only the shapeless shadows of the trees were being cast on the ground, and the shadow of a great wolf. And the shadow of the other wolf. But them talking about the sky was only covering up for something deeper, wasn't it? Lucifer knew this, but didn't often think of it. First meetings were always so trivial. Choose a dumb subject and see how much you can tell about another. Pointlessly wonderful. And so the seconds passed by some more without Lucifer even remembering that time never stopped, not even for him. Not for anyone. It was the literal driving force for everything in the whole world. Time made everyone a ticking bomb. This new wolf started to stalk Lucifer just as the gray wolf had been partially doing not moments ago. He almost wanted to roll his eyes in disgust, but where would that get him? A minute ago he was caught up in making sure this wolf knew that he was dominate that it almost made him sick. The behavior the red wolf was exhibiting was ridiculous. Did he think he was better or smarter just because the way the alpha did? Lucifer honestly didn't giving a flying flip. He stared blankly at the wolf. Let him think he had the upper hand. The reality, as Lucifer saw it, was not this. Lucifer had caught on to his little game and all it was really doing was annoying him. Still, a circling wolf subconsciously made Lucifer point out all the weak points on the wolf. He could go for the eyes if he needed to, or the soft underside. The neck was engulfed with thick fur; there was no way he would be able to bite through all of that in an initial attack, only a fool would try that. Lucifer was no fool. Then the wolf stopped and got into a position showing he was submitting. Another move in his game? Lucifer didn't quite know what to make of all of this. Was it genius or juvenile? It wasn't genius, at least not yet. Lucifer wasn't impressed yet. Of course, Lucifer would be very bothered if he didn't catch on to this wolfs greater plan...that is to say if he had one. That tempted Lucifer to think really hard about everything the red one was doing, but he didn't. If he got distracted in this situation, this obviously slightly mental wolf could go off the deep end. Hey, maybe he would drown. That would be fun. Fun? Why not have fun? Lucifer could have fun! He took the opportunity to join this wolfs little 'game' He acted very smug and satisfied about the fact that the wolf was now submitting, but in perfect honesty, he didn't even care. Not at the moment anyway. With Lucifer, these types of things seemed to change very fast. In any case, with that slight devilish smile appearing on his maw he lifted his head a little bit listening to what else the wolf had to say. This wolf had his own way with words, so Lucy decided to show off his. "I see the moon, no clouds, and shadows cast by surroundings. You consider this good, then?" It was a mockery question, it just sounded as though he was asking. It was then Michael, as he just found out, wanted to know Lucifer's name. A slick grin, black as grease appeared on his maw, "Lucifer," was all he said.

[Texan]

xxxxxx "I consider it excellent." The reply was almost snapped back, as though something in the air, the night, the exchange, had cut him on the inside. His expression became one of mild disgust, and he did not bother to hide it as the moon glinted from his teeth and revelled in the attention it received. Somehow, though, Michael managed to compose himself again; whatever was bothering him faded into the ether, like water over a cliff. He turned lucious golden eyes back to Lucifer and observed him amusedly, noting the apparent satisfaction the other wolf gave to his submission. Thoughts streamed like rainbows through Michael's mind as he observed the other, and in the delicious ice-cool of the night, he considered whether or not the pretty wolf in front of him would look as pretty as he was dashed to the rocks below. He became caught in this fantasy, the colours vivid and springing to life, to meet him and greet him, to say thank you for their timely release. The goshred of rubies spilled below, surrounded by the dark matt of onyx pelt reminded him of hunting, and of all the things that could possibly go wrong for a wolf like the one in front of him. Ivory teeth shined as opals, offsetting the imaginary red jewels and twinkling ominously in the starlight. The Moon Maid and her followers rejoiced, for their dark slanderer was slain by their bright hero, and they bestowed upon he all their rewards... Fast-tracking back to reality, Michael managed to catch the other's name, and could not help giving a smirk for a reason he was unsure of. It seemed to fit the pig-arrogance of the other; a pretty enough name on the surface, but undercut with harsh syllables and constanants. Lucifer - yes, it was almost slimy, almost with an evil ring to it. What a foe to face - even his name inspired hatred! Quietly happy with this realisation, Michael's mind flickered through several more definitions of Lucifer - first he became a disguised serpent, then an enormous monster with only the form of a wolf, then a creature who walked 'pon his hind legs and destroyed all with crushing strength... "Lucceeee-ee-furrr." He slurred the name, much like a well-known cannibal, and narrowed his eyes in mocking flirtation. "What a pretty name you have. Ready to take your place with the beauty of the sky, hmmm?" He was almost joyous in his speech; undertones of complete happiness cut into his narrative, and it smiled from his eyes. Truly, he was mad, but he was a sophisticated, jovial mad. Who could turn on you in a second. "So, Luccee-ee-furrr, what makes you carry yourself as though you exceed my worth in this small world?" He asked, righteousness dripping from his every pore. Quite what the story telling murderer had to feel righteous about was not the point.