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Post by PenguinwithSocks on Nov 22, 2009 0:35:58 GMT -6
It was dark out, and she had been running for miles. The world of humans was far more vast than Penguin could possibly have imagined. The view from behind the bars was so limited; although the people came with many faces, she could never have imagined their homes could be so large, so loud, and so dangerous. Some dwellings remained in place, towering over Penguin and making her feel tiny and insignificant. The humans had windows as she did, but they were much smaller, although they had no bars. Were the humans much freer than she was at the zoo? Other dwellings traveled as speeds far faster than she could run, nearly hitting her as she tried to cross the street and leave the zoo.
She made it out though. She was several minutes beyond the outskirts of the city, and beginning to get winded. She was never exercised in captivity. Her stomach growled, and she began to wonder where she would find food. Despite this, exhilaration filled Penguin's being; she was free now. She didn't have to be stared at by curious humans (not that she wasn't worth looking at; she was). She didn't have to be fed by smelly humans and their prepared food. She was on her own, and she loved it.
And so, she ran, despite the sharp pains now stabbing her chest and her belly. Soon, a derelict old building came into sight. Two stories high and practically falling apart, it made a creepy sight against the now rising moon. Penguin went right for it. Perhaps she could find a place to curl up for a little while.
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Post by Redclaws on Nov 22, 2009 0:52:59 GMT -6
Scourge was sleepy. However, sleep wasn't the only thing on his mind that night. He lifted his nose and sniffed the air. Yup, another wolf. Great... Just what I need... another wolf. He stretched, extending his forelegs as far as they could go, and then drew them back as he began grooming himself. If he was going to be seen by another wolf, he shouldn't look too savage!
He was a very uniquely colored wolf, with black fur and some interesting little reddish designs running down his body at random angles and in no particular places. He lived in the Old Rock Hotel, and knew very well where the wolf would be comming from. He had moved there when his parents died in a car accident a few months ago...
His fater was stalking a rabbit, and it ran out into the road. His father followed it and found himself caught in the headlights of a large vehicle. His mother shoved him aside at the last second, and Scourge was forced to helplessly watch his mother's death. A week or two later, his father drowned himself in a lake not far away. Out of grief probably...
At any rate, Scourge had a visitor to attend to. He waited in the shadows for her to enter, and waited to see what she'd do next.
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Post by PenguinwithSocks on Nov 22, 2009 1:25:44 GMT -6
Penguin was glad she was black. This place smelled of unfamiliar wolves, and she didn't know how long ago any of them had been there. Better to just not be seen at all.
The building was falling apart. The once charming structure now lay in ruins, and Penguin found a hole in the side and squeezed through it. The old wood splintered in her fur, sending a flash of irritation through her euphoria. Must this building erase the hours she spent grooming? No time to worry about that, she knew, although the thought of dried wood sticking out of her fur irked her.
Penguin stiffened. She wasn't sure why, but something sent a small chill up her spine, and her fur stood on end. Was she alone? She sniffed the air, but all she could smell was the mixture of old wolf-scent and rotting wood. What was it that put her on edge? She tried to shake it off but the feeling just wouldn't leave.
Another tentative step forward and the feeling intensified. This building was just creepy, Penguin told herself. No sane wolf would spend any amount of time in here. Then again, she was here.
Suddenly, in the shadows, a movement caught her eye. Penguin turned in what she thought was the direction of the movement and gave what she hoped was a menacing growl.
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Post by Redclaws on Nov 22, 2009 1:39:32 GMT -6
Scourge heard the growl and wondered if it'd be a good idea to come out of his hiding spot quietly, or to bolt out of there and leave her in peace. He peeked out of the shadows at her, his icy blue eyes piercing the dark like knives. One look told him that she was no threat at all. She may have been big, but none of it was muscle. She looked very pampered and tame. She growled again. Okay, maybe not so tame, but she was definately no threat. Scourge stepped into the light and gave her a more thorough inspection. She was very beautiful, and her black fur against the black background made her look bigger than she actually was.
Wanting to not appear as some killer or creeper he simply said "Hello, I'm Scourge. Welcome to Old Rock Inn." The other wolf didn't look like she had even heard him. She didn't budge an inch. She's either really confident or really stupid he thought to himself. Since she wasnt making any more moves to communicate, he decided to make another. "What's your name?" He took another step forward which resulted in another growl. He stepped back again. "Sorry... I can tell you like your space, I'll just leave you then..."
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Post by PenguinwithSocks on Nov 22, 2009 1:57:45 GMT -6
Wild wolves understood growling, didn't they? Maybe she wasn't doing it right, because this wolf-- Scourge-- didn't seem to be intimidated in the slightest. She growled again. Same results. Penguin cursed to herself. Now that she was on her own, she'd have to work on that- growls that frightened hurried schoolteachers and overprotective mothers just wouldn't work against these wolves.
Penguin switched tactics. Still not taking her eyes off Scourge, she sat down and stared at him. He didn't change position, but cocked his head to the side as though he were looking at some sort of oddity. She straightened herself into the most dignified position should could manage. "Do what you want. I'm Penguin."
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Post by Redclaws on Nov 22, 2009 2:32:58 GMT -6
Scourge cocked his head at her. What did he do? He was just trying to be friendly. Females! Sheesh! Well, if she wanted to be rude, let her. It wasn't his problem, after all. Then a thought struck him. This was his house, and she was in it. She was his problem. He decided to address this promptly and curtly. "Well, if you don't have any specific buisness here, I'd like you to leave please." He then realized how ragged she looked. Her once beautiful coat was now splintered and torn, her breathing wasn't normal, and she looked extremely tired. "I... I'm sorry for being so rude... Won't you please stay for a bit? Maybe get some rest or a bite to eat? My house is your house..." He actually hoped she wouldn't take him up on that offer. She kind of annoyed him. But that wasn't going to stop him from doing what was right.
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Post by PenguinwithSocks on Nov 22, 2009 12:23:04 GMT -6
(OOC: sorry, that should have been "she could", not "should could". lol)
Penguin wished the fellow would make up his mind. Either she was welcome or she wasn't. One thing she was sure of, she didn't want to take anyone's help ever again. The humans had cured her of that-- to take help was to be content with captivity. The thought alone made her sick. "I don't need your hospitality," she growled. "Especially when I'm obviously not welcome here." Her stomach growled again, louder this time. Where was she going to find food? Especially with this bipolar wolf trying to decide whether or not he should allow her in "his" home. As if this decrepit old wreck could be anyone's home.
The bits of wood in Penguin's fur were starting to dig into her skin. Unable to take the itching any longer, she made a reflexive move to groom some of it out. She didn't want to take her eyes off of Scourge, but he hardly seemed ready to make a move to harm her. She pulled the most annoying splinters within reach out, then looked up. She was awfully hungry, and awfully tired. Could she find food and rest someplace else besides the Inn?
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Post by Redclaws on Nov 22, 2009 15:42:34 GMT -6
Scourge sighed. He wished he hadn't tried to sound scary. He really could use a friend. "I'm sorry... I know I came on a little harsh, but I just wanted to make sure you weren't a threat." Her head jerked up from her grooming and she glared at him. Scourge quickly fixed his words, "Not of course, implying that you couldn't be be a threat, I'm just saying... Oh, whats the use? Do whatever you want. Stay, go, whatever, nothing matters anymore. He gave a sniff and tried to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes. Their deaths were a long time ago! Why was it still as haunting as if it had happened yesterday?
Not wanting to seem weak, and not wanting to be in front of this wolf anymore, he dashed upstairs. He wondered if he shouldn't have run, because it might provoke Socks to follow him out of pity. No, He decided, That female could never feel pity, especially for someone like me. The sooner she leaves the better.
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Post by PenguinwithSocks on Nov 22, 2009 16:38:41 GMT -6
Yes, the strange wolf truly was crazy. Penguin stared at the spot he had been sitting not two seconds ago. What had she done to make him start crying? She *was* a little rude, but he was definitely overreacting.
If she was being honest with herself, Scourge was right, she really wasn't a threat. If he had attacked her, she would have had no idea how to defend herself other than to bite and thrash at whatever limb happened to be closest. Certainly not the best tactic. Stemming from this, if she didn't know how to fend off an attacker, she was clueless when it came to hunting for herself. She did wish she could get a chance.
Suddenly, the breeze wafted through the hole she and just crawled through, and with it came the most delicious scent. She didn't know what it was, but within moments, Penguin had crawled outside and was trying to track it down. Apologizing to Scourge could wait; she was starving.
The smell seemed stronger to her right, and she turned that direction. Crouching low, she inched forward, afraid of scaring off what might be the first kill of her life. She could hear it moving through the grass, unaware of her presence. Her mouth watered; it smelled so good. She crept closer when, suddenly, the wind shifted. Penguin could sense the animal tense, then heard it take off through the grass towards the old road within sight of the inn.
Not willing to let her prey get away from her, Penguin dashed off after it, ignoring the stabbing pains in her sides from the run she had only briefly rested from. The animal, a rabbit she could see now, continued towards the road, and Penguin followed, oblivious to anything else. Out of nowhere, the critter stopped, halfway across the road. Its nose twitched, and it cocked its ears as if it heard something. Penguin took advantage of its distraction and pounced on top of it.
Too late. The rabbit darted across to the other side of the road and out of sight. Frustrated and exhausted, Penguin stood in the middle of the road panting. She wasn't sure if she had enough energy left to hunt again.
The road started to vibrate under Penguin's paws. She looked in the direction the rabbit had pointed its ears, and saw a bright set of headlights coming rapidly down the road. Panicked, Penguin froze, enraptured by the lights that were growing larger and closer with every second. With her last ounce of strength and willpower, Penguin hurtled herself out of the way of the oncoming vehicle and onto the Inn's side of the road, where she lay there panting.
"I should definitely apologize to Scourge," she thought as she lay there trying to find the strength to stand.
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Post by Redclaws on Nov 22, 2009 21:03:59 GMT -6
Scourge realized how foolish and stupid he must've seemed. First, he tried to chase her off. Then, he welcomed her, then just didn't care. What an idiot he was! Maybe that's why he had no friends... Sure, there was the occasional acquaintance made with a traveling wolf, which he was happy to provide a home for, but this wolf was different. She obviously was too "independent" to need his help, and he didn't want to help someone who "didn't need him".
His thoughts drifted back to his family. Why? Why had they been so cruelly taken away from him? That stupid thunderpath! He wished every creature zooming along it's black path would die. He knew it would never happen, and that his parents' death affected no one but him. That's why he was so devastated. He had no one. No one to comfort him, no one to guide him, no one to love him. He needed someone, whether a romantic companion or just a normal friend, he just needed someone to be there for him.
Realizing what a horrible mistake he'd made in letting her leave, he charged after her. He stopped himself a couple steps later though. Hadn't he been through this already? He'd already changed his mind twice about her, wouldn't this just make things worse? He decided to go downstairs and just see if she was even still within his range of sight.
He trudged down the stairs, the whole time questioning his actions, but he still went out to the front opening. (Which had been a door, but it had conveniently crumbled into just an opening.) What he saw made his heart leap into his throat.
There she was, frozen in the middle of the road, just as his father had been. He tried yelling at her, to jerk her out of whatever she was feeling at the moment, but he couldn't find his voice. All he could do was wait in terror as his past was about to repeat itself. He squeezed his eyes shut, as he had done when his mother died, and waited for the yelp.
There was, however, no yelp. Cautiouslyu, he forced one eye open and breathed a sigh of relief. There she was on the side of the road, panting. At least now he had an excuse to talk to her. He ran to her, and made sure she was okay. "I saw what happened, and I couldn't leave you here alone, are you okay?" He noticed her pads were bleeding, but that was it. "Come back with me, I'll catch you some food and give you a place to rest. Don't you dare try and refuse me, because you need it."
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