take it as it comes and be thankful when it's done

[Aquilina]

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vroom vroom, and we're off! 'Scuse this weird post... long work days make my head weird... Aquilina was running wildly through her new home wich was bathed in early morning glory. A fantastical glow bejeweled the edges of every creature, plant, and object within grasp down to the she-pup's ghostly whisper of whiskers. Her four-pawed flight across the crystalline verdant sweep was set on auto-pilot. An exaggerated open curve of her lips and a pendulous tongue was not the product of happiness, but that of chaotic exertion. Aquilina pushed physical limits until the knives of exhaustion were tracing teasing lines of pain across her legs and lungs. The pup was focused on reaching the finish line, which happened to be full body collapse. She longed for this outlet like an alcoholic longed for the perfect numbness created after six too many. This... running oneself to near death was a strange ritual. One which even its performer did not understand. She watched the slow, gray monster behind her eyes swallow the earth until she was blind to all but her own mounting pain. Without the sight of ground to chain her she felt airborne. A real grin took over and she tried to let out a small howl of excitement, but there was only room for desperate gasps to squeeze passed her panicking windpipe... Finally, Aquilina's body stopped working. Thanks to a funny little thing called momentum, her still, fainted body went careening forwards. The empty shell landed feet away from a tree, and its tongue spread like a pink pool over the moss where its furry little head lay... When the girl came to she lifted her head slowly as if drunk on the wipe-out. Early dawn's departure during her synthetic sleep was replaced by the warm and too-bright atmosphere of morning. The intoxicating rush was long gone, but she was left with the rarest of contentment. A hollow peace. As senses sharpened themselves against the cold, hard, metal angles of time she realized there was another wolf within range. Her peace did not shatter, but it gained a noticeable crack. A white female, black dusting her spine like fallen volcanic ash on snow, traveled meaningfully nearby. Unlike the pup's earlier run of insanity there was a graceful purpose in this stranger's steps. One that the youth unknowingly envied deep within her wacked, clumsy psyche. To be or not to be... Aquilina decided 'to be', "Hallo there, miss." Her tired voice was barely a croak above the chorus of early risers, but it would have to do.

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