Mason loved the ocean. True, it changed with every second. The water flowed, snaked, and strangled itself as it thrashed against the shore before it drew back in on itself. There was something wild about it, an untamable quality. It was an ever changing entity - but the ocean presented a pattern of change that the boy could understand, at least. Since his time as part of Inferni, he had found himself drawn to beaches. At first it was because he wanted to become the consummate fisherman, but now that he was older and did not need to be constantly entertained, he was content to sit for some time and let his thoughts drift with the sea.
He had discovered a few weeks ago that this beach in particular yielded the best results for a fisherman. However, he was not hungry right now. More than anything, he just wanted to get away for a while. Mason was still young, the youngest member of Inferni. But time still had an effect on him. He had been growing steadily since he had found safety and a steady food supply. Every day it was becoming more and more evident that the coyote half of his blood ruled his physical development. His body was slight, his limbs and face thin, and ears oversized. He was smaller than a wolf pup of his age, but he was still a bit larger than a regular coyote pup - evidence of his mixed heritage.
Things were changing - that meant he was growing up, which was something he was looking forward to. But some things were changing in ways he could not understand. Or perhaps it was just that he was trapped in his own comfort zone. He recalled Samhain, and his muzzle wrinkled in distaste as he remembered some of the scents from that night. The adults of his clan had acted strangely, and he did not how to take it. It was so out of character, a lapse in the routine and associations he had developed. He wondered where that left him in the world - no longer a helpless child, but far from a self sufficient man.
[html]
He was getting more used to the idea that he would be alone for a while and that his mother and siblings weren't coming back. He had Beppe to play with and take care of him so he was a pretty happy puppy most of the time. Nights were the hardest times for him, but the sound of the waves soothed him and helped him sleep. The gray and black hybrid had woken up and gotten something to eat from downstairs, where their food was kept, and had been running around the house since then.
Otto had explored most of the area around their home already, so when Beppe left the salty seaside house he had set his bright eyes on something a bit farther away. How long did this coast stretch for? Otto thought that the coast was a pretty good place to explore because once he got far enough away he could just turn around and easily find his way back home. Not a whole lot of twists and turns...and trees that look the same as all the other trees. Just one way.
He started walking along, humming the song that Beppe had sung for him the night before. His daddy always sang to him at night time...that helped him sleep too! And if Beppe fell asleep first then Otto would try to sing to him too. Sometimes he woke Beppe back up, though. His voice wasn't too good yet. He needed some practice, that was it! The young boy opened his mouth, letting out a few long, crackly notes. To his own ears, this sounded like the best music he had ever heard. "Oh huuuuuush theeeee mmmy babyyy the night isss behiiinddd usssss!" He yelled.
|
[/html]
[html] ooc talk
Mason had been staring at some fixed point on the horizon line, not really paying attention to much of anything. The sun sparkled on the waves when it broke free of the cloud cover that confined it, and sometimes his gaze would shift to follow a glimmer before his eyes returned to rest at some distant point at sea. He wasn't really thinking much, though he flitted through memories and tried to discern their significance.
The Tirones Minor could not remember the last time he had seen his biological parents. He had been quite young when they had become separated. Their faces were clouded over in his mind, hazy. He could not remember his mother's eye color. Kaena Lykoi had come to fill that void, in some ways. When he had first arrived in Inferni, she had taken care of him. Mason was independent by nature, but as a young boy he had needed reassurance within his new home.
He was not sure if he ached because he wanted to have a closer relationship with her, or if he wanted to separate himself from her entirely for a while. He knew that she would not have a problem with him asserting his independence. She had encouraged his growth and exploration at every turn. But his confidence was a bit shaken and had faltered. He would not dream of wanting her to dote upon him, but he wanted to make her proud. And at the same time, he did not know why that should matter at all.
It call came down to the fact that Kaena Lykoi was not his mother, and she never would be. She had no reason to mother him. Her own children were still part of Inferni. But the boy craved a connection deeper than any he had made so far. He was tied to Inferni, he knew that much to be true. Although he was small, he was already incredibly loyal to his clan and he wanted it to thrive. But more than wanting to be an asset to the clan, he wanted simply to belong, simply for being himself. He hoped that when he proved himself useful that maybe she could look beyond that, and value him the way he valued her.
His thoughts were broken by an off-kilter voice. Somewhat startled, the sandy-pelted coyote youth turned his bright coin eyes to the source of the sound. A hybrid puppy - a very young one - was bounding about the beach. At first he did not know what to make of this, as it seemed that the child was yelling. He wondered if he was upsetting - but on the contrary, the boy looked happy. Curious, the coyote approached the pup without any hesitation or second thoughts. "Why are you yelling?" he asked curiously.
[/html]
[html]
He was a good talker, but often chose to keep his mouth shut or to speak at a whisper. His father understood everything that he said, whether he spoke in English or Itallian, too. It was so cool! His momma was French, so he had gotten to learn some of that too. She had taught it to all the puppies, while Beppe had made sure they knew what he was saying in Itallian. English was the middle-ground for most family conversations between all the pups and their parents; a language that everyone could understand a bit.
His tail wagged when he saw someone up ahead. Was it one of his sisters?! It was kind of coyote-looking, which was familiar. Maybe it was momma! He ran closer, shouting out. "Godelieve, Emma, è che voi? Vasco??" But it didn't seem like it. As he got up nearer he could see the other better, bright turquoise eyes staring at Mason when he spoke.
He didn't know why he was yelling! He was singing. Maybe this was someone from Italy who he had never met! He thought that everyone was from Italy because that was where his family was from! He had only ever been around them. "Siete così grazioso! Provenite dall'Italia anche, sì? O la Francia?"
|
[/html]
[html] ooc talk
To say Mason was thrown for a loop would have been a mild way to put things. He had been able to recognize the words that the pup had been "singing" well enough, but now he was spouting words that Mason had never heard. Mason's coin colored eyes were wide as they became fixed on the dark-furred hybrid boy. By his best estimation, this boy was very young. Mason had memories from being that size, but seeing the pup he was surprised. Mason usually considered himself small or even undersized, especially since he was the only child in Inferni that he knew of. But now, looking at this boy, Mason felt much bigger.
Although he could not understand the little boy, he grinned a bit wolfishly. Maybe this little guy was lost. Maybe he spoke in such a strange way because of that. He noticed that he had turquoise colored eyes. That was not a color he had seen before. With a slight furrow in his brow, he realized that it must be a wolf trait. Maybe this kid still had parents around. Maybe the words he had shouted were names. Although Mason was loathe to interact with a wolf, he would do so to get this kid where he needed to go.
"Try it again," Mason encouraged the boy, his tail wagging slightly. "Try to talk to me again. Do you have to yell to talk the right way? It is okay if you have to."
[/html]
[html]
Hmmm. Otto did like to yell, too. He had a big voice for such a little puppy. It was yelling that had alerted his father to the fact that his siblings had gone into the river. He'd been too afraid to join them, afraid of the water that flowed so quickly over the rocks and reeds before him. Even now he looked out at the ocean and felt a sort of confusion. He didn't understand how some animals could live in there if they had to breathe the air. There were some of those sorts of animals a little farther up this beach, if he remembered right. He didn't know what they were called, but they were really interesting. Sea-dogs, maybe.
English came to his ears and his head drooped a bit, disappointed. "Engwish. No good." This was the language that he was still learning, a bit. He didn't know all the words yet. "No know gewd yet." He said. How had this coyote come to know only English? Where was he from? And most importantly. "Whatchuu name?!"
|
[/html]
[html] ooc talk
The youth finally reverted to a form of language that Mason could understand. It took a little concentration in order to fully comprehend the little boy's disjointed sentences. It seemed that he did not have a very good command of the language that Mason spoke yet. However he knew enough to get his point across. Mason supposed that part of the reason it was difficult to understand him was that he still spoke "puppy speak." Mason wondered if he had sounded like that when he had been younger - he couldn't recall a detectable change. But he had never really paid attention.
"I'm Mason. What is your name?" the Inferni youth said. He would have normally also given his middle and last names too, but those probably would have been difficult for the boy to say. Mason was proud of his name, but even he knew that it could be quite a mouthful. It was easier to keep things simple for now. After thinking about this situation further, Mason realized that the pup did not seem uncomfortable with his whereabouts. Maybe he was not lost at all.
He heard some gruff barking in the distance. His eyes moved to spy large, fat sausage like seals. He cocked his head to the side. They were congregating farther up shore. Mason knew for a fact that the place they were was a prime location for fishing. His eyes turned back to the little boy. Mason wasn't good at much except for fishing right now. But he finally had someone young who could possibly look up to him the way he looked up to so many others. "Are you hungry? Watch this!" Mason smiled and turned, taking off toward the prime fishing spot. Those seals would just have to move out of the way.
[/html]
[html]
This coyote seemed so interesting to him! He couldn't help but stare as the sun glinted off of the other boy's beautiful coat, his tail continuing to wag in a slightly frantic manner behind him. Maybe they would be friends! He hadn't made any friends here, yet. Besides one of the little baby bunnies that lived beneath their cabin. The bunny's momma hadn't liked him talking to the baby, though, he could tell. She always ran away when he got right up near her burrow. Otto sometimes tried to lay down with them down beneath the floorboards, but now his body was getting to be too big for that.
"Named Otto!" He said happily, thoughts of the baby bunny and of this pretty coyote still dancing through his head. He was about to nod "yes" to the other boy's question when surprise!! Mason took off running. He gasped and turned his head, body following clumsily behind. He was coming too! Otto's short legs pumped as he ran along the sand after the other boy, this new game exciting him all the more.
|
[/html]
|
