Light at the end of the world

Neela Garcia · 01-12-2012, 06:55 AM

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Fore-Dated to the 14th. Yes the song Neela is singing was not around in the 1980's(Its called The Islander and is by Nightwish); lets just pretend that somebody thought of it in the meantime because I have neither the time nor resources to find good songs that would actually have been around then.

Word Count → 425

The melodic notes of Neela's guitar echoed through the still air, reverberating through the trees as the Collie played, one hand dancing across the strings while the other clutched her bone pick tightly and strummed. The tune she was playing was slow and somewhat sad, yet at the same time calming. If one was to listen closely then they would also be able to hear Neela occasionally singing snatches of the lyrics, the rest simply being hummed.

"An old man by a seashore, at the end- gazes the horizon- in his face." the rest of the song continued much as such, only a scant few of the lyrics actually passing through Neela's lips. Today the Chika was playing not for an audience but herself, trying to calm the raging thoughts insider her head, to calm the anger brought about by recent events, by her nightmares.

Neela was sat in a forest fairly close to Westville. The clearing was pleasant aside from the smell of Neela's blood which permeated the air thickly; Neela had taken off her bandaged to let her wounds get some air and while the cuts on her stomach had mostly healed the wide gash on her arm was still very much open, a crimson slash through her brown fur. Her face was still swollen and her vision impaired by the risen flesh around her eye but that didn't impact her ability to play the guitar; Neela hadn’t needed to look at the guitar while she played for years.

Grynn was perched on a branch nearby, the falcon having made a rare trip with Neela from the house. For the last few weeks Grynn had oddly been refusing to leave Neela's house, immediately settling up in her nest once it had been established for her in one of the smaller rooms.

Neela's playing was largely having its intended effect; Neela felt happier now than she had done in a long time and as she got father into the song her spirits raised even more, until her voice suddenly rose in strength as she reached a high point in the song, "This is for long-forgotten, Light at the end of the world, Horizon crying, The tears he left behind long ago." The words echoed out through the forest along with her guitar, both growing much louder than they had before, before falling again, both music and voice going quiet as Neela finished the segment and laid her head back against the tree she was sitting by, eyes closed as she idly strummed her guitar.

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii · 01-12-2012, 11:40 AM

Dalgina stepped outside her house to be greeted by the scent of blood. At first she thought it was food, but the scent wasn't as welcoming as that. Dalgina didn't know what to make of it. Her tiny nose twitched in the air, trying to place what it was. It smelled like dog. That was odd. Blood and dog didn't go together in her mind. Dalgina's mind raced, conjuring an image of Neela rolling in blood and coming back to act as a scary monster for a game. Deciding that was the best answer Dalgina raced forwards.

She opened her mouth to bark a greeting, only to be met by soft gentle music. Dalgina stopped, tipping her head to one side. There was the sound of a voice mixed in, but something else was making the noise as well. Curious Dalgina moved closer. There was Neela, blood on her just like she'd pictured. Instead of preparing for a game though, the collie was sitting on the ground, strumming something in her hands. Quietly Dalgina walked the rest of the way forward, and stuck her nose into the heart of the wood. The strings tickled as they vibrated, and Dalgina pulled back away. What's that?

Neela Garcia · 01-12-2012, 06:01 PM

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Neela's floppy ears twitched in Dalgina's direction as the puppy appeared through the trees and she offered the pup a sweet smile, the good mood generated by her playing enduring as she called over to the pup, her voice soft and sweet,"Hello there sweetie." Neela stayed still as the puppy approached but Grynn shifted on her perch and took off, remembering the brave little pup from before.

Worried about a repeat of last time if Jace were present Neela called out to Grynn in low speech, the language passing her lips as a short whistle followed by several clicks. Heeding Neela's words Grynn changed her course and landed awkwardly on the ground near the two, close enough to be near to Dalgina without appearing threatening if Jace were to happen upon them. Staying in than position Grynn stared intently at Dalgina, making a curious crooning noise as she examined the pup. Neela turned back just in time to witness Dalgina prod the guitar strings with her nose, prompting a laugh from the collie as Dalgina drew backwards from the lingering vibrations.

"It’s a guitar sweetie. An instrument, for making music." Neela explained in response to Dalgina's question, her hands once more strumming up a simple tune once she was sure Dalgina was clear of the instrument. This time Neela was playing an upbeat, jumpy tune for the puppy, though one that had no accompanying words. As she played Neela watched Dalgina's reaction to the music; if the puppy was enjoying it then she would carry on for a while, if not then she would cut her playing short.

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii · 01-12-2012, 07:50 PM

Dalgina turned at the crooning, seeing a large bird. Her eyes widened, and her tail began to wag. She didn't remember much about the first meeting, but the bird had been part of it. She stared steadily at it's eyes before Neela began explaining. Reluctantly she turned her head back. Music jumped from the strings, and Dalgina laughed happily. It was very cool! Dalgina twirled around before bumping into the falcon. She jumped back, and laughed as she saw the bird.

She spun back to Neela, grinning. That's neat! Do you have to wear blood to do that? Dalgina still thought it was part of a costume, not realizing that Neela had been injured. It wasn't that Dalgina wouldn't be sympathetic, she'd just never met anyone injured before, besides the bumps and scrapes she and her siblings gained playing around. Her dreamy mind kept her from focusing on the reality of the situation, keeping her in a safe cocoon of wonder.

Neela Garcia · 01-14-2012, 10:01 AM

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Word Count → 235

A happy smile spread onto Neela's face at Dalgina's reaction to the music. While Neela loved playing music she enjoyed paying for an audience the most; back before her life had gone to hell her and the other dock worker would often gather round a fire after a days work, eating and drinking while Neela played her guitar for the group. Neela's tail started to seep awkwardly along the ground behind her and she laughed as Dalgina started twirling to the music.

Neela was fairly surprised that Dalgina bumping into Grynn didn't bring an indignant shriek from the falcon, instead Grynn just moved with the impact slightly and then once Dalgina had stopped moving she leant over, her beak lightly pinching a few spots down Dalgina's ear in an oddly maternal gesture. Putting Grynn's strange behaviour to the back of her mind Neela turned her attention to Dalgina herself just in time to hear Dalgina's question.

Neela stopped playing for a moment as she tried to figure out how to answer Dalgina;s question, "No you don't. I've been hurt, there was a nasty lady down near the border who attacked me." Short and vague, that was about the limit of Neela's skill in relaying things to children without exposing them to truth's above their age. Hoping to distract Dalgina from the subject Neela started playing again, continuing the fast passed, cheery tune from before.

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii · 01-16-2012, 12:35 PM

Dalgina crouched down as the falcon ran her beak through her fur. The rough spots were flattened quickly. Dalgina would have complained, but at this point she was so used to being subjugated to baths at any time anywhere she remained quiet, just hoping it would end quickly. Having black fur was supposed to make it so you could bathe less often, since the dirt was hard to see. Dalgina's habit of getting dirty had reversed that though. With no one knowing when she would be truly clean Dalgina was constantly washed, making her one of the cleanest pups in the pack.

Once the grooming stopped Dalgina darted her tongue out, licking the falcon's beak. She felt no fear, just as she hadn't as a pup. Just curiosity and a gentleness that pushed her to befriend anyone likely to be a friend, whether they were canines or not. Dalgina turned at Neela's answer, causing her ears to flatten. What a sad thing. Dalgina couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt her friend. Dalgina really liked her. She wandered over, and licked at the blood, trying to clean it away. The music started again, and Dalgina sat back with a thump. Her tail wagged softly as she listened, swaying slightly to the sound. Lifting her head Dalgina sang along, a wordless mismatch, though her voice was silken, a gift from her mother's side of the family.

Neela Garcia · 01-16-2012, 04:44 PM

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Dalgina's interaction with Grynn brought a further smile to Neela's face. While Neela didn't know exactly what was causing the falcon to be so unusually friendly she wasn't complaining. When Dalgina leaned in to lick her fur Neela let her for a few seconds and then pushed the puppy away gently. The wound was bleeding too much for the blood to be cleaned away entirely and while Neela didn’t actually know if there would be negative effects to Dalgina trying she didn’t want to risk it. Rather than let go immediately Neela left her hand on the puppies head for a few seconds, stroking one finger up and down Dalgina's spine.

Neela's smile widened further when the puppy began singing along to Neela's playing. The singing was, admittedly, off the actual tune, or much of any tune for that matter, but the pup had a nice voice and for a while Neela joined in with Dalgina, letting out a loud hum to match the puppies singing.

To tell the truth Neela was fairly dumb-footed at the moment. The collie had no idea what sort of things to talk about with a child, or even what things Dalgina would understand, not knowing the puppy's exact age. Then something occurred to the collie, she doubted that Dalgina had ever seen a boat before, considering the puppies age and Jace's apparent fear of either the vehicles or of water.

Smiling to herself Neela stopped playing, resting the guitar on the ground, "Dalgina, would you like to go see something new?" Neela didn't see that there would be any harm in taking the puppy to the pier and showing her the Meria if Dalgina was interested in going.

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii · 01-16-2012, 05:29 PM

Dalgina enjoyed the attention, loving the feeling of being petted. It was nice. Dalgina withdrew after a while, and they both sang together. In the puppy's ears it was beautiful, the kind of song that made the [html]tochina[/html] come closer to listen. Looking up at the big blue Dalgina could believe it really had, wrapping around her, Neela, and Grynn as they went higher and higher into the [html]tochina[/html].

The playing stopped, and Dalgina cut off her howl. She turned, tail wagging slightly as she waited for the next thing Neela would do. It was always so much fun, being with people and finding all these new things. She barked in agreement as Neela asked if she wanted to see something new. Tumbling over herself Dalgina raced around, trying to see if Neela had it hidden somewhere nearby. She came back to Grynn, pressing herself under the bird's chin. Grynn show me where!

Neela Garcia · 01-21-2012, 03:26 PM

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Got a wee bit carried away XD. You approved this PP but it was a few days ago due to me being failsauce so if you've changed your mind and want this rewriting then just tell me and I will.

Word Count → 1005

Soft laughter burst forth from Neela at Dalgina's hyperactive reaction to Neela's suggestion that the two go see something new, the puppy tripping over herself to try and find whatever it was, assuming that Neela kept it on hand, before snuggling up to Gryn and trying to enlist the small bird to show her where it was, for her part Grynn simply stood still, her face contorted into an odd look that was half happy and half that of a rabbit staring down a hungry wolf.

Neela wasn't sure what was behind Grynn's odd mood, while it wouldn’t be completely unusual for the bird to grow fond enough of a child to let them fuss over her like this she hadn't seen Dalgina that much before. Whatever it was Neela found the sight of the small black puppy snuggling up to the falcon both adorable and hilarious.

Grynn's odd behaviour continued when Dalgina asked the bird for assistance. Grynn let out a gentle screech, the sound low so as to not scare or startle Dalgina, asking how long the pair had been out of Neela's house. While this was unusual in itself as Grynn generally placed little importance on time beyond light levels it was more unusual that after Neela had checked the sky and replied that they had been gone about half an hour, responding in the clicks and whistles that she used to simulate falcon low speech, Grynn left, saying that she would be back shortly and giving Dalgina a last affectionate peck to the ear as she did so.

Neela watched the falcon fly off for a few seconds, playing over the odd spectacle in her head before turning back to Dalgina, "Grynn will be back soon honey, I think she's hungry " In truth Neela doubted it was that, Grynn's departure had seemed to be timed, but it was the best excuse she could think of for the puppy.

Getting up and slinging her guitar over her back Neela approached Dalgina, bending down as she did so, "What I want to show you is a bit far for you to walk Dalgina, let me carry you." Neela said as she did just that, scooping Dalgina up and holding the puppy secure against her chest, using the thick fur collar that grew there as a cushion. For a second memories flickered to her mind of holding Leon like this long ago but she quickly shot them down, not wanting to be put in a bad mood again today.

The walk wasn't a particularly long one but holding Dalgina Neela was forced to do that, walk, rather than the gentle run the athletic canine preferred for getting around short distances. To pass the time Neela sang as she walked, running through several old sea and festival songs that she had learnt over the years, though the collie refrained from some of the more depressing and inappropriate songs; that song about the farmers daughter that her hometown had liked was all well and good when both you and your audience had drunk copious amounts of whiskey but was somewhat less suitable while holding a small child.

Neela rejoined the two towards the end of the trip, roughly half an hour later at a guess Neela got from a peek at the run through the trees, perching on Neela's shoulder and dipping her head down to greet Dalgina just as the two passed out of the tree cover and into the clearing formed oround Neela's dock.

While small the dock was fairly pleasant. Neela prided herself on her woodwork, even though she no longer practised it as a profession, Ichika having given her the opportunity to perform music for that purpose, and both the small shed that housed Neela's supplies and the small pier she had built were attractive. The environment itself was pleasant as well, trees giving way to smooth green grass and a sandy shore bordering a gentle section of the east river.

However the main attraction was the Meria Lea. Measuring in at 35 feet from stern to bow Neela's pride and joy towered over the other wooden structures in the clearing. A fairly large period in little use and lots of maintenance had the ship in fine condition, the wood smooth and free of the small marks that tended to accumulate through use and the white paint proudly declaring the ships name was freshly touched up, the white cutting through the gentle brown of the wood on the side facing into shore. Even the chain which held the boats main anchor was as clean as such a piece of equipment could get, though a layer of grime was beginning to show where it entered the water; the flow of the river required Neela to leave the anchor down, while the concrete pillars of her pier should technically hold Neela didn’t feel safe entrusting it entirely to the old human constructions.

"That, is the Meria Lea. My boat." Neela stated proudly as she stood there, Dalgina still clutched in her arms, the collie was already having nightmares of the puppy running off and falling into the frigid river, and a proud smile on her face to match her tone of voice.

Still the fear about Dalgina falling in the river was somewhat valid. Neela had took a fall herself while working on the boat a few days ago and not even her thick fur had helped much with the sheer temperature of the water. What Jace would do if Dalgina was hurt or, god forbid, killed in the river under Neela's care didn’t bear thinking about; as much as Neela respected and liked the woman she was fully aware that the hybrid would, and most likely could, tear her apart if Dalgina was hurt. Or maybe Neela would get off lucky and just loose a limb or two. Either way, Neela considered as she tightened her grip on the pup nervously, it would be best to try and avoid the situation altogether.

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii · 01-22-2012, 12:07 AM

Grynn screeched softly, and Dalgina stared in amazement as Neela made the same noises. "Teach me how to do that!" That was so cool. If Dalgina could do that she could talk to Grynn all on her own. The falcon nudged her ear affectionately and flew off, much to the pup's delight. She was convinced that Grynn was finding the new thing Dalgina was asked about, only to be disappointed as Neela explained the falcon was probably just hungry. She had no idea why Grynn would leave to get food. They hadn't been here that long. Dalgina had just arrived, and they'd just played around.

Neela bent down, scooping up the tiny pup. Dalgina squalled in protest before nestling into the thick collar of fur around the collie's neck. It was nice and warm, and not as rough as [html]Mahn[/html]'s fur. She nibbled on the long strands a little as they walked around before deciding they didn't taste very good. Her ears raised as she listened to Neela sing. The songs were very nice, different from the rocking deep songs of the arctic her mother sang, or the gentle lullabies and celebration songs she'd heard. They were more spirited, songs about life and the funny happenings in it. When Neela reached the choruses Dalgina joined in a little, her voice piping along as she tried to sing with her, not knowing the words.

Grynn flew back in, and Dalgina grinned at her as they entered a clearing. The crashing of water sounded nearby, and she twisted around to get a better look. The black puppy yelped in surprise. There was so much! Dalgina had no idea so much water existed in the whole world, with no end to it. It was peaceful, and so different from everything else. If Dalgina had been older she would have tried to capture it, hold onto that moment with all her might. Instead it sent her squirming, fighting against Neela's grip. She wanted to be out there, to touch the water and explore every bit of it.

A huge curved wooden object was the center attraction though, a strange thing that Dalgina had never seen before. She listened as Neela introduced it as Meria Lea, her boat. It was funny that it had a name. Dalgina wondered if that meant it was alive too, kinda like a water tree. She stretched forward to get a better look, only to feel the dog's grip tighten uncomfortably around her. She squealed in protest, trying to get some wriggle room.

Neela Garcia · 01-29-2012, 01:44 PM

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This is shit. Sorry ;-; I'll try and do better next post.

Word Count → 000

A squeal and burst of squirming from Dalgina signalled to Neela that she was holding the puppy too hard and she relaxed her grip, dropping her ears apologetically as she licked the puppy between the ears, "Sorry sweetheart." Neela fussed around the puppy a bit more in apology before continuing to speak, "Be careful around the water though. Its really cold and this part of the river moves pretty fast." Neela tried to think of how to make the puppy heed her warning, "If you fall in then you'll get sick and it'll be weeks before you can wander around outside again!" In actuality Dalgina would likely be more than ill if she fell in, but Neela wanted to make the puppy be careful, not scare her to death.

Gently Neela placed Dalgina on the ground and let the puppy go, though she stayed close behind her just incase the puppy went too close to the edge and got unbalanced. After a short while she gave a soft woof to grab Dalgina's attention and gestured to the ship, "I designed and built her myself," Neela smiled proudly,"What do you think of her?"

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii · 01-29-2012, 03:42 PM

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OOC text here

The grip relaxed, almost sending Dalgina tumbling to the ground. Furiously she backpedaled, securing her spot. Safe in Neela's arms she relaxed as a warm tongue ran over her head, soothing the excited puppy. She stayed still as the morro fussed over her, gently fondling her ears and licking her. It felt nice. A warning followed, telling her that the water would make her sick and unable to play. Ears flattened she growled at the water before turning. It behave now?

Placed on the ground Dalgina happily trotted over to the boat. Wary of the water Dalgina eyed it suspiciously before turning to the boat. She stuck her nose out, sniffing at it before wagging her tail. She wandered back and forth along the edge before a soft woof brought her attention back. Her eyes widened as Neela spoke. You built? You can make pretty things like that? I wanna try! She bounded back to Neela, tail wagging. Help me make boat!

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii

Table by Alex

Neela Garcia · 02-05-2012, 05:47 PM

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OOC here.

Word Count → 306

Neela chuckled as Dalgina growled at the water, apparently believing that she could make it safe by growling at it. Neela watched Dalgina like a hawk as the puppy made her way along the pier, Neela shadowing her every step of the way; just because the collie had managed to calm herself down slightly didn’t mean that she wasn't going to be very careful with Dalgina trotting around by the water.

Dalgina's reaction to being told that Neela had built the Meria sent a glow of pride through the collie, as did any compliment directed towards the Meria. The puppy's next statement caught her slightly off guard though, "That'd be a bit hard sweetie. It took me two years to build this one and that was with quite a few people helping me." While the MEria was Neela's design the collie hadn’t built it alone, though she had organised and supplied the team of canine's helping her. "Maybe when you're older I can help you build a smaller boat, yeah?"

Dalgina had been sniffing around for a short while now and had managed to not drown herself so Neela temporarily wandered away from her and over to the shed in the centre of the clearing, or more specifically a smaller shed sticking off the main shed like a small, wooden tumour. Neela used this small add-on to smoke fish and had a few hanging in there at the moment which should be just about finished.

After retrieving three fish from the hut, the fish having already been deboned and descaled earlier, Neela strolled back over to the pier, taking a seat on one of the concrete pillars protruding from the sides of the wooden structure, "Are you hungry Dalgina?" Neela asked, beginning to chew on one of the fish and offering another down to the puppy.

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii · 02-06-2012, 11:50 AM

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Word Count :: +000

OOC we can end it in the next post with Neela singing to her or taking her home

Dalgina's head cocked to the side curiously. She had no idea how long a year was, let alone two of them. It seemed like an awfully long time to wait for the boat. A long time for the puppy could change though. It could be five minutes as she waited for her tingla's bath to finish, or a day filled with exploring and games. Actual time wasn't set in her mind yet, leaving her open to explore and play. Her tail wagged happily as Neela mentioned helping to build a boat when she was older.

The black pup had no idea when she would be older though. Maybe tomorrow she would be. Then she'd have her own boat, and Merie and her boat could be friends, sitting in the water together. Happily she sat down, staring at the boat. Neela left her alone for a brief moment, causing the puppy to turn around in panic. Dalgina didn't want to be left by herself. She didn't know where ingali was from here. Neela returned though, carrying something very welcoming. Happily Dalgina seized the offered fish and began chewing on it, working through the hardened smoky layer to the soft fish beneath.

Always ready for a meal Dalgina spent a few minutes like this, chewing on the fish and working her way through it. With the fish finished Dalgina was quite sated, ready to settle down. She climbed into Neela's lap and looked up at her happily. She liked the boat, and she liked being with the collie, even if she was covered in blood. Sing again? Dalgina opened her mouth, humming a couple lines from one of the less appropriate songs Neela had sung, though it was nothing Jace would murder the collie over. Her tail beat against the fur happily.

Dalgina Wolfe-Denahlii

Table by Alex

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