He was both apprehensive and excited.  It had been a good month or two since he had last been in a pack – his family’s, to be exact. He had left it in search of freedom. There were no hard feelings or arguments – he’d merely gone to drift and sate his thirst for discovery. His drifting had brought him to another pack now though, and he wondered with mild worry if this would put a damper on his adventure. Commitment and responsibilities were tethers that Nagendra had quite the aversion to, and he feared that this new pack life would be a bore as it had in his family’s. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy and appreciate the stability of his old home… it was just… boring. But of course, Valentine had promised that he could leave, and so Nagendra saw no harm in trying it out. Perhaps it would turn out to be far different from his birthplace, and offer him new wondrous experiences.

After arriving, he wandered about the territory, admiring every inch of it. It was very interesting, and he was glad to have access to something he previously would have not. He loved the hills, and felt the childish urge to roll about on them. He had refrained for the time being though. The range was also a most curious place. There were so many things there, it would take him days to try and explore it all.

At the current moment, Nagendra had wandered into the forest, and after a while, into the clearing within it. He was very excited in this find, and took a moment to stand in the center and orient himself. It was so peaceful – so serene. A breeze drifted gently by as daylight poured in from above, warming his face. The grass felt soft beneath his feet and beckoned to him, and so he’d gingerly lower himself down to lay out elegantly upon the green bed. He would definitely be sleeping here some nights. He could just imagine how beautiful the stars would be from here – nothing to hide them from the appreciative eye.

Her dark form did not often reach the lands of the range, her den was in the knolls and she found plenty of prey there. Little drew her here, but the want for shade was a bit too much. The day was gorgeous, if not a bit warm. Though as she ducked under the canopy the temperature would drop considerably. The relief was nice, though as she walked she couldn't help but notice the familiar scent of someone she'd almost forgotten about. Nagendra had probably saved her life, she didn't know what would have happened to her had he not been there to look after her clumsy self. He hadn't joined Abaven, though he'd come back and seen it. Not that she had really expected him to. Smelling his scent here, in the pack lands, had her slightly confused. Had he come and joined Imperium after their encounter? It was possible, but it was also more probable that he just hadn't smelled the new scent markers. The range had not been part of imperium for very long and this was entirely possible. Curious Rhythm would follow the scent to where he'd finally settled. He was lounging, the green eyed man looked quite comfortable as the breeze played at his fur. His scent would reach her nose, his cologne making her heart flutter. Autumn really couldn't come fast enough. She was sick of swooning at every he wolf that crossed her path. Pulling her tail closer to her rump she'd hope to mask her own scent just a little as her features curled into a smile. She'd approach from his left, her head tilted curiously as she stopped a few feet away from him. "Surely the great adventurer, Nagendra Bahri would not have joined a pack?" There was an amused humor in her words as she took a seat beside him, clearly delighted to see him again. ""

He closed his eyes a little, inhaling the fresh air softly through his nostrils and enjoying the feeling of the breeze tugging playfully at his fur. How nice it was. He was sure there was lots of prey here too. Why, after resting a little while, he could probably go find something to eat almost right away. No doubt, the smaller animals loved the verdant terrain as he did. He remained perfectly still for another minute, his thoughts clear and his attention completely seeped into the peace of his surroundings. Then a familiar voice slipped from the quiet.

Jade eyes flickered open, and Nagendra would turn his head curiously to find the one who had spoken. A whimsical smirk soon curled his lips, and he’d purr her name with impish delight, ”Rhythm.” He turned his body a tad to look at her better as she came to sit beside him. ”Our paths cross again. Is it merely a coincidence, or a tug of fate?” baritone notes danced with a touch of mirth. He suddenly became aware of the puzzlement that this situation ought to present for the both of them. Wasn’t Rhythm a part of Abaven? He sniffed subtly. She smelled a tad like the pack grounds of Imperium – a scent he himself was gradually beginning to gather in addition to his own. ”It seems I have, enticed by a little someone,” he hummed, thinking of Valentine with a smirk. ”But you. What brings you here?” he questioned, leaning slightly towards her and lifting his chin curiously.

Bright green eyes met her gaze as Nagendra's fluttered open at the sound of her voice. His features would offer an amused smirk as she drew more near, her name on his lips as he turned towards her. She found herself grinning in enjoyment, now she would have a chance to repay his kind act somehow. He'd make a comment similar to that of Kyarst, was this mere coincidence? Though even as she spoke she knew that there was a conundrum between them, he had been a die hard loner and she a completely loyal member of Abaven. He'd answer her almost cryptically but she wouldn't press him, who was it that had convinced him to stay within the borders of a pack. Who might have made him take up the responsibilities that tied her down? Scarily the very same wolf that had convinced her to stray from her family's pack. "Well either way, it's a pleasant surprise to have found you again." She'd add with a sweet smile, because indeed it was. "It's a long story," she'd answer him, the details still threatened to send her emotions reeling. ""

It was when he leaned that smidge closer that he caught the scent of something else. Hormones. It was a thick smell, which immediately electrified the neurons in his brain, quickly connected from one sense to the next. Nagendra leaned back to his original position, somewhat surprised (though more or less managing to keep from blatantly staring with revelation). He smiled at her reply, trying to keep his thoughts from… slipping. ”And you,” he said, his quirky smile tugging along farther on one side of his face. He tried not to inhale very deeply; now that he had noticed, it smelled too appealing. ”Oh?” he carry on. ”One you care to share, or not?” he would ask delicately, brows lifted a tad. He couldn't quite tell from her manner, but there was always the possibility that she was here under bad circumstances. And of course Nagendra didn't wish to upset her.

Had she known how uncomfortable she was making all the boys in the pack she really would have hidden in her den through out the whole season. Though the three men she'd been in the presence of hid their reactions well enough that Rhythm did not notice. She did see his smile, and she would return it as he agreed at the pleasantness of reuniting. Though he would push the matter of her joining, and she had no real reason to not tell him of her eventful night of joining. "I can try." Getting comfortable the chocolate she wolf would lower her chest to the ground and take on a similar pose to Nagendra. She'd inhale deeply, wondering if she'd get through with out getting emotional. "To make a long story short, I'd been on a few dates with Valentine when the mother of his children decided I really should be here with him. She had a friend of hers in the higher ranks challenge my brother for me. When she brought me to Valen she convinced him that I'd be safer here and he asked me to stay." The short version was so much less traumatic than living the whole ordeal. With that small of an explanation she didn't have to get into how her family reacted, and she could keep her feelings in check. "And I said yes." So here she was, slowly realizing the reasoning behind her quick approval. ""

Rhythm would lie down beside him and begin to explain, a deep breath introducing her story. Nagendra listened with interest. Surprise struck his face momentarily when she mentioned Valentine. He didn’t know how to feel about it. There was a brief flash of distant betrayal and jealousy, and then reason swept in. Nagendra wasn’t even one to care much for commitment, and if Valentine had laid with him – a perfect stranger – he probably didn’t either. And besides, if there was any sort of cheating going on, Nagendra was the other (wo)man. He settled his expression after his thoughts were gathered and concluded, and focused back on the girl’s story.

The mother of Valentine’s children? Strange wording. ”She sounds insane,” he said, incredulous. Normally, women wanted to keep other women away from their men. His forehead crinkled with further interest as he became more and more engrossed in the situation. ”Is she his mate? And is he polygamous?” he asked with all the zeal of a gossiping old woman – some of his intent directed towards collecting information pertinent to himself and his own sneaking part within all this. His absorbed expression would then briefly change, a light smirk dancing across his face as his smooth voice would inquire, ”And does this mean you’re off the market?”

She wanted to miss the flash of emotion that swept over Nagendra's face as she gave him the story, she didn't want to acknowledge the flutter of doubt that seeped into her heart. Though as fast as it had appeared it was gone, and the girl would allow her feelings to go with it. That little voice inside her head that told her everything was not okay, but she would fight with it. She'd smile at his appraisal of Cascade, though Rhythm didn't like to think anything bad of anyone she found herself agreeing with him. The words of the black woman still haunted her despite Valen dissipating the thought of her belonging to him. Her thoughts would be forced to delve deeper into the subject it seemed, and though she'd tried to avoid thinking about what the future might bring she was forced to now. Inwardly the girl sought devotion and love, the memory of her brother with his wife tormented her. A future like that was impossible in Imperium. "She's not, I don't believe." To her knowledge at least, he'd not made any mention of Cascade when he spoke of his children. "I'm not sure about that either." He'd made no long  term commitment to any wolf that she knew of, still the rank she'd been given said quite plainly that he would entertain more than one wolf in his life. Thus far she'd mostly ignored it, hoped that maybe if she didn't think about it that it wasn't happening. Her thoughts were slightly disturbed with his last inquiry, one she hadn't put much thought into honestly. ”And does this mean you’re off the market?” The thoughts his question brought her were more than surprising. She couldn't lie to herself, the feelings she had for Valentine were growing, faster than she would have ever imagined. She wanted to go slow, mostly because she didn't want to think about where that slow going would end up. She wasn't ready for a commitment but she wanted to be loved and treasured. "Well, no." They'd offered no more devotion than Valentine swearing her protection. She could do whatever she pleased, but why had it been so hard to tell him she was still a free being? "He will never belong to you." Cascade's words rang through her mind again. She'd shake the thoughts away. She'd wallowed too deply, Valentine held no claim over her and she would do what she wished. "Why do you ask?" She'd put her full attention on Nagendra after neglecting him for her own thoughts. Enjoying his presence was much easier than trying to sort out her feelings. ""

She would answer his questions with mild uncertainty, though it gave enough that Nagendra could gather what he wanted to. It seemed Valentine wasn’t much for settling, which he liked just fine. Inwardly he allowed himself impish amusement at the similarities between himself and the blue beast – a voracious appetite for the forbidden fruit, no matter what tree it fell from. Valentine seemed to be a bit more of a collector though. It seemed he’d acquired three so far. But were there more? A faint smirk tickled the edges of his lips before vanishing, his gaze focused back upon Rhythm.

When he offered his light question about her own status, she replied, seeming half in thought about it herself. Nagendra’s lips twitched in a faint smirk. When she questioned back, a soft huff of a laugh escaped his nostrils. He was a bit tripped up by the question. Wasn’t it obvious? Of course, he wasn’t one to shrug it off and grow bashful at his intent being unveiled. ”You’re very pretty,” he said simply, his smirk remaining. ”Valentine has good taste.” He would again be silently amused, this time for his comment's second meaning. I should know.

She was almost to caught up in her own thoughts to notice the smirk that seemed to linger on Nagendra's facade, he seemed a bit different from the wolf she'd met by the rock gardens. Though she was in a completely different state as well she couldn't help but wonder if there was something deeper going on. At the same time she had no desire to delve further into those mysteries. She'd do her best to mostly put him from her mind as she was slightly startled by Nagendra's chuckle. Her ears fell to her skull as he took his time in explaining, the answer bringing a blush to her features. Though she wasn't so sure that she could agree with the second statement, she wasn't sure what he was thinking when he got Cascade pregnant. "Thank you," she'd manage to reply as she tried to avert her gaze from his form. Nagendra was more attractive than she wanted to admit. ""

Rhythm was suddenly shy as the brown male spelled it out for her. He watched with amusement as her gaze fell away, her thanks causing a soft chuckle to escape his maw. She was so very polite. Nagendra didn’t typically associate with rude individuals, but even out of all the decent wolves he’d met she must have been by far the politest. He chose not to wonder whether it had made things awkward - things got awkward when one thought about it like that, and Nagendra prided himself on being able to make these sorts of comments and advances as openly as he liked without seeming... creepy. And for safety measures, a little bit of flamboyance always made everyone feel better. Silence lingered a moment more before he inhaled softly, his suave smirk still there. ”How long ago did you join? I’ve only been here about two days,” he asked and then offered. She must have joined recently too, seeing as it had been maybe a few weeks since their first encounter. He was glad that fate had somehow crossed their paths again; as he’d noted before, she was a very polite and pleasant individual. He valued that.

The similarly colored wolf would chuckle softly at her shy thanks and she'd find herself bringing her gaze back to his shapely form. He wouldn't let silence reign for to long, his words shifting the subject more than slightly. "Not very long, maybe a couple of weeks?" Truth be told she'd lost track. "I've been a bit distracted and couldn't tell you exactly." She'd find her simple smile playing across her lips once more, Nagendra easily brought a smile to her features. "How are you adjusting to responsibilities?" He'd been freer than a bird when she'd first met, him and just as pleasant to be around. However it didn't seem like he would have ever joined a pack. ""

She replied simply, unsure.  A breeze rolled pleasantly through the grass again, the shimmer of the midday sun oscillating across the field like a ripple in a green sea. The sleek beast inhaled deeply, his eyes shutting lightly as he allowed his other senses to take over momentarily. He tried to enjoy the sweet smell of the air with the whole of his being, but it could never reach the full potential of the first time. It was still nice, nonetheless.

He opened his eyes again, turning his vivid emerald gaze back towards Rhythm with the faintest trace of a simper. Responsibilities were something he’d had the pleasure of being exempt from so far, under the excuse of “settling.” ”Ah. I haven’t yet experienced them. I joined rather recently – within the last few days – so for now I’m somewhat safe,” he gave a skewed grin, the tips of his teeth showing a little on the left. ”Though I don’t mind the idea of hunting for the pack. It’s a very lush place he’s got here.” He glanced around a bit, his gaze lifting to the trees where it danced along the branches and watched a few birds as they sang gaily.

Rhythm found herself entangled within the breeze as she asked her question, her mousy brown fur ruffled gently. Though she wouldn't linger in its pleasantness as Negendra brought his eyes back to rest upon her. His answer was much like the previous question, he'd only been here for a few days and hadn't quite gotten to his duties. Though it sounded like he was going to be hunting.Her lips would turn up again, she was always eager for a good hunt, surely two wolves would be much more impressive against some of the giant prairie dog families. "Well, let me know if you ever need a hunting partner." Her grin would widen, pushing herself to her feet as she smiled. "For now though I'll let you be." Stretching slightly she'd turn from him, "See you around." With one more flash of a smile she'd be off to let him continue getting used to the idea of pack life. -exit rhy unless stopped- ""

ooc. sorry i ended it so abruptly, they should totes have another thread set more recently where they hunt together

Ha, it's fine xD And I'd love for them to go hunting some time

His smile broadened as she offered to help with hunting. ”I would like that very much,” he replied, his gaze following her as she rose. She spoke again, and he would nearly say something, for he rather enjoyed her company, but supposed that she must’ve had something to do. ”Goodbye,” he said, airy tones pleasant as always. As she disappeared off into the brush, the male would stretch out and roll over in the grass. A nap sounded good about now.