Hoshichiro (Hoshi + Junichiro)

There were too many bodies around here. Wolves dotted every inch of the mountains, it seemed, including the pack he found himself a part of now. Plus so many of them were still young, it appeared to him that the majority of the wolves around here were under his age. He wasn't even really that old yet; young enough that he could still cause trouble but old enough not to. He very briefly longed for the time he was alone, but soon wiped that idea from his mind. Being annoyed by younger wolves was but a small price to pay on his path of redeeming himself for his past crimes. Plus, he could teach that annoying nature out of the pups he took watch over. It was the ones who were fully grown he had to worry about, stuck in their pride and not very willing to listen to ideas that differ greatly from their own. At least it seemed that Rowan wasn't too full of himself. The Beta was a strange one. He didn't know if she was overly confident in her abilities or if she just had no sense of self-consciousness.

Either way, being around too many of them was what drove him to find solitude in the cave system that weaved through the mountains not too far from the area he now called his home. That, and the fact that he was supposed to be meeting up with another wolf, a female. He had a date for the first time in... ever? He never had a mate before, most females being driven away by his past aggressive attitude he held with the wolves he controlled. Now, older, he was dotted with scars and his face was a permanent mask of perceived irritation. He always looked cranky. It certainly didn't help that he sounded that way as well, but he couldn't change the deep gravelly voice that raked from deep in his throat, and as far as he knew his look was just the way he looked when his face was relaxed. He hoped this female wouldn't run from him as well.

Yes, he was slightly embarrassed. He was new to dating, and especially new to whatever it was he used to get connected with this wolf. His manners were rough, to put it kindly, and he didn't want anyone he knew to see him stumble over a date. He gave a huff of impatience, doubting himself. Maybe she wouldn't even like the way he looked and would cut things short. Maybe he was too ungentlemanly for a mate.

No more time to think now. He heard footsteps approaching. He quickly attempted to smooth his dark fur and cleared his throat, sitting up straight as the female found her way to the mouth of the cave. He dipped his head respectfully to her, something he had done for no one else. It was obvious, too, his movements were a little jerky, uncoordinated from not having had acted this way at least since he was a pup.

"Hello," the brute greeted as softly as he could, but still he sounded too harsh in the quiet echo of the cave. He swallowed hard. It is... a pleasure to meet you in the flesh. I'm Junichiro, but you knew that already..." He looked away, knowing he would be blushing under his fur. He really wasn't good at this. He was a fighter, a protector if he used his skills right.

"You can call me Jun, though."

Salutary Hoshi

The first thing he noticed was her shocking emerald irises. The second thing he noticed was the mix of color her brindled fur was. A mix of browns and black with tinges of creams on her underside; she was breathtaking. She was also a bit younger than him, at least by a year, year and a half. No matter. If she didn't mind, he didn't either. She looked a bit shaken when she stepped in, but as she spoke, he just read it as simple nervousness. He could relate, and knowing she was just as worried about the date as much as he was helped settle the knot in his stomach. She returned the dip of his head with a nod of her own, looking around he cave and commenting on their surroundings.

It wasn't the fanciest spot to meet up, perhaps if they went further inside they'd see a larger area with stalagmites and water, the damp walls glistening and colorful. But he wasn't any more comfortable being deep in the cave as she probably was. Exploring wasn't what he was here for. Nonetheless, he agreed with her, wanting to get a conversation going and not let it die out and get all awkward. He wasn't the best handling social situations, so he really wouldn't know what to do if it got to quiet and he couldn't think of anything to say to her.

Deep honey eyes watched her as she moved, shifting to sit up a bit straighter and puff his chest out just a little bit, making himself look just a little larger, thicker.

"I agree. I'm used to the cold, but it is nice to feel some warmth every now and then." He took a moment, racking his brain for things he should talk about. He should ask her about herself. Get to know where she was from.

"So, where are you from? I just joined a new pack not too long ago. Before that I was wandering around by myself for quite a while. I must say, even if they may get annoying sometimes, being with a pack is better than being alone." White-streaked lips split into a brief smile as he spoke, but slowly faded. He was reminded of his early years "leading" a group of murderous wolves, a time when he felt more alone than ever. He knew that even his own members could try to ambush him in his sleep, so he had trusted no one. Letting others in like this was definitely a new feeling, and while his instincts told him to shut himself off, he new if he did that then this date would go nowhere.

Salutary Hoshi

She expressed her admiration for rogues who roamed on their own, a smile lighting her features and her striking eyes gazing over his form in a sideways glance, sizing him up without trying to be obvious. She seemed happy to talk about her pack, Noctis, and explained she had split from her own siblings to join the pack. He understood. Family members rarely stayed together in the same pack their whole life. A lot of juveniles seek their own path when they come of age, or look to make their own family unit. Then he saw the way her head sunk a little, reading between the lines that there was some sort of scar there. He didn't want to make her depressed! He grew worried that he had just successfully ruined this date by bringing up bad memories. Maybe he could help by connecting to her with his own emotional scars? Or maybe that would make it worse by digging into the topic...

He realized she was speaking again, and her eyes met his. Wow, what a color. It only took a second before she looked away again, her gaze moving to his tail, or the floor. One or the other.

"Sorelus, is the name. We just established out own pack grounds and made the big move from these rogue lands. I've recently been appointed General as well. Probably due to battle experience, as you can see," he nodded his nose towards the large scar on his chest. It was the biggest of all the scars, after all. "My youth was spent causing chaos. I made one very wrong call and it cost me everything. I suppose I joined a pack filled with apprentices after all this time to teach them not to make the mistakes I did. Not to go down the wrong path. You know?"

Was he talking too much about himself? He cleared his throat nervously, his own eyes now looking away from her to inspect an oh-so-interesting crystal outcropping in the wall. "You smell like herbs. Are you a salutary?"

Salutary Hoshi