Walk . Talk . Think
The sunlight filtered in through the broken window and between the threadbare sheets that had been put up to save a hungover de le Poer from bright morning lights, casting a warm glow on the black-masked face of Talitha Lykoi. It was fading, the light of dusk was what caught her; after a drunken run with Kesho Maisha, the de le Poer girl wanted a good nap, and she had gotten one. It didn't take long for her to meander back up the stairs, passing out in the center of her bedroom. It was common. But waking up to the warm dusk sun was not and, as it came to rest on her small coyote muzzle, she swatted it with an annoyed Optime hand. Of course, as there was nothing there, she only succeeded in hitting herself. And rather hard.
It was enough to wake her up. “Dammit!” she snarled, holding her nose tightly, as if she had been brutalized by some other offender; it wasn't the first time that she had abused herself physically. It was a common occurrance in a drunken stupor. One she was familiar with.One that was still excessively unpleasant.
With a groan, Talitha rolled onto her stomach, pushing at the floor beneath her in an attempt to stand. The hangover left her short of balance and while she managed to get to her feet, she didn't stay there for long. Down she went, with a thud and a muffled yelp. Try and try again. By the time she had gotten to her feet without issue, the sun was gone below the horizon. Her crimson eyes scanned the darkness outside of her glassless window. It was time for a run.
Down the steps, out the door, into the cold air of the Inferni winter wonderland that lay about her. An innocent laugh escaped her lips while she watched the outlying lands; this wasn't where she needed to be. She needed to go find something worth keeping in her bedroom. She was out for booze, a hunt for alcoholic beverages in pretty glass bottles.
The feelings of the transformation from her thin bipedal form to the more natural four-legged one were always strange; she sometimes wondered why they hadn't gotten any better. Was it because of the alcohol? Had it started to affect her memories? Perish the thought. But it was possible. As she focused on the ability, she could feel her fur spread out and become more even, she could feel her legs contract. Her fingers closed together, becoming solid paws that would carry her from Inferni to Halifax. The whole ordeal took a little over five minutes, leaving the Tirones with a long coyote body over the tall humanoid one that she pranced around her home with.
As soon as the realizationg reached her mind that it was over, she was off. A mad dash across the Wastes, through the Batons et Pierres. By the time she reached her destination, she was exhausted. But it wasn't time to rest.
Halifax had been left in ruins like any other civilization, foliage running the buildings like their own wild pack, determined to make life difficult for all who trespassed. Even with the destruction, it was better constructed than most other places. Plenty of buildings still stood in the central area, the urban region. That was where her prize would be found. With jaunty steps, she made her way over one of the suspension bridges, wary of each creak that reached her ears. The coymutt had no idea how safe it was to be walking over the bridge. In truth, she didn't care. It was the chosen route to reach possible troves of unscavenged memorobilia.
She knew where to start. The Dalhousie University was home to more than just one building, and plenty still stood, overgrown with ivy and other flora. It was difficult to navigate, but it was worth it. She knew it would be worth it. Silently, Talitha made her way through the ruined streets, searching out the University grounds. She knew what she was there for, and she knew it could be found in the dormitory building. With graceful movements, she pushed a deteriorated door in, allowing herself entrance.
The floors were clean of what she searched for. No liquor, no useable furniture. A blanket, in better condition than the one she found in the D'Neville mansion, was still on a bed upstairs. At least that was a worthwhile find. She grabbed the padded fabric in her teeth, tugging it from the bed; it wasn't all that came off of the mattress.
A shattering clatter disrupted her train of thought as the faded comforter slipped onto the floor. Curious, she rounded the side of the deteriorating bed.
It was an even better prize for her collection.
Sitting on the floor, in almost perfect condition save a few chips in the back, was a skull. As she neared it, as she observed, she realized more: it was a wolf skull, too large for a normal lupus to hold up. A gleeful grin crossed the Lykoi's lips as heavy understanding hit her mind. She had found the skull of a wolf who had died in their bipedal form.
It was a trophy worth putting up on Inferni's borders.
The scramble to bring it back with her left her mind dead to the rest of the world. With difficulty, she secured the blanket around the large cranium, giving her something to drag as she descended the stairs with her prize. She wouldn't be able to run back home. She would have to watch her pace, to make sure she didn't lose the precious cargo she had in her possession.
Even before she escaped the city, she almost lost it. But determined, Talitha Lykoi gathered it back together each time it fell from her makeshift sledge. Already, a flurry of ideas crossed her mind. She knew what would be painted, where it would be painted. The paint might be easier to find than she expected; it was possible someone in Inferni had their own that they would share.
The long trek back home was worth it; as she passed the skull-lined borders with her catch, a surge of pride pulsed through her veins. The meaning was clear.
Abandon hope, ye who trespass here.
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