What she had feared all this time was coming across a boy, or perhaps a brute… Or perhaps worst of all a wrinkly old geezer, and be forced to be soulmates with them. She was expected to procreate, so that there will be further generations to protect the precious and delicate Arcus Irae… But if she bonded to an old crinkled thing… Which she really be expected to lay with them? To allow them to defile her solely to reproduce? If her soul was meant to be matched with someone who was grotesque, disfigured beyond repair? Or if it was someone who smelled terrible… Or was evil, a psychopath! A murderer! Why was she only able to tread upon this single path, one that she had no choice in? And if she was bonded to something like… that… what would that say about her own soul? Was she so decrepid, so damaged? But, tired of running, of avoiding every other wolf because of her fear of bonding to them, she had at last put herself out there, calling out to whoever may come – she might as well get it over with, and have it be her choice to meet them. But, of course, as soon as she chose to do exactly that, the only wolf to approach her way was a female. Relief flooded her as she saw the petite faeling walk toward her - even though she had called out for anyone and everyone, part of her still was not ready to meet her eternal partner.

But then, unease begin to shift over her in waves as this stranger stared at her, rather too intently for Qiturah’s like. Now, Qi was obviously no stranger to magic - the blood of the Ferhward ran through her strongly as she was an Oferweder. And, of course, she had met her fair share of Arcus Irae, had heard about the vampires and felt their maleficence… And whispers had reached her of the mutated ones. But aside from Khaleesi, she had yet to come across any of them. Perhaps Qiturah had been naïve to think that Khaleesi was the only mutated wolf in all of Blossom Forest, or that the mutation of feathers would be the only transformation or hybridization to occur. And so, her defenses flew up and the ever present rage flared just beneath the surface. So, when the stranger addressed Qi‘s odd pair of optics, her tongue lashed back quickly with a retort. No thought went into it, just an immediate reaction. It was strange though, that Qiturah had allowed a pup to affect her so considering she had grown up with baby siblings of her own. Her own father was renowned for his rage, but his softness was always brought out by pups, by his family. Qiturah’s own softness apparently would not be at all like her fathers…

“My eyes are just as normal as your legs, thank you very much. Their color and glow are as much a part of me as those reptilian scales are part of you - neither of us are born of nature alone, but by a touch of magic. So perhaps you should take into account how your vocalized judgment comes across to others before you allow it to slip between your teeth.”

Qiturah was reprimanding the other with no regard to her age, to her background. She growled lightly, a soft rumbling thrum that barely seeped out, more because Qi was self-conscious than because she was actually hurt. The Oferweder did not accept her body, and perhaps never would. She hated the magic that ran within her, and wished only to be free of it and free of the chains of responsibility that were draped across her shoulders. But… Her words did not seem to faze the lass one bit. Instead, the stranger turn the conversation toward Qi‘s call - analyzing in painful detail exactly what she had heard. Qiturah shook her head, surprised that the pup had been able to read so fully into her emotions with just a slip of her voice, her spines rumbling in a wave, a physical representation of her armor. “I am not desperate nor am I lonely. I have a mission I am going to accomplish on my terms…” Her voice drop to whisper, murmured more as an afterthought as she once again complained about her situation. “… Since this is apparently the only thing that will actually be on my terms.” The tempest groaned and shook her head again before staring at the femme. First the pup had commented on how different Qi’s eyes were, and now her voice? Qiturah’s low self-esteem had her scrambling for something… anything to use as ammunition. Was there anything off topic for this reptilian wolf thing? Qi’s already erected spine hardened as her tail slipped over her spine.

“What, do you have no filter? You say what you think and that is it? I am not desperate or lonely, just so you know, I am alone, yes, but there is a big difference between lonely and being alone. I am here out of choice because my family…” Qi did not understand why she was blabbering on to this stranger - it was none of her business anyway, and she was a nothing but a pup! “… Well they just do not get it. They do not understand. So I figured I would just go out and meet as many wolves as I could so that when it is done and over with, there will be no more waiting, no more guessing, it is just done.” Qiturah fell silent with a snort and turned around, ready to leave. But just as she lifted a paw to take her first steps to run away from the innocent conversation that had somehow really hurt her, the inquisitive judgmental female introduced herself. Qiturah whipped around, too turned about to really focus on anything. “And I thought I was all over the place! First you comment on this, then you comment on that, now you introduce yourself… Straight lines, girl. Talk in straight, easy to follow lines. You really suck at having a conversation with someone else, you know that? Generally, when you meet someone, you start with introductions, get to know someone for a while, and only start insulting them or getting invasive after a while, once you know them. Don’t you know anything?”

Qi huffed and she shook her pelt like a bird with ruffled feathers would, but then froze. Maybe… Maybe Calliope really did not know anything…? Perhaps that was why she was confused about Qi‘s icy gaze - were there still wolves in Blossom Forest who had not heard of the tempests? And this… This femme… Maybe all was exactly as it seemed - maybe she was not used to conversation, maybe she was a loner or had grown up without family. “… Calliope, OK? I am Qiturah, but you can call me Qi. Do you… Do you know what I am? You do, right? Or… do you… not? I am a tempest, specifically an Oferweder. We are guardians of the rainbow colored wolves, the Arcus Irae. We are the mortal enemy of the vampires, the Dreor Stragga… Any of this ringing a bell?” Qiturah tilted her head, inquisitive now, less evasive, less defensive. “Who are your parents? Where are you from?” She laughed briefly. “I know I said not to get intimate with people you do not know… But tit for tat now. I am from Dierne Hrof, my father is Vladimir, my mother Serafina, and I am soon to be the princess of the pack. Who are you? Where are you from? Why are you…” It seemed rude to say naïve, so she didn’t. “… Why are you so… You?”

WC: 1303