[html]
ooc
It was sunny, and that meant warmth, a welcome change from the gloomy storms of past weeks. The delicate optime had taken the opportunity to go to the rock she had found Jac lying on awhile back. It was warm, almost hot to her touch, but she liked it. She wanted to soak up as much of the warmth as possible, for fear that it might not return for some time. The slender optime did not like the fact that the weather changed so quickly. She had just been getting used to the rain and dampness when all of the sudden the weather had turned sunny and warm once again. She could only hope it would remain this way for awhile as it was easier for her to wander without having to worry about being wet all the time.
Once she had successfully climbed the rock, Ruri gingerly lied down on the heated surface, allowing her long hair to spread out beneath her head as she laid there. She understood why Jac liked basking in the sun so much, it really was quite pleasant. A gentle breeze blew over the area causing the bells in the trees and her windchime hanging from the roof to sing out in their ringing tones. Everytime she heard them her thoughts travelled to Heath, and how she missed him. She wondered if he had found Jac yet, although she could probably guess that he hadn't as Jac hadn't come to see her yet. Surely if Heath had found him he would have told Jac that she missed him. Of course Heath would. A small sigh escaped her vocals as she closed her useless, pale blue eyes. She didn't like the feelling of the warm sun shining on them. Even though she couldn't see, she could still tell that one wasn't supposed to have one's eyes looking directly at the sun. It just didn't feel good.
Lying on her back, basking in the sunlight, the lautari found that she couldn't stop worrying about Jac. She didn't want her worries to ruin this good day, so she started to sing. "Yo-ho yo-ho a pirate's life for me..." she began and started to sing every verse of the song she knew. It wasn't the prettiest song, or her favorite song, but it had been the first one to pop into her head. In fact it was the first song she had learned as a pup, right after Jac had found her. Her singing had far improved since then, but she always remembered the song. She remembered that Jac had even sung it with her a couple of times, although he had usually stopped very quickly for some reason or another. Usually he would say something to the effect that his voice didn't harmonize well with hers or something like that. All of these things didn't matter. Ruri had successfully distracted herself and she was now completely engrossed in her song.
[/html]
[html] WC: 600+
The little filly was nearly two weeks old now, and while still knobby-kneed and leggy, she was becoming much more adept at following her "parent" quickly. Each night, the young horse was locked up in the paddock behind the stables, at the mercy of the brood mare Jacquez had chosen to nurse her. She learned some new pony etiquette each night, as shown by the small nip marks on her withers and flanks, but her incorrigible spirit always lifted each morning when the mad king reluctantly unlocked the gates and let her free again. She was already proud and spoiled, needy as ever and pushy to get attention. It seemed that she took after her canine companion more than he'd like to admit.
Jacquez was in a fairly good mood on this fine day - the weather was in his favor, and his mind strayed to thoughts of the sinuous Kaena Lykoi, and their secretive tryst. That was a lovely memory. He chose to gloss over the more recent events, such as Siobhan's abrupt departure and Haven's subsequent breakdown, because the bruise on the side of his face was only just starting to depress and fade away. He had never expected his Knight to punch him, but in all fairness, he hadn't meant to. Rue skipped happily at his heels, nudging him from time to time with her bay-splotched muzzle, just to reassure him that she was still there. The collie-dog grumbled, pushing her away with his one arm, but she only pranced behind him to reach his other flank, the side without an arm to interrupt her loving.
Come to think of it, he hadn't seen his other ward in a while, had he? He had fractured his knuckles on the side of Ruri's cabin, and then left to let them heal while he was away. Heath had caught him in the bar and requested his cordial return, and he had done so, but still not visited his blind companion. The squeaky pinto had eaten up whatever patience he had for small needy things... Perhaps he should get them together, let them love on each other. The notion made a broad grin flash on his colourful muzzle, picturing the pushy filly playing with gentle Ruri. They could keep each other company at all times. Neither of them could stand abandonment, after all... and he was near her domicile, anyway! Was there any creature more clever than he?
Rue squeaked a baby whinny, kicking up her hocks as she trotted ahead onto the hot sand. She had grown quite fond of the shifty beaches beneath her hooves, ever since Jac had introduced them to her. Her small ears swiveled, hearing an unfamiliar voice lilting nearby. Without a backwards glance, the bold young horse pranced towards the sunning rock where the feminine werewolf lay in repose. Her velvety nostrils flared as she snuffled at Ruri's long ashen mane, deciding that it looked like fun and it would be okay to nibble on. The paint filly tugged at the silky hair, enjoying the feel of it between her sensitive lips.
Jacquez traipsed after his latest pet, fiery tail waving lazily behind him. He knew the horse wouldn't go far - and to his amusement, saw that Rue had located Ruri already. Her gentle song, made sweet despite the crass lyrics, carried on the breeze along with the sea salt. He snickered, watching the filly attempt to eat the border collie's hair. "Easy there, little lady, no need to scare dear Ruri," he finally called out, drawing nearer to the two. This should make for a fun afternoon.
[/html]
[html]
ooc
Ruri was far too engrossed in her singing to notice the scent carried on the breeze, or the sound of a little horse trotting up behind her. However, once Rue had grabbed ahold of her hair Ruri was quickly tugged back into reality as her head was jerked backward by the tugging of small lips on her long hair. "Ow! Stop that!" she cried in pain, reaching her hand behind her head and quickly pulling her hair from the lips of her hoofed assailant. It was then that she was greeted by the familiar sound of Jac's voice. The collie girl immediately perked up excitedly and gave a happy smile in the direction of her friends voice, only to cry out again as the same lips attempted to snatch her long locks from her grasp. "Jac, I'm really glad that your back, but could you please get this thing away from me, whatever it is? It keeps trying to eat my hair," she requested, huddled on the rock with her long, silky mane hung in from of her shoulder and clutched tightly in her delicate hands. She liked her hair, and didn't want someone eating it, especially when she had no clue what that someone was. The startled border collie could hear the persistant stamping of hooves in the ground beside the rock, and the high pitched sounds of protest coming from the creature. It sounded like a horse. Jac didn't have a horse, did he? If she remembered right, they had eaten horse meat on extremely rare occasions. Surely Jac wouldn't keep a prey animal as a pet would he? The border collies thoughts quickly answered her own question. Of course he would if it suited him at the time. Anything was possible for Jac. The petite optime shook her head slightly as she wondered what Jac had gotten himself into, just before giggling at the same thought. Now all she had to do was wait for Jac to restrain the evidently small creature so that Ruri could get off the rock and greet him properly.
[/html]
[html] WC: 300
ooc: Sorry for the powerplay... PM me if you want me to change it. C:
The peaceful day deteriorated quickly. It wasn't long before the sweet melodies of song devolved into startled yelps of pain. The filly's nub ears fell back with surprise, huffing unhappily as her merle play toy pulled away from her curious nibblings. She was still too young to eat grass, so her soft teeth had done no damage, but she shook her long muzzle impatiently, stretching out with lips parted to try and reclaim the little collie-wolf's hair.
"I will do my best for you, mademoiselle," the deluded king crooned, executing an eloquent flourishing bow that only he would see. Then his white-furred arm snaked out around Ruri's slender waist, sweeping the light Optime up onto his shoulders without any sign of effort. "You are quite thin. Have you lost weight?" he commented cockily, arranging her so that she was seated with her legs swung around his neck, her footpaws dangling before his chest like a child's. The warm salty breeze washed over them, the soothing sounds of the sea rising and falling around them.
Appalled at the favoritism her "parent" had just displayed, the baby horse clattered on top of the sunning rock, her small hooves scrabbling as she struggled to right herself. The sunlight blazed on her bay splotches, glinting in her dark eyes as she shot Jacquez a death glare, stamping impatiently. She wanted to be picked up, too. The collie-hybrid flashed her a sneer, teasing as usual. If Ruri saw the silent show, she would surely disapprove. "The little wolf-bait is called Rue. She has been following me since her birth, and I cannot get rid of her." He kept his strong hand steadyingly on Ruri's ankle, making sure the blind dog felt secure. He wouldn't drop her, even if he only had one arm to hold her with.
[/html]
[html]
400+
When Jac picked her up, Ruri couldn't help but smile. Feeling her best friend's strong arm wrapped around her waist and lifting her onto his shoulders was exciting. "It's great to have you back Jac, and no I haven't lost weight. I've been eating quite well, thank you very much," she replied, nodding matter-of-factly. Leroy, or someone, always seemed to keep some form of food around for her to eat. She always appreciated it and did her best to thank them if she ever caught them in the act, which was a surprisingly rare occurrence as she didn't leave her cabin often. The slender optime rested her hands on her knees, her legs hanging down in front of Jac's chest. Upon hearing the name of Jac's young horse, Ruri smiled and turned in the direction she had last heard the small creature. "Well, Rue, I'm sure we can be friends, just so long as you stop trying to pull my hair," she finished, her pale blue, blind eyes dancing around randomly in Rue's direction before she turned her face towards Jac once more. "Did Heath find you? I asked him if he would look for you, and he said he would..." she trailed off for a moment when she realized what she had just said. If Heath hadn't found Jac then it was unlikely that Jac had any clue about what had been going on between her and the coy-wolf. "If you just came back and he didn't find you, that's fine too. I was just curious...did you hear the bells and the wind chime?" she asked, quickly changing the subject. Jac might fall for it. After all, he was a bit of a scatterbrain in some respects. Hopefully his attention would be diverted from the subject of Heath to the gifts that...Heath had given her. The collie girl cursed inwardly. She hadn't changed the subject at all. She'd simply added more to it. Why had she even brought it up so quickly anyway? The ivory and merle female had, of course, intended to mention Heath to Jac sometime, but not right after he had come back. Would he be upset? Surely he wouldn't forbid her from seeing him. That wouldn't be nice. She'd...have to disobey him to see Heath, and she hated disobeying Jac's orders. The delicate collie dog resigned herself to her present fate and simply smiled in her usual, warm, friendly way, her hand now resting atop Jac's head and her fingers running through his mane absentmindedly.
[/html]
[html] WC: 400+
ooc: My 100th Jac post, finally! :3
"That is good," he remarked bluntly, nodding. "Had you been starving by your lonesome, I would have been forced to feed you Rue." He winked at the unamused young horse, craning his neck to try to catch the blind collie's reaction. He had occasionally felt worry about Ruri's safety and well-being, since her main caretakers had been Svara and Firefly. But everyone who met her felt the need to protect her, or so it seemed. No harm had befallen the one true innocent in their ranks. And the fact that their hunter saw fit to provide to everyone was a relief as well, since even the king himself did not often partake in hunting. It was lucky that Leroy was so devoted to his duties.
The pinto filly snorted, beady eyes gazing at the slate-grey canine that was hogging her share of Jac's attention. Her little ears flicked forward with interest at hearing her name, though, and she took a hesitant step forward, hoof clacking against the hard stone of the rock. If this stranger was willing to love her as well... then she could not be all bad. Especially with such long and tempting hair. She would wait patiently (sort of) until she got another chance to tug on it. That had been fun.
Jacquez frowned, reminded vaguely of the night that Heath had cornered him in Halifax, the two of them sharing a bottle of the good stuff in the decrepit old dive bar. He had never really left, just gotten tired of the formality of greeting newcomers, and wanting to let his fractured knuckles heal in peace. But the coy-wolf had apparently thought otherwise, and inbetween shots, had voiced his polite plea for their king's return... as well as some suspicious comments about his Ruri. "Has that pautonier been bothering you, Ruri? He is naught but a stray I can chase away, if he had been sniffing at your doorstep, assembling bells and other trinkets to confuse you..." He liked Heath. But he liked Ruri, too. An unfamiliar feeling of conflict struggled to resolve itself in his simplified mind, no resolution readily surfacing. His disapproving expression softened as the border collie's fingers gently stroked through his dark mane, calming his growing suspicions. A faint smile tugged at his lips, relaxed by her wordless affections. She truly had the power to purify the emotions around her, it seemed. It was her unspoken gift, second only to her nightingale's voice.
[/html]
[html]
ooc
Ruri's half-folded collie ears flattened in an unamused, concerned fashion."Jac how could you say such a thing? She's only a baby, and she's obviously likes you. Saying something like that isn't funny," she scolded, frowning slightly, although it would have been hard for Jac to see as she sat atop his head. Sometimes Jac took his little jokes a bit too far, and this was one of those times. The innocent border collie only hoped that Rue hadn't been listening, even if the small horse couldn't understand their words. The slender, slate and ivory female became even more concerned when Jac reacted to her statement about Heath. "N-no, please don't chase him away! He hasn't been bothering me at all. He's my...friend" That was the truth. Heath was definitely her friend, although at this point she could say that he was more than just a regular friend. She loved him, but she wasn't sure how to say it. She loved Jac too, but in a different way. The delicate optime was unsure how to tell Jac, her best friend, that she had feelings for Heath. She didn't want him to get upset, but she didn't want to lie to him either. "He put up the bells and the windchime so that I would always be able to find my way back to the cabin. You see...while you were gone...I got lost once or twice. I was still in the packlands, but it took me awhile to get back home because it was raining outside. With the bells around, though, all I have to do is listen and I can find my way home from almost anywhere in Cour des Miracles...at least as far from home as I'd ever go. I thought it was rather...sweet, and I think they sound really pretty." The collie girl explained, her hand still resting atop Jac's head with her fingers interlaced with his dark mane. She really hoped Jac would understand. He was family, and she would hate to have him upset at her or anyone else because of her. It was hard for her. She didn't want to drive either of them away by what she did, but she didn't want the two of them to be mad at each other over her. In truth, she wasn't very sure at all about what to do or say. Hopefully Jac would simply drop the topic for now and they could move on to talk about something else. Yes, that might be easier for her. She might not have to constantly make sure she said everything, just right.
[/html]
[html] WC: 350+
ooc: And one month later, Miyu replies! D:
Jac huffed softly under his breath, displeased that Ruri was upset. She had such a delicate disposition, and fretted so easily over the smallest things..."Since the horse is a baby, she does not understand what I am saying. She was only born, oh, two weeks ago, not long at all. Still wet behind the ears," he added. Of course, whether Rue understood him or not, he was not one to mince his words, but anything to keep Ruri from worrying. He could feel her small fingers interlaced in the dark fur of his backswept mane, letting her hands be her eyes, so to speak. She always liked to touch. He had to agree with her, though, physical contact was always desirable. Had he left her alone too long?
His question was answered as the blind hybrid quickly defended Heath. Her piping, musical voice was fluttery with distress, anxious to assuage Jac's suspicions. Heath had been quick on his feet, too, explaining the pure intentions of his friendship with the merle collie. Jacquez was about to probe further, to ask if they had done anything troublesome like holding hands, when the rest of her story filtered in to his fragmented thoughts. "'Lost in the rain'? Qu'est-ce que c'est que ca, petite? That could be very dangerous, with the cliffs and the beasts and the lone wolves! Why were you by your lonesome in the wilderness?" It was never his intention to interrogate her, but he was nosy enough to want every detail from her life - especially now that she had a life outside of him.
Rue clattered noisily off of her sunning stone perch, bored by the lack of attention from the two herding dogs, and wearied from her energetic antics. She laid down with a thump in the warm sand, long legs folded clumsily around her small body. Her small tail flicked at the sand, stubby ears swiveling about to listen to the gentle swells of the ocean and the rising and falling of the two Luperci voices. It was still a nice day, even without being the center of attention.
[/html]
[html]
ooc
Ruri could only shake her head scoldingly as Jac tried to explain his way out of the troublesome spot his words had gotten him into. "Whether she can understand or not doesn't make a difference, Jac! She's a baby, and you need to be nice to young animals so that when they grow up they act nice to you in return." Such was her simplistic view of the ways of wildlife. Of course she knew that it was likely incorrect as she had met a few creatures that were very unpleasant, regardless of their upbringing. Still she had added her two cents and now she would leave the subject where it was. Jac was the king after all, and she didn't want to sound like she was telling him what to do...not too much at least.
The ivory and merle femme continued to run her delicate fingers through Jac's mane even as he questioned why she had been out in the rain...something she had hoped he would simply overlook. With a look of embarrassment, like one who had just been caught in the act, the slender female started to explain herself, her tassle hanging limp behind her as she sat atop her king's shoulders. "W-well...I was looking for you. I was worried...and you had been gone for so long. The times I got lost...I was looking for you because I wanted to know if you were alright. Also, it was dreadfully boring sitting in the cabin all day for a week or two. I got...cabin fever...I guess," she giggled jokingly as she used the odd phrase to describe her state of mind during the days of prolonged rain several weeks back. Hopefully Jac would find that amusing and not press her about the issue further, not that she wouldn't mind telling him more. Talking to her best friend was one of her favorite things. She just liked talking about other...more enjoyable things than why she had been out in the rain.
[/html]
[html] WC: 322
Ruri's sweet gentle voice was struggling to sound stern as she lectured him. It was hard to take her admonishments seriously, but he tried to keep a straight face as he nodded. She would feel his head bobbing, at least, and not notice the amused smile playing on his lips. "If you say so, ma douce," he acquiesced aloud. He narrowed his eyes at the napping filly, silently disagreeing.
Jacquez sighed, eyebrows furrowing as he pouted. "You should not have concerned yourself so, petite," he rumbled, moving slowly to sit down atop the warm rock. His hand was still steadying her legs, but she could now slip safely off his shoulders if she so desired. "I was just exploring the land surrounding ours, to see what else was around. There is so much variety here, mountains that are so big, it would take days and days to climb over them; rivers of water that rush by so fast that even the fish cannot fight the current; flat open fields that are so empty not a soul can be heard. There is so much space here, not like the decks of a ship or the crowded land down south. I was... curious."
There was a shade of remorse in his serious tone, although the apology was never put into words. Ruri was still the only one he had genuine feelings for, and it did not seem likely for anyone else to weasel their way into his closed-off heart as she had done years ago. She was his counterpart, and she was supposed to be happy and friendly and make up for his shortcomings as a leader. Her feelings were becoming more complex as she matured, though, and it was increasingly difficult to understand her needs... What would happen when she was a more complete person than him? When she fell in love? He was already suspicious that he was starting to lose her...
[/html]
[html]
ooc
The ivory and merle femme listened as Jac described the environment surrounding their lands. He was getting better at using terms that she could understand as a blind individual. The ideas of the large mountains, swift moving streams, and empty fields were all perfectly understandable to the gentle Border collie. Her half-folded ears perked in interest as Jac mentioned that he had simply been curious. "Being curious is a good thing. I'm glad you found so many interesting places. Please just try and remember to let me know when you get an urge to go exploring again. That way I won't have to wonder where you are," she requested, knowing that Jac would likely forget. At least she had tried. The ivory and merle femme felt Jac sit down on the rock and she quickly climbed off his shoulders, wanting to sit beside him rather than on top of him. Once she was sitting down on the warm stone, Ruri wrapped her arms around her one armed king in her usual gesture of familial affection. Then, of course, she leaned her head against him "Why don't you tell me about your trip? What else did you find besides big mountains and streams?" she questioned, her useless, pale blue eyes directed upwards towards his face in the signature pose of an anxious girl awaiting a fantastic story from her big, tough brother. She knew Jac relished the chance to regale her with the tales of his exploits, and she was more than willing to listen.
[/html]
[html] WC: 300+
The tall dog huffed a sigh. "You don't have to worry anyway," he corrected, although it did secretly please him to know that he was still on her mind so often. "It's not as though I'd leave you behind, petite. I will always come back." He smiled lazily in the warm sunlight, soaking up the last rays the days would offer before autumn and winter sapped it all away.
Ruri clung to him, her slim arms wrapped around his lean chest as she rested her small face against his fur. He smiled, relishing the contact as he swung his good arm about her slender shoulders. They were inseparable like this, a duo of opposites, but both as needy as the other. Their relationship had been symbiotic from the beginning, although it might not appear that way to outsiders. What had he been worried about? Nothing would ever tear them apart.
"My trip? Well, I spied on some of our neighboring packs," he admitted with a wicked grin. "There are a lot of different packs here, but they don't seem to fight at their borders like they did in the South. Oh, there is one clan, up in the sharp and craggy mountains, they are called Inferni! I met their queen, a fearsome warrior with only one eye..." He did love telling stories, embellishing where the tale could use flair, and omitting adjectives that his blind companion would not comprehend. "And when I left her domain, I came across the flower pack, the Dahlians. Firefly lived there after she stopped sailing, and Svara grew up there! Their land has more forests and fields than ours, but they don't have the soaring cliffs and caves." He glanced down at her upturned face, pleased by her rapt attention. She had always been the best listener he'd ever had. He rubbed her shoulders affectionately, glad that she was still his sidekick.
[/html]
|
