04-29-2009, 07:27 PM
I think either one of you can reply after this? Libri could write about Noir's reaction, or Leland could spring in to the rescue! Either way, I think both of you should reply before Brennt does again.
Before it found the child, the predator heard her, calling out to it. Ordinarily, it would be able to disregard this sound, but something was different today. Its serious hunger had already been sated, and its focus was shaken with the sound. Wolves of ages past had not been without curiosity, and it was that curiosity which took hold of the powerful hunter now. The voice was that of the puppy, but as it looked out to see that she had spied it before it had spied her, it wondered at her strange behavior...what prey called attention to itself in this way? It didn't quaver in fear, sink low to the ground, or start running, it actually came toward the predator. Its intent focus already wavering, and its curiosity growing, its desire to understand her became greater, temporarily, than its urge to devour her, and that was enough to start reverting back to the bumbling but worded wolf it had been before.
It paused for a long time, looking at the happy little girl, approaching her cautiously, scenting the air, trying to fathom what was different. As it sought to make sense of the sounds she had made, Brennt slowly began to emerge, and make some slow sense from the words as he remembered them. His understanding came in a wave, and he emerged as if snapping awake from some day-dream. The little girl was introducing herself. But he didn't want to know her, she was a puppy...puppies made him upset, they reminded him of his mother, and what had happened, and made him want to eat them. Why wasn't he eating her?
"Brennt," he said abruptly, without thinking about why he was answering. It was what you were supposed to do, his mother had always said. Nevertheless, he didn't want to know this puppy, he wanted to eat her. The more she stood there and smiled at him, the more he wanted her to stop; the more he hated her because she was a puppy and puppies had taken mother away, the more he hated her because she smiled and was laughing and happy when he was frowning and bitter and confused, the more he hated her because she was glad to see him even though he was a bad person, and her gladness made him feel guilty. As his emotions mounted, he tried to help himself get away from the words and the bad feelings, sinking back into a simpler life she had woken him up from.
Without another word, Brennt nipped her shoulder, just hard enough to really hurt. They were still near to the border, but he was deep enough in that there could be no mistaking that he was trespassing. He wanted to eat her, and he wanted to do it quickly, before he got in trouble. He moved in quickly to nip her again, harder still. The taste of her fur would bring it back, he knew. His dull, emotionless eyes stared at her small form...not into her eyes, because that was hard. He wouldn't do that if he was still using words...words made eyes harder, made people harder...gave him empathy, which he didn't like. He would chase her, chase her and bite and gnaw her until he finally woke up in that strange way he sometimes did, and when he woke up, he wouldn't be afraid of breaking the rules, he would eat her fast, and then run away before anyone found out.
Before it found the child, the predator heard her, calling out to it. Ordinarily, it would be able to disregard this sound, but something was different today. Its serious hunger had already been sated, and its focus was shaken with the sound. Wolves of ages past had not been without curiosity, and it was that curiosity which took hold of the powerful hunter now. The voice was that of the puppy, but as it looked out to see that she had spied it before it had spied her, it wondered at her strange behavior...what prey called attention to itself in this way? It didn't quaver in fear, sink low to the ground, or start running, it actually came toward the predator. Its intent focus already wavering, and its curiosity growing, its desire to understand her became greater, temporarily, than its urge to devour her, and that was enough to start reverting back to the bumbling but worded wolf it had been before.
It paused for a long time, looking at the happy little girl, approaching her cautiously, scenting the air, trying to fathom what was different. As it sought to make sense of the sounds she had made, Brennt slowly began to emerge, and make some slow sense from the words as he remembered them. His understanding came in a wave, and he emerged as if snapping awake from some day-dream. The little girl was introducing herself. But he didn't want to know her, she was a puppy...puppies made him upset, they reminded him of his mother, and what had happened, and made him want to eat them. Why wasn't he eating her?
"Brennt," he said abruptly, without thinking about why he was answering. It was what you were supposed to do, his mother had always said. Nevertheless, he didn't want to know this puppy, he wanted to eat her. The more she stood there and smiled at him, the more he wanted her to stop; the more he hated her because she was a puppy and puppies had taken mother away, the more he hated her because she smiled and was laughing and happy when he was frowning and bitter and confused, the more he hated her because she was glad to see him even though he was a bad person, and her gladness made him feel guilty. As his emotions mounted, he tried to help himself get away from the words and the bad feelings, sinking back into a simpler life she had woken him up from.
Without another word, Brennt nipped her shoulder, just hard enough to really hurt. They were still near to the border, but he was deep enough in that there could be no mistaking that he was trespassing. He wanted to eat her, and he wanted to do it quickly, before he got in trouble. He moved in quickly to nip her again, harder still. The taste of her fur would bring it back, he knew. His dull, emotionless eyes stared at her small form...not into her eyes, because that was hard. He wouldn't do that if he was still using words...words made eyes harder, made people harder...gave him empathy, which he didn't like. He would chase her, chase her and bite and gnaw her until he finally woke up in that strange way he sometimes did, and when he woke up, he wouldn't be afraid of breaking the rules, he would eat her fast, and then run away before anyone found out.