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It was time for yet another meeting with her oddly intriguing leader male, and so the Crone set out into the world with her satchel in hand to make the trek around the band of coyotes and toward the southeastern ruins of the old human city. She needed a present. One suitable for leadership, and perhaps one for the newborn children of her non-sister as well. Finding them was always more difficult than it should have been.
The journey frustrated her more than it should have, primarily due to the amount of time it took to find her way from Salsola's familiar land to the not-so-familiar world outside. Days passed. Days. She scoffed at the city as she entered it, fire eyes narrowing in annoyance as she sought a place to find proper tribute. Eris was easy. Shiny things, memories from a time of more decadent items, those pleased the dark hybrid Auxiliary. Jewelry stores. There had to be one, one she'd overlooked in her larger examination of the area.
She found it after an obnoxiously long run around the ruined region, coyote lungs panting tiredly as she entered the building with wary steps. She didn't really trust the human constructs of the world — they were no longer alive, so they must have done something wrong — but they served their purpose like everything else. Hands sought what she wanted, the lower shelves mostly empty of anything attractive. With a sigh, she started to search the upper shelves — this was done without ease, as her toes could only add so much height to her petite frame.
Curse her being so damn short.
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Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
He should have known better, truly—yet here he was, snuffing along, hot on the trail. (Emphasis on the hot.) Thing was, he couldn't really place it. He didn't realise what it meant, only what it made him feel.
One thing was certain: looking at him, nobody would ever guess he'd just given up the sanctuary of a pack and gone rogue. There was a swagger in his step, as he expertly sidestepped that broken glass and twisted metal. He held his tail high and his head higher; his fur bushed out around him, adding illusory height to his appearance and some very real confidence to his attitude. He stopped frequently to mark over other males' scents while he tracked down the owner of that alluring aroma.
And then, he found her. Or rather, he found the building she went to investigate. He paused and straightened to his full height, squinting fervently through the dusty window pane at the petite blondie inside. She wanted gold, did she? He put on a friendly smile and rapped lightly on the glass to get her attention. “Want a hand?” he offered, voice raised so she could hear him from inside, but hardly at a shout. His head cocked to one side inquisitively while his tail swung behind him.
mall-caps;font-variantmall-caps;letter-spacing:4px;">THE SPARK OF DAWN
Stretch on the toes, reach with the arm. Reach. Reach. Reach. "Dammit." The glistening, golden, beautiful chains and pendants were just beyond her short-armed reach, much to her frustration. There had to be a way to get them. There had to be a way. Climbing? She could clamber with the best of them, but the shelves didn't appear as though they could hold the weight even of her. Disappointment settled its way into her chest. She might have to return empty handed to her Auxiliary and the new brood of hybrid children. What a shame. What a damn shame.
Her prayers were answered in the form of a baritone voice just outside the building. Startled as she was, Tlantli spun on one group of clawed toes, fiery eyes narrowing on the dark-colored face of the wolf-man who had apparently followed her. Her head poked forward in an ugly gesture, black-lined lips curling upwards in displeasure as she handled the interruption in the only way she knew how: poorly. He was there to help, however — why turn away a longer grasp? Her tail swished to the side and back again, scattering the scent she'd been trying to ignore; she didn't want to admit that she'd been an idiot for leaving her homelands during her more 'sensitive' time of the year.
Finding her composure, she returned to her upright and straight position, brushing back her choppy locks with slender, feminine fingers. "Halp? You ahre offaring halp? Yes. Aye could use halp." She could use 'halp' indeed, for the golden trinkets she was trying to collect would be the perfect staple in renewing her relationship with the hybrid Auxiliary. The wolf would help her. He seemed...pleasant. Or stupid. She wasn't sure which she preferred. "Aye wast jchust trying to get the jewelry. Maye sister, she lieks shiny objacts." Oh, how she liked her shiny objects. Just like a crow.
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She whirled quickly and snarled. The adolescent's ears tipped back apologetically and he retreated one step behind the dirty glass, lamenting how the thin layer of soot made everything appear lacklustre and dull. Distance exacerbated the effect as the light scattered ineffectively—now she was just a shadow in the window. He didn't doubt it would be easier for her to see him, however, bathed in the light of day. He wavered uncertainly for a brief moment, but then she gave him the go-ahead to come inside. He had simply caught her off guard.
Well, good. He nodded with another bright smile and strolled over to the entryway. Once inside, he easily followed her distinct trail into an adjacent area. Here the pheromones were so thick he could swear he saw them wafting about on tiny air currents around the room—or maybe it was just dust stirred up by their footsteps. His tongue darted out across his nose to afford him a better taste of her scent and he gave her a quick once over. Her fur's vibrancy was rivalled only by that infernal, vermilion gaze. And despite her small stature and earlier surprise, she exuded an aura of confidence and strength. She was quite the little firecracker.
“Oh yeah? Can't blame her,” he replied as she revealed why she sought the glitzy trinkets. With a bit of subconscious flexing and flourish, the hybrid rose to his tiptoes and gently plucked two of the larger display cases off the shelf so she could inspect their contents. “If she likes anything that shines, she must like you; you light up the whole room, you know.” Her presence was undeniable, and it didn't just have to do with that irresistible scent. “See anything you like?”—a double entendre? always—“or should we keep looking?” He'd look all day.
mall-caps;font-variantmall-caps;letter-spacing:4px;">THE SPARK OF DAWN
She kept her eyes on him as he entered the building, his bright smile clearing the dust from the air and offering some sort of faint calm in the mind of the coyote who had focused wholly on this dark-furred rogue. By the time he'd found his way close to her, she'd lost her interest, waiting impatiently for him to help her retrieve what she was seeking. Still, fire eyes remained fixed on him as he rose up to gather the displays -- did she notice a hint of a flex, a display of muscle that caused a subtle weakness in the knees? -- and bring them to her level. The contents were studied quickly, five simple charms plucked from them without compunction, for how could she know if they belonged to another? Five simple, beautiful charms for five simple, beautiful daughters: clover, bird, key, heart, butterfly. Girly things that didn't appeal to the Crone herself.
But there was nothing for Eris. Her features turned sour, a frown marring her maw, and she sought out something else on the highest of shelves, trying so hard to reach up for what wasn't there. "Aye think...Aye haft to find something else -- these won' do for Aye-ress." A hint of fright, a panic that she might return empty handed for her onyx Queen, entered the smooth tones of her voice before spreading to the rest of her. Free, padded hand lifted to hide her face. Oh, what a lament, to have no gift for the Auxiliary.
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His flirtatious compliment was met with no reaction whatsoever, an unexpected and puzzling result. Always a "glass half full" kind of guy, he decided she was simply preoccupied or playing coy. After all, she hadn't spurned his advances--so he still had a shot, right? He'd just have to step up his game a little, but he couldn't make it look like he was trying too hard. She didn't seem to be buying into flattery alone. A languid stretch, arms reaching overhead, better showcased his fit, lightly defined abdominals and biceps while she perused the displays. He did his best to look tall, impressive, and casually disinterested in the jewellery itself, but when she made to grab some of it he peered back down.
She yoinked a handful of shiny doodads from the velveteen fabric on which they laid. His tail swung thrice--mission success? Any notion of triumph quickly proved premature, as she needed another gift. And--failing to grasp Salsolan custom--he was surprised by how genuinely distraught she became. "Hey, hey," he soothed, gently placing a firm, warm hand on her extended arm. "Don't worry," he assured her, breaking the contact just as quickly. (It was a friendly, casual gesture... if a convenient excuse for fleeting physical intimacy.) She needn't search so frantically--he was here to assist! "We'll find something," he promised, tossing in an optimistic smile for good measure. With that, he reared up and selected several more cases for her to inspect.
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