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His golden eyes glancing up at the sky, Kieran noticed the sun nearing the highest point in the sky. It was just before noon and the temperature nearing its peak for the day, though it was nowhere near warm. Winter was reaching out to Bleeding Souls, just beginning to embrace the land in its cold arms. The human city, as mysterious and strange as it was, could not escape from nature’s clutches. The desolate and decrepit buildings were touched with frost, and--almost surprisingly--stood firm against the wind. Amid the maze of concrete that made up the city was what had been a small public park, now grown wild after years and years of no restraint.
The curious sight had captured the dark wolf’s attention during this visit to the old human home. The trees had grown larger and more numerous than they could previously, under the control of humans. It was almost like nature was attempting to reclaim the city from the inside. And slowly, but surely, it seemed to be working. Beneath the large trees, whose branches were now bare from the cold, one could almost forget where they truly were. But the stale and unnatural scents that wandered the city were still hard to miss. The male silently wondered why the humans would have such a small example of nature here, when they could simply enjoy the larger forests beyond.
Kieran ventured a short distance through the confined ‘forest,’ the cold and dead grass beneath him crunching softly. He had spent the better part of the morning exploring the city once more before he had stumbled upon the park. As usual, his intentions for visiting the strange place was to learn more about human culture, perhaps finding out some sort of clue as to why they had been such peculiar creatures. Finding the park had revealed yet another quirk of the species, but it held no answers for him. All the place seemed to offer were more questions. But the wolf was determined to find out more about the curious species, finding much about the past fascinating.
He paused for a moment where the trees and grass began to halt at the edge of a concrete path. He glanced wordlessly around at the scene in front of him, trying to piece it together in his mind. Before him were the remnants of a playground, cracked plastic slides and toppled over swing sets greeting him from their place in the sand. Kieran tilted his head to the side slightly in wonder as his golden eyes took in the faded colorful structures of the jungle gym and the rusting chains hanging limply from the swing set. It seemed like a harsh combination of calming colors and twisted metal. He took a few steps forward, sitting for a moment on a metal bench just in front of him, still contemplating what significance of this place could hold. He could only seem to arrive at one conclusion.
Humans were indeed curious creatures.
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The faded colors of the house she settled in were more vibrant than the crumbling house next to hers. She almost felt pride until she realized it wasn't really her home, but borrowed shelter. Her exploring of the area had left her a bit saddened with no signs of real life. There were only the few she had met, including the little Arkham who seemed glad to be away from her. There were skeletons in her closet that still had things to say and haunted her current life. She was dealing with them slowly but the fog still hung around her, blurring the edges of reality with that of her past-inspired dream world. The only thing that really helped were the long walks she struck out on when the walls of her home became to claustrophobic for her liking. It was getting time for one of those walks.
Her normal outings put her into the forest and deeper into unexplored places, but she had neglected to explore the city in which her crumbling little blue house was nestled. There was large evil looking rod iron spikes off in the distance, bent in strange contortions, but ahead was a little island of trees. It looked strange compared to the bleak, sharp lines of the collapsing world. Her eyes wandered over the edges of the trees, and she found herself drawn to it. A small forest was better than the evil metal twists in the distance. As she got closer, she noticed the lines of fences around the bursting forest and the strange alien objects with the sun bleached colors through the high grass and autumn ridden leaves. Moved around the perimeter leisurely, taking in the scenery and the mystery of the objects. She noticed were the fence was damaged ahead with a tree laying down across it, making an easy way to cross into the mystery. The red ghost jumped over into the park, pushing through the underbrush until it cleared.
The strange objects smelled odd. There wasn't a proper label to place on the smell they had. Her curiosity put her nose everywhere she could reach, circling and nudging. It was hard and cold, but not like that of metal. As the wind picked up there was the strong smell of wolf, and she looked up, spotting him sitting on a bench near where the little paths met and left the fenced area. Her ears perked, up in surprise. How long had he been there watching? She tilted her head questioningly, How long have you been there, and are you friendly? Keeping in mind the things little Arkham had said. [/html]
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Kieran had never exactly been fond of the human buildings and couldn't imagine staying in the city for too long, despite the curiousity it brought out in him. A few members of his old pack had lived a more human-like life overseas, but the majority of its members had stuck with the wild lifestyle and passed its influence onto him. He would always remember those few members, with their stories of life across the ocean and the influence their previous lifestyle had on the pack. But he could think of nothing they had told him that would explain the strange place he found himself at today.
Deciding that sitting and contemplating the strange structures was no good, the male prepared to examine them a little closer. Yet before he even stood another wolf came to the scene, beating him to the examination of the objects. He scrutinized the figure before him, apparently oblivious to his presence. She seemed young and had a rather curious appearance. Her fur was a sort of dark red, a much deeper color than that of the alpha Fatin, which faded to white in some places--not the typical appearance of most of the others he'd seen around here. Feeling that he shouldn't simply stand and watch her as she sniffed around the objects, he made to speak up. But once again, she beat him to the chase when the wind signaled her of his presence.
He remained quiet for a moment after she questioned him, blinking as he thought up his response. "Well, I've been here for a while, tryin' to figure this place out." He stood up from his seat on the bench and took a few steps forward, stopping at the edge of the playground. As for her second question... "Friendly? I'd like to consider myself that, yes," he stated calmly. His eyes wandered momentarily to the scenery before focusing once more on the stranger before him. She didn't seem threatening, but perhaps a little surprised by his presence there. He caught her scent in the shifting winds and noticed that she smelled strongly of the city, not of the outside lands or one of the packs it held. Did she perhaps live here? "Uh, you been around here long?" Friendly, conversational, and most of all curious.
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Her body was still locked waiting to jolt muscles into a swift reaction to the possible unfriendly, but his responses dropped her level of alertness. He didn't seem vindictive or angry, and he was wolf so there shouldn't have been any real reason to be worried. Her muscles relaxed but she kept her eyes fixed on her unexpected companion. He seemed genuine in his curiosity of the human world, especially this strange contained forest. She agreed that the strange objects smelled strange and their colors were even more alarming in contrast to the earth hues of the trees and grass about them. She was surprised she hadn't stumbled over the area before since it was barely a stones throw from her little blue house. Her eyes warmed up to the stranger on the exterior, making herself radiate confidence and grace rather than the unstable neediness that lay just under the surface. She found herself supporting the idea of coming off as proud and independent rather than pathetic. She didn't need the sympathy if she was to get over any of the emotional damage she had laying around.
I've been around her about a month I would say. I'm not from around here, in fact, I'm kind of out of place if I might say so. I've been living here in the city for a bit, but I only ran across some Lykoi pup. There hasn't been much activity around here. That is why you caught me by surprise. Her long legs padded closer to the other wolf, letting an arrogance almost creep into her body language. It was evident in the way she tossed her head up, stretched out her body, and lashed her tail around sensually. India felt stronger acting this way and the scar on her leg wasn't even noticeable so out of sight and out of mind applied. It put her confidence up enough so she wasn't concerned anymore. The act was fooling even herself and she came as close as bumping her nose against this strange wolf and smiling charmingly.
Are you out here by mere curiosity or to think? I suppose this place is good for both. [/html]
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My apologies for the wait. Finals, holidays, and everything made it hard to reply. =/
He watched, feeling less tense himself once the stranger before him had eased up. Soon she appeared more confident and self-assured, holding herself with and air of grace. It was interesting to see the transformation from surprised and tense to graceful and relaxed. His ears perked as soon as she replied, listening to her words intently. “Lykoi pup?” he found himself muttering, mostly to himself. Kieran had met a few coyotes outside of Bleeding Souls and found them rather agreeable. Yet, during his entire stay here, he had not run into any from the clan living on the beach and had no idea of their hatred towards wolves.
He spoke up once she had finished, nodding quickly at the words. “I’m not surprised by the lack of activity. Most of the wolves around here live in packs around the area, but sometimes others come here for a bit of exploration.” Suddenly the other wolf was right in front of him, close enough to almost touch. She seemed full of confidence as she smiled brightly at him. He returned her charming smile with one of his own. Kieran’s golden gaze locked with hers for a moment as she spoke again.
“Curiosity originally, though it tends to lead to a good deal of thinking. How about you? You seemed rather interested by the colorful structures over there,” he replied, motioning toward the old playground.
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Well, I didn't respond because I was busy with Christmas then driving back to my dorm, so I completely understand!
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They are simply out of place. Humans left strange things laying around. She turned to stare at them, taking in the bubbling shapes. She never really thought out human life, but this object was puzzling. I don't know much about humans, but they don't make sense at all. She smirked and shook her head in a way that shrugged the humans out of her thoughts. I have to much free time to think. Her eyes went distant thinking back on the months by herself. It made her feel neglected. Her confident act was broken by the look in her eye. The other probably didn't notice if he was looking at the strange sun bleached shapes as well. When she turned and as she did all the confidence washed back into her. The act would eventually fail, the doubt was in her mind already, but she would act as long as she could. In her mind it made her more approachable if other wolves thought she didn't have a room full of problems locked away in her head.
So do you belong to a pack? You smell like pack. Tell me about them.
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He nodded at her comments about the human-made objects, showing his agreement. His gaze followed hers to the simple sun-faded equipment, scrutinizing the various shapes in order to gain some idea of what they could be for. This area was obviously different from the rest of the city, with it’s caged in woods and colorful equipment. Perhaps some place to escape daily life in the concrete jungle, a place to relax. It was the only explanation he could think of, considering the differences. There didn’t seem to be any evidence of violence—except that of time, weighing down on the unused objects.
“Back where I came from, there were a few wolves that once lived like humans; wearing clothes, building shelters and all that. Even they didn’t completely understand humans, though.” It was a wonder that the humans once managed to be the prominent species on the planet with all their mysterious quirks. Though, their sudden disappearance proved that not all of their eccentric traits were good—not that Kieran minded. He was told that the rise of the Luperci was brought on by the humans’ actions. He couldn’t imagine another way of life.
He returned his gaze to the female when she turned to face him again, completely missing her lapse in confidence. To him, she seemed very independent, especially if she was living here on her own as he suspected. He nodded once again at her words, recalling his new home in his mind. “I live in the pack on the mountain north of here, called Jaded Shadows. It’s a bit snowy and cold, this time of year, but during the warmer months the area’s a lively green. It’s quite beautiful.” He paused, remembering how the territory appeared when he first arrived there. “Can’t say I’ve met a wolf I didn’t like there, either.”
The mountain pack was a beautiful place, and each wolf he had met there so far had been friendly and sociable. The dark-furred wolf was glad he decided to join their ranks. He looked at the peculiar wolf before him, suddenly curious to learn a bit about her. After all, he had shared a bit about where he lived, now it was her turn. “What about you? I take it you live somewhere around here, in the city. Are you by yourself? No pack?”
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No pack for me. I live just over there in that blue house. Her head nodded in the general direction and she smiled thinking about the little house and it's loads of oddities tucked away inside. I originally came from a pack a few months travel south of her. There was some troubles, and the pack began to split. Keeping it easy, her explanation made her laugh inside. The truth was easy to forget at times, but in all honesty it came back with a vengeance in her head. The entire situation was just wrong for any wolf to be in. It's how she became more human, how she inherited the disease from the attack. She preferred her small, slender form over the larger human-like change. She felt exposed that way, even more so than normal here. Thinking back on it, she didn't really know why it felt that way other than it was different. Maybe it was the idea that her belly was always exposed, vulnerable to attack and mutilation.
She didn't really like living alone though. The way he spoke of his pack was like night and day compared to her old one. Inside her she longed for the company, but knew at that moment in time, traveling to a pack in her condition would prove to be a bad choice for the pack. She didn't want to be kicked out again. She felt like she needed help before that decision could be made. In the mean time, it meant living on her own in the little blue house with no one there to truly guide her, leaving herself to those destructive thoughts she had. Her nearly red eyes gazed back on her black furred companion and she grinned, I would prefer living in a pack, but right now isn't the time.
The zoo pack wasn't pleasant though the area was. Filled with remnants of humans and close to a vast area of wooded area, her old home was tainted only by the wolves living there. The old zoo provided functionality, dens, and a diplomatic approach to other species, thought that changed when the new alphas of her pack moved it. She rather think about the landscapes than anything else. The small units that housed animals long ago remained the same or converted more toward nature in their neglect. You ever heard of a zoo?
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So, he was right about her living here alone. His eyes searched the area that she had indicated, trying to pick out a blue house from the rest of the buildings. The blue structure was only a short distance away, bringing a different touch of color to the area. It was a calming sort of color, perhaps an excellent choice if one were to spend their time there alone. He returned his gaze to her once she had finished speaking, considering her words. “Ah, troubles. They seem to be a prominent cause of relocation, these days.”
Yes, everyone appeared to have something going on, making life more complicated and not as sugary sweet as it once was. Oh, those troubles came in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. Kieran had his harsh taste of it, forcing him to change location, and it appeared that India was familiar with it as well. Of course, the situations differed from wolf to wolf, but they all had one thing in common; everyone was left with the bitter aftertaste of misery.
He quirked an eyebrow at her next statement, showing his curiosity, but pressing no further. That was another thing about troubles. Even after the fact, they still haunted you in your memories. She probably had her reasons for not joining a pack, just as he had reasons to find one. The male decided to ask a different question, not about to pry into the life of someone he had just met. “You don’t get lonely out here on your own?” He sure as hell would. Sometimes, he was a bit too social for his own good.
He took another look around as he contemplated her next question. “No, I don’t think that I have… what’s a zoo?” He couldn’t recall ever hearing the word before, and nothing in his memories stood out as being related to it. It certainly seemed like a strange word, probably referring to an even stranger object.
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A zoo use to be a place where humans kept animals. I'm not sure for exactly what reason, but my old pack inhabited the area the use to function as one. It was covered in artificial rocks, overgrown plants that aren't from around there, and strange barred dens, protected from the weather. That's where I grew up. It was a strange pack, filled with different types of wolves, coyotes, and hyenas. The pack didn't actually function very well. The rifts between species was enough that there was always constant struggling and neglect. No one was ever happy, and half of it had to do with a dictator type of control placed on everyone by the wolves. It happened to be an oppressive rule, though the leaders before had been democratic and fair. India's mother often spoke to her about the old leaders, and how gentle and reasonable they were. The schism in the pack had sent most of the wolves that weren't collected in the favor of the current alphas away to find a new life.
She was in a new life now, but it was lacking in pack familiarity. Her sense of time, judgment of her feelings, and amount of loneliness were all out of whack. The need for improvement would always be there but she couldn't join. Pups would be in danger if she did, and to keep herself far removed until the moment the shadow fell from her mind and died. It would take aid, and she had to seek it out. She knew then the true meaning of exactly how far the emptiness ran. Well, it gets pretty lonely out here. I kind of miss having family around, but I'd be a burden to a pack right now. I try and busy myself with exploring the city. There is also a lot of human artifacts that I've been finding and trying to figure out what they are, such as that object right over there. She motioned to the large jungle gym she noticed that a pigeon had landed on it and immediately her stomach rumbled. She hadn't managed to get type of real food since she was in the city. Hunting was hard to do on her own, and the strange canned foods were often a let down. She sighed and licked at the idea of fresh meat. She shook it off and smiled back toward her companion. She couldn't allow her hunger to distract from company.
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Delayed again, I'm so sorry.
He raised an eyebrow, just trying to imagine what such a place would look like. With the unnatural plants, odd enclosures, and wide variety of animals living there, a strange sort of image of the place filled is head. “They kept animals there?” Those humans seemed crazier and crazier every time he learned something new about them. “It must have been an interesting place to live.” It was interesting to hear about, at least. He had no idea whether such a place could really make a good home for a pack. He couldn’t even be sure that she had liked living there. Something must have driven her to leave that strange place.
He listened as she spoken once more, feeling sorry for her as she spoke about her loneliness. But there was one thing that bothered him about what she said. “You say you’d be a burden? I find that a little hard to believe.” The girl was youthful an energetic… he couldn’t find any reason why she would claim to be a burden to a pack. There was something that was keeping her from joining a pack, enjoying the constant company of others. In his endless curiosity, he wanted to know what it was. He felt like he was prying a little into her life, but he couldn’t take back his question either way.
He noticed the slight rumble of he stomach and the look she had in her eyes as she watched the pigeon for a moment. “Hungry?” he asked, hoping that if he was being too invasive, the simple comment would steer them away from uncomfortable topics.
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