I Dreamed a Dream
#1
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



OOC: The Sugarwoods, early morning.



The colors were spectacular. It was just a simple meadow, filled with spring grass and wildflowers. The sky was a brilliant blue and dotted with fluffy white clouds. A rainbow stretched across the sky, each color vibrant and beautiful. Hotaru stood in the middle of the field, taking in the different hues, holding them fast to her heart. A soft breeze blew and caressed her face. A quiet yip resonated behind her and the grey female turned to face the stranger. There standing in the field before her was a luperci, his coat colors identical to her own. His soft brown eyes stared at her own which had become filled with tears. Adrian stood before Hotaru, her twin brother and once her dearest friend. He put his arms out and Hotaru ran into them, her sobs filling the meadow as she buried her face into his shoulder. Adrian placed his hands on her head, caressing her neck. The male leaned his head towards Hotaru and whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."



Darkness filled her world, yet her eyes were open. "A dream, it was just a dream..." Hotaru stopped speaking, her voice choked on the words as her windpipe constricted. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, the droplets caught on her fur before they slid down her face. Hotaru rolled off her bed, a slipped onto the floor. Her paws touched the cool wood, and she worked to make herself stand. But there was no energy in her limbs and she simply crouched in her optime form. Angry she pounded her fists against the ground till they cracked and started to bleed. There was a rustle of feathers, but the grey female ignored them.



Quickly, quicker than ever, she shifted down to her secui form. It took Hotaru less than a minute to assume her bulky body and she was out the door. Hotaru used her ears, nose, and memory to guide her out of the village and into the ethereal eclipse. However, even then she did not stop. She ran and ran until the sun rose to greet the day, and even then she didn't stop. She used her grief to propel her and when that ran out she continued on, as if she was trying to outrun reality. She ran the entire day and didn't even stop when familiar territory disappeared beneath her paws. Hotaru relied on her senses to guide her through unfamiliar territory and used her bulky body to crash through anything that was smaller than a tree.



Eventually exhaustion caught up with Hotaru and she collapsed into the cold earth. Her sides heaved and her thirst was intense. Hotaru sat in the quiet forest, her nose picking up the scent of maple trees. She closed her eyes and listened to the forest. It was then that she noticed the faint footsteps, the heavy smell of a cougar. Hotaru tried to stand but her legs gave way in her exhaustion. She flipped her head around wildly, trying to locate the cougar and Fawkes. Where was Fawkes? Did she leave him behind? Hotaru didn't move, her body frozen as her thoughts reeled. What was she going to do? Instincts took over and her lips parted to reveal sharp teeth while a ferocious growl emanated from her throat. The large cat reciprocated with a rawr, the sounds of its paws slowly circled around Hotaru.



When the paws came back around, Hotaru lunged in the dark. Her teeth caught the edge of the cougar's fur and it stepped back in surprise. Her heckles raised and her fur bristled, she wasn't going down without a fight. Angry growls sounded through the Sugarwoods as both predators squared off.


Wordcount :: +620

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#2
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I wrote tooooo muuuuch.
Also some pp in assuming Hotaru stops growling/snapping at the cougar.


Levent loped through the woodlands as if cantering across a cloud, enjoying the feel of the wind gusting through his fur. The cloth normally tied around his hair flapped at his ankle instead as four paws touched the earth instead of two. He fell into the rhythm of movement easily, despite his comfort in an upright shape. The forest was wild, and the creatures were wild, and the wolf could afford to be wild too.

He was dragged out of his daydreaming by a sharp nip at his ankle. Lips curled back over pearly fangs as he whirled around, a low “ruff” escaping his throat. The white blur darted around him, and paws clubbed his flank. He turned, missed biting a long lashing tail, and yelped as something landed on his head. The wolf threw himself down onto the grass, rolling, and was rewarded by a yowl of indignity. He continued to roll and landed on all fours, his forelegs splayed and his butt up in the air in a playful bow as he sneered at the white housecat.

“You’re a cheat!” Wilson growled, standing and shaking dirt from his coat.

The wolf rolled his eyes and gave him another rough nudge with his muzzle, nearly knocking the feline over. “Aşkta ve savaşta kurallar yoktur,” Levent retorted, and translated, “All’s fair in love and war.” He proceeded to lift his brows and grin, which caused the cat to snort and slink grumpily away. “Oh, come on, Wils!” He crawled forward on his belly, black-tipped tail wagging lazily behind him. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He rested his chin in the grass, blizzard blue eyes looking sadly up at his companion.

Wilson turned his back coldly on the wolf, who whimpered and continued to crawl forward like a guilty puppy. As soon as he came close enough, however, the cat’s paw shot out and smacked Levent on the nose. Lanet olsun! he yelped, recoiling, then growled loudly and began to sprint after the chuckling cat.

The brown canine managed to catch Wilson’s scruff in his jaws just before the cat reached a tree for safety. He tripped, twisting his body so he wouldn’t crush the cat when he fell, letting out a loud “oof!” as he hit the ground. He snorted dirt and leaves from his muzzle then smirked when he heard a loud purr near his ear. He turned, nose-to-nose with the cat, and was about to make a wry remark when the distinct cry of a mountain lion reached his ears. Immediately, he was on all fours and bristling. Both males gazed in the direction of the sound, and while Wilson flattened his ears and shook his head, Levent charged in that direction regardless.

Sure enough, the musk grew stronger, and the cougar at least came into sight. It was circling warily around a bulky timber shape—a secui wolf—and looked none too pleased. When the canine female lunged, it whisked out of the way and growled crossly, stepping back and lifting a taloned paw.

“Heyyy,” Levent called with nonchalance that did not befit the tense situation. He leaped up onto the stump of a felled maple, ignoring the sweet scent in the air. Wilson hopped up beside him but bristled. “Leave the lady alone, will ya?”

The cougar fixed him with cold stone-colored eyes then glanced at the cat in disbelief. It stepped away from the secui wolf, hissing once at her to deter her from moving, and Lev swallowed his unease. When the large tawny cat seemed to decide that the newcomer wasn’t going to blindly attack it, it replied in a growly high speech.

“Self-righteous wolves. One feels threatened and makes some noise, and I am blamed for punishing such insolence. You see she does not bleed.”

The wolf smiled. “No, she doesn’t, and you aren’t either. Can I convince you to leave her alone anyway, efendim?” He doubted the Turkish word’s meaning would carry across, but the respect with which he spoke transcended species and language. “You’re tolerant for a feline, I can give you that,” he added. “Wilson here won’t put up with me pulling a dirty trick when we’re wrestling on the ground like kittens.”

The cougar narrowed its eyes then lashed its tail, glancing at the she-wolf then slinking toward Levent and Wilson. The white tom hunkered down low, bristling at his giant cousin, and the mountain cat snorted. It threw Levent a disdainful look. “Teach the fool she-wolf not to thunder through the forest like a blind moose calf,” it growled, and vanished north out of the cluster of Sugarwoods.

Once its tawny body faded from view, Levent heaved a loud sigh and uncoiled tensed muscles at last. He leaped down off the trunk and padded up to the stranger, smiling at her and giving her a nudge with his nose. “You okay, sevgili?”


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#3
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



OOC: Please excuse pissy Hotaru.


For several moments neither predator moved. Hotaru's fangs flashed and her growls were ferocious. Her red-tipped ears faced forward while her nose worked overtime. If the oversized cat even dared to move a muscle, Hotaru would know. Or at least, that's what she kept telling herself. Blind eyes twitched back and forth as they attempted to see what was going on. The brown orbs showed no sigh of their disability. Her heart pounded and the adrenaline started to rush though her veins, giving the grey female strength and courage.



All of the sudden a male's voice broke through the tense air, his laid back tone an intrusion on the fight. Hotaru's ear twitched in his direction, other than that she stayed completely still. She wasn't sure how to respond to the intrusion, whether to be thankful or upset. Who was it? Were they friendly? Did they that she couldn't take care of herself? Were they underestimating her? A step backwards, the cougar was actually retreated. Hotaru tried to move forward but a hiss from the musty creature made her stop. Instead, she just growled again and somehow managed to raise her heckles even higher. The adrenaline coursing through the she-wolf's veins drove her anger and ferocity, her every instinct urging her to fight and protect herself.



The feline's speech did nothing to improve Hotaru's mood. Before she was fighting out of fear. However, the cougar's insult wounded Hotaru's pride and gave her a reason to be angry. Through bare teeth she growled, "It is you who are insolent cat! How dare you approach a wolf." Luckily for Hotaru the cougar chose to ignore her words. Unfortunately, being ignored did nothing to improve Hotaru's mood. If she could still see there would be nothing stopping her from giving the overgrown house cat a piece of her mind.



The blind wolf did not relax, even when the strange wolf talked the cougar into backing off. It was another wound to Hotaru's pride. She didn't need some stranger barging in on her fight. She had been in worse battles and had survived them. How dare he treat her like some helpless puppy! Even the cougar treated her like a helpless pup. "Who's a moose calf? How about I claw your eyeballs out and see how well you get around huh." Hotaru was yelling now into the darkness, but judging by the fading steps she doubted the cougar even cared.



Adrenaline continued to pour through her system. Her blood thundered in her ears and her breathing came in angered pants. Her pride had been beaten down to nothing and she was alone in the dark. How could she have so blindly left Fawkes behind? Without his guidance, she was lost in a dark world. A sudden nudge to her shoulder startled the secui wolf and she whipped around and growled. His words were kind, but Hotaru was in no condition to listen to them. "I'm just fine! I can take care of myself, thank you very much." Her words were biting and full of venom. The blind girl swirled around and started to walk off, not caring where she was going or what was in front of her.



When Hotaru walked, her frame shook from exhaustion. She had run her body to the limit and had crashed through just about everything in order to get to the forest. As if to add insult to injury she immediately ran into a maple tree. She yelped and her nose pounded with pain. Hotaru sat down, utterly lost and confused in the dark. She hadn't been like this since the early days of her injury and she hated feeling so weak and alone. Her head was hunched over with pinned ears while her tail wrapped around her back legs. Where was Fawkes when she needed him? Where was Light?


Wordcount :: +645

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#4
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I love Hotaru!


The timber wolf was apparently not pleased by the interruption, but thankfully her growled retorts went unheeded by the great tawny cat. Felines were very good at ignoring words for the sake of pride and dignity, Levent had noted over the years, and he might have snickered at this perfect example had the situation not been so tense. He was only grateful for the respect the cougar unwittingly showed in listening to him at all; from its earlier violence, it seemed used to doing battle with canines rather than talking to them. It was a shame, really—for though he’d seen predator and prey communicate through low speech and forge a bond, intelligent predators continued to war with each other.

Not very much unlike luperci, the man thought, and smiled.

The smile did not dance for very long on his dark-ticked muzzle as the female jerked under his touch and whirled to berate him. His ears lay back against his skull even as he heard his own feline companion chuckle, and he snorted with his tail straight out as he watched her prowl away with disbelief. “I was just being courteous!” he protested honestly; he’d had no motive other than to keep an unnecessary fight from breaking out. That wasn’t usually the case, but she had no way of knowing that.

He was considering whether or not to trail after her obnoxiously when she bumped face-first into a tree, recoiling loudly then curling into a hunched ball. His ears pricked again, and he darted over to her with confusion written across his handsome features. Tanrı korusun! Are you all right?” He tried to grin, to interject humor as he hovered an uncertain and awkward distance from her jaws. “You survive a meeting with a lion and let a maple overtake you?” he joked, his tongue peeking out from between his fangs.


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#5
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.Hotaru {padding:10px; border: 4px double #000; background:#0a175c; color:#fff; opacity: 0.8; filter: alpha(opacity = 80); line-height:120%;}
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



The hurt and disbelief in her rescuer's voice didn't make Hotaru regret snapping at him. She was angry, upset, scared, and her pride had been injured. Even if fighting with the cougar would have led to massive injuries or even her death, Hotaru still resented the fact that someone had interfered with her fight. She just needed to take her anger out on someone or something. With the cougar gone, all of her pain and frustration turned to the strange male. His snickering cat didn't help improve her mood and Hotaru wanted to howl with rage as she stalked away.



If having to be saved from an oversized cat was bad, running nose first into a tree was ten times worse. Hotaru wanted to shrink away and disappear. She wanted to be back home in d'Arte, or even better, back home with her brother and birth pack. The scrambling paws behind her were ignored until the males obnoxious voice came out in a language she didn't understand. Hotaru was about ready to curse at the male or just rip his stupid tongue out. It was that tongue that had driven the cougar away in the first place. The grey wolf pouted as he tried to come to her rescue...again. The concern in his voice bit at her dwindling pride and made her feel like a helpless pup. Rather than answer she just pulled her lips back into a silent snarl. In her anger, she didn't even bother dawning her polite mask.



The strange wolf's joke was completely lost on the blind female. Her mind was in no state to process sarcasm and jokes so she took his words rather literally. "At least a lion moves and breathes. Trees don't move at all and they are all over the place. I can bite at a lion and push it away, but a tree will never give." Her words came as upset grumbles and the frustration was evident in her voice. Her unseeing eyes flicked to the side as embarrassment filled her body and mind. Unbeknownst to her, they didn't show the disability that impaired her sight and appeared to be normal functioning eyes. The problem with her vision rested in the injury her brain had received through the hands of her own brother.


Wordcount :: +382

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#6
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Short, and Lev has no idea... xD


By all accounts, Levent should have left the woman alone right away. He did not like to toy with death—even if Wilson claimed otherwise, the wolf regularly “dancing” with an assassin herself—and the bared fangs and dark demeanor were a clear signal to stay back. He had no attachment to her, no reason even for saving her other than to spare innocents some wounds, and so there was no excuse why he couldn’t just walk away.

But the merchant was, indeed, obnoxious.

A number of noble justifications leaped to his mind as he thought about why he was still standing here as she glared at him—glared slightly off from his shoulder actually—but when she spoke, he was intrigued. Curiosity bloomed as he gave his head a shake and at last smiled. Şiirsel,” he remarked under his breath, but he let no sarcasm or teasing mar his quiet tone. Slightly impressed, he took a seat on the grass and looked at her.

“A good axe can fell both lions and trees,” the wolf mumbled after a moment of cluelessness. He bowed his head. “I would cut down a whole forest for you if you’d tell me your name, benim tatlı ateşli bayan.”


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#7
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



Hotaru had most things taken from her in life, including her eyesight. Pride was one of the few things she had left, and it had just deflated like a flattened puffball. Red ears wilted on her bowed head as her nose pounded with residual pain. Even so, the stranger wouldn't leave her to lick her wounds in peace. However, Hotaru didn't realize just how lucky she was that he had refused to leave. In her weakened and exhausted state, she was unable to take care of herself. With the male beside her, she was a lot safer. On top of that, the grey female was on the verge of becoming a recluse, which put her in a position where she was in desperate need for canine company. The persistent wolf beside her was the first canines she had talked to in days.



Once again, the male spoke in strange words that made him go from persistent to obnoxious. Her anger flared, but the fire inside wasn't nearly as hot as before. Even so, her tail flicked in annoyance. The blind wolf's contact with the outside world was limited and Hotaru relished any sound she could hear, but unintelligible words only made her feel doubly lost. Her ear's flicked up when the strange wolf continued to talk. At least his words were in English. However, they did little to encourage the grey female. "Axes may feel cougars and trees alike, but there will always be another forest. Hotaru paused for no more than a second as her mind worked through the intelligence of her next comment. Unfortunately, anger won out and the words flew out of her maw like cold fire. "And if you don't stop speaking in tongues I will fell you."



As soon as she said it, Hotaru felt better. Even if it was cruel and mean, she hated his foreign words. Still, she knew he didn't deserve being yelled at. The grey wolf looked away out of shame and habit. Her ears flattened against her head. He was being kind to her and had even started to flirt with her, yet she was pushing him away. Quietly, she mumbled her name.


Wordcount :: +363

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#8
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The woman’s response was a pessimistic one, and Levent sighed as he wondered which one of them was being more stubborn and annoying. He was an adroit individual, but it would take all of his tricks to get her to loosen up. Meanwhile, she was doing her best to hang onto that feeling of anger and indignity from the cougar conflict. Neither one was blameless: if she should relax, he should leave her alone, but it didn’t seem like they’d come to an agreement anytime soon.

Her remark about his language made him stiffen, and anger rose up like a wave to replace his persistent friendliness. He was perfectly capable of speaking English completely, and his mother tongue was used for decoration as part of his character rather than a need for it, but it was still an insult that had nothing to do with their current conversation.

“You’re speaking in tongues to me,” Levent growled. “You think about that, sweetheart?” The word fell harsher from his lips than its Turkish equivalent, “sevgili.” He stepped around her as she glanced away—in shame, maybe, or because she didn’t want to look at him—and snorted. He was about to make another biting remark when she mumbled something that he barely caught. His ears flattened.

“Hotaru? What kind of—oh.” He grinned again, his expression flickering from cross to bright too quickly to be trusted. “I am Levent. And um—” He glanced over his shoulder to see Wilson sitting, purring with amusement at the wolves’ interaction. “The little pussycat’s Wilson.” He winked at the tom, who rolled his eyes, then stepped around the timber she-wolf once more, his tail wagging behind him.

“I’m uh, sorry if you took it personally—me talking to the lion.” His ears fell back against his head sheepishly, and he chuckled. “I mean, I don’t like seeing anyone hurt. Cat or dog. So I guess it was for the lion’s benefit just as much as yours I stopped it.” His tone grew teasing, albeit in a kind way. He was sure she could’ve handled herself for a while, but the injuries from a confrontation wouldn’t be worth it.



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#9
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.Hotaru {padding:10px; border: 4px double #000; background:#0a175c; color:#fff; opacity: 0.8; filter: alpha(opacity = 80); line-height:120%;}
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



The loner's next words came out in an angry growl. Hotaru had hit a nerve, badly. This little piece of knowledge actually did make her feel bad and pangs of guilt rose up in her chest. He was trying to help and she was pushing him away. Finally, the last of her anger subsided and she stared down into a black void. Her ears dipped even further and she visibly flinched as his harshly spit out the word 'sweetheart.' One of her ears flicked up as he moved around her and snorted. She had really hit a nerve. Hotaru closed her unseeing amber eyes and readied herself mentally for his next rebuke.



Rather than an angry rant or cold rebuke, the stranger introduced himself. Without opening her eyes, Hotaru moved her head as she listened to his chipper voice. The transition between angry and happy was way to quick for comfort and suspicion clouded her mind. In fact, he even went so far as to introduce the all too amused cat. Hotaru snorted when the cat was introduced, its amusement not at all endearing. The cat had been snickering and purring away the entire time. The blind wolf didn't even try to guess as to what had amused the creature, she just hated its superior demeanor.



Levent's speech was fairly shocking. He was trying to protect the cougar? Hotaru's head shot up and a puzzled look crossed her face. He was definably an odd one, that she was sure of. Red-grey ears twitched at the sound of his teasing tone, but she her anger had subsided. Instead she sighed a little before speaking. "I apologize for my behavior. I don't seem to be myself today." She wasn't giving an excuse, she was giving an explanation. The grey wolf knew that there was no excuse for her behavior and she vowed to try to keep her anger in check next time. "I...I thank you for your intervention."


Wordcount :: +326

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#10
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The loner hated resorting to anger to make others change their attitudes. He was good at and comfortable with using compliments and schmoozing and wheedling to get someone to alter their behavior in a way that benefitted him, and he’d dropped a sob story here and there in the past, but anger was rarely a part of the blue-eyed male. Even if he did feel it, he normally hid it—but it seemed to do the trick this time, as the timber she-wolf lowered her ears submissively and recoiled at his sharpness.

Relief flooded him as he picked right back up where he left off on the friendliness bit, as the woman looked curious rather than demeaning. He knew it was strange that a luperci would ever think of a mountain lion as an intelligent being at all, let alone one to be protected from unnecessary violence, but that was just the flawed attitude of this region. She finally sighed and apologized, at which point he softened again.

“Seni affediyorum,” Levent said, and translated gently, “I forgive you.” He smiled then confessed with a one-shouldered shrug, “I know I can be quite annoying anyway, so I guess I should apologize too. But really, I’m glad that you’re safe.” His blue eyes flitted over her form when he thought she wasn’t looking at him—of course unaware that she wasn’t capable at all of seeing what he was doing. “Though maybe that’s selfishness on my part,” he added in a low and changed voice. “I hate seeing beautiful wolves hurt as much as snarly old lion-cats.”

The near-constant purr stopped.



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#11
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



Hotaru had not always been so quick to anger. Before she lost her sight, her temper had been easy to keep in check and she was a fairly personable character. She used to enjoy adventures and she had spent her days happy and carefree until the war. After her injury, her anger seemed to swell at the slightest provocation and it had become harder to keep herself in check. Incidents like the one she had just experienced were more common then before, although she found that most of the time she didn't really care. It was something Hotaru realized she needed to work on. Everything Hotaru had once cared about, had disappeared in a single instance when her world was rewritten.



Anger flashed briefly in the grey female's eyes as Levent spoke in his foreign tongue. Luckily, he translated the phrase and Hotaru was able to calm down again. She had been forgiven, an act she wasn't sure she could perform. In fact, he went one step forward and took the even higher moral ground, leaving Hotaru in the dust. "You needn't apologize, I was the one at fault." He was glad she was safe? The female couldn't help but question his priorities. Why would anyone help her, or be glad she was safe? It's not like they knew each other, nor were they part of the same pack. Hotaru could understand the anti-violence thing, but to actually be glad she was safe, that was a different story entirely.



Levent was flirting with her, actually flirting with her. Hotaru froze, not entirely sure what to do, even the incessant purring had deceased. The blind female wondered if Wilson was like Fawkes. Fawkes hated it when other's got too close to Hotaru and many times it was a perfectly happy with his guard dog mentality. If he was there, Levent would have had an earful. The Artist, unsure of how to respond simply nodded her head and thanked the strange male. Hotaru stood on shaky limbs for a moment before she decided it was a better idea to sit down. She was incredibly tired and her exhaustion was catching up to her.


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While the tomcat became suddenly interested on grooming his immaculate pelt to perfection, Levent studied the woman’s face again. Perhaps he was starved for normal canine affection, or she really was as fascinating as his heart was thumping about. There was still something a bit off about her, the way she looked at him, but he failed to put two and two together. After all, all he truly noticed about her eyes was their lovely auburn color.

She hardly responded to his flirting, which he for once took as a sign to hold his tongue on that for a while. She rose then, but only for an instant; her face began to betray her weariness. Once again, the merchant had the deep urge to be gentlemanly, wondering if it’d get on her nerves again.

“Do… Do you want me to walk you home?” Levent asked, his blue eyes flicking uncertainly to the side as his ears dropped. “If you wanted to go home, or…wherever you were headed before the lion showed up.” His voice was hesitant, and he took a step back in case she saw this as a knock to her pride.





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#13
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



It wasn't that she disliked having a male flirt with her. If anything the advances made her feel happy. After Adrian stole her eyesight, she had planted her mind firmly in the belief that she was no longer desirable as a mate. Who would want a blind mate? Not her, that's for sure. For a few all too brief weeks, she had found a great male, but he too must have arrived at the same conclusion because he had chosen a male over her. Hotaru knew she was destined to be alone. Even so, the stranger's advances gave her what she could only describe as false hope. At least there was someone out there who seemed to like her enough that he would flirt with her.



Hotaru was extraordinarily tempted to throw Levent's kind offer back in his face. She didn't want to beleive that she needed help, but her feeble state didn't do much to help her pride. She didn't even know where she was. Hotaru's ears drooped as she swallowed her pride and slowly nodded her head. "I would...be in your debt. I wasn't headed anywhere in particular, just a place where my troubles could not follow. Although, it seems that trouble finds me everywhere I go. My home..." The grey wolf paused, the word home stuck in her throat and prevent any others from passing her lips. Home, where was her home? It wasn't back with her birth pack, a reality that sent waves of pain through her heart. That home had been taken from her. Even so, there was a silver lining. Her new home, although small and weak, was Cercatori d'Arte.



A soft smile crossed her face as her frozen heart thawed a little. "My home is Cercatori d'Art."


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He expected her to spit at him, to collect her pride and march off, but instead Hotaru lowered her ears and spoke almost reluctantly. His ears stood up in surprise as his tail swayed uncertainly at his hocks, and he nodded in understanding at her urge to leave trouble behind. “Maybe next time?” he quipped optimistically, a laugh in his voice.

Like the sunlight breaking through the clouds, a smile transformed her fine grey and tawny features. His tail wagged harder, and he nodded again as she mentioned her pack. “I think I’ve heard of it,” he said, glancing over to the tomcat for confirmation. Wilson lowered his ears, and he frowned. Yes, Bambi had lived there—Bambi who grieved for her feline mother. That day had been more emotionally taxing than he was used to, and he still had residual nightmares from the event.

“Well, I guess you can smack me if I start veering off course,” Levent joked lightly. Had they been in optime form, he would have merrily offered her his arm as they walked along, but now he only brushed her shoulder with his nose and started to pad in that direction, the cat trotting after them at a sullen distance.



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#15
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



Swallowing her pride, Hotaru reached out to the wolf who desired to accompany her. His tolerance was astounding. He had taken her wrath, her foul mouth and terrible mood, yet he still wanted to be with the blind wolf. His thick headed nature was not something Hotaru was used to, but it was a perfect match for her own stubborn ways. Although, to be fair, she was strong willed for a reason. A blind creature could not survive in such a harsh world without the strength of mind and unmovable determination. Hotaru embodied those necessary traits and demanded respect from everyone she met.



The grey female thought about laughing at Levent's question, but she decided against the action. "Most definitely." She always seemed to be attracting trouble, although most of the time Hotaru was able to handle what life dished out to her. This time, she was lucky that Levent had interfered. The grey wolf's heart dropped as the male responded to her packs name. He thinks he's heard of it? How could she put her complete trust into the stranger if he wasn't even sure he's heard of her pack? Hotaru resisted the urge to shake her head and leave him behind. It almost seemed like that idea was better than following Levent. "Its a pack in the mid-West region of Nova Scotia. The pack lands are close to a beach and it lies North of Aniwaya."



Without knowledge of where she was, the blind wolf had no idea how to give directions to Levent. She tried her best in her explanation and hoped that her explanation would be enough to get her home. Levent's light hearted joke only made her heart sink further. Didn't he realize she couldn't see? Again, Hotaru jumped at the sudden contact between the two canines. His wet nose brushed against her shoulder, but she hadn't been paying attention to his movements enough to detect his approach. Red ears swiveled as she tried to focus on his movements. Her nose lowered towards the ground, making her head hover in a half bow. She chose to follow Levent's scent trail, walking directly behind him. Hotaru wasn't going to take any chances, especially because she didn't want to walk into a tree again. As they traveled, her ears strained forward to listen to the male's footsteps. Like a duckling following its mother, the trio of hunters moved towards Cercatori d'Arte.


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Blaaahhhhh. This post sucks. ;_; I guess when he stops or something she can bump into him? He's such a moron. x3


While he was pretty confident about where the pack was, Levent nodded at her instructions anyway. “I remember the beach,” he said, suppressing a shudder. The scent of salt always crept into his nightmares now, with or without the additional rocking of the ship. It had been away from the beach that he’d met Bambi and helped her grieve for her cat, but still, it had been in the back of his somewhat disturbed mind.

She jumped at his touch, and he wasn’t sure if he’d startled her—somehow—or if it was because it affected her. He wouldn’t put his money on the second option, though; he wasn’t so cocky as to believe every girl or guy would fall at his feet. Besides, she might not have liked it, and all he could do was keep his flirting to a minimum. While toying with others’ emotions was often beneficial to the merchant, he didn’t want to mess with Hotaru. He respected her fiery courage too much.

The woman followed in his footsteps as they walked, and he allowed the silence to persist for only a while. They were perhaps halfway to their destination when he asked cheerfully, “How do you like your pack? I’ve met one of its members before, but I can’t say I know much about it.” An innocent enough question, one that would help him get information on the luperci that lived in Nova Scotia—and one that might be an insight into the she-wolf’s mind, too.

Quickly growing bored, Wilson let out a quick meow; Lev returned in kind, watching as the cat ran toward the undergrowth, his pelt rattling the bushes as he searched for prey. He knew that the tom couldn’t stomach most of his flirting, probably because he couldn’t find a half-decent queen of his own. He snorted and stopped for a moment to watch his friend go before picking up the pace again.




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#17
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



Despite Levent's reassurance that he "remembered the beach," she was still uncertain about following him. Hotaru had no way to correct any directional errors; she was forced to place her complete trust on a total stranger. Needless to say, the blind female was less than thrilled at the prospect. Hotaru hated to be looked down upon or to be pitied. She was strong and could get around just fine by herself...most of the time. Although she enjoyed being doted on by someone she was close to, she disliked the idea of a strange wolf like Levent doting on her. It injured her pride, and in the situation she was in only made his kindness feel like the world was adding insult to injury.



Hotaru was extraordinarily grateful that their walk began in perfect silence. It allowed her to focus on where she was going and on following in his footsteps. Her hulking secui body was just too tired to barrel through the forest. After a long, blissful silence, the male broke the peace with his questions. Hotaru sighed softy, but decided to answer anyways. She owed him at least that much. "Cercatori is a wonderful pack, and I owe them my life. If it wasn't for their inordinate kindness, I... well I doubt I would have survived on my own." Hotaru was normally cautious about her words and what she revealed to others. But she saw no harm in revealing her loyalty to the pack. Her sincerity was deep. Without Skye so generously accepting her, even though she had trespassed, the likelyhood of Hotaru surviving would have been slim. She had only been blind for a short amount of time, and could do little on her own. The safety that d'Arte gave her was enough to allow her to adjust to her dark world.



Red ears flicked forward as Wilson meowed, which was returned by Levent. Hotaru rolled her dark eyes, but said nothing. Bushes began to rustles as the tomcat moved through the undergrowth. One ear tracked Wilson's movements, while the other half-heartedly focused on Levent's footsteps. Unfortunately, the male's pause had gone unnoticed by the blind female and she ran straight into his hindquarters. Hotaru shook her head and growled in frustration. She mumbled an apology while her tail ducked between her legs. Why did she have to be so clumsy?


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Sorry for the shortness; I'm trying to churn out posts and not really think and fluff 'em up. x_x


Levent had failed miserably at gathering information on the various packs of Nova Scotia; he knew that. Even the simplest remark about whether a member enjoyed their comrades or not was a little useful. His dark ears did stand to attention when she mentioned owing the d’Artisans her life, however. Although he had come across the timber woman in a predicament, he didn’t think of her as helpless at all; he was blatantly oblivious to any disadvantages she might have. He made a little sound of acknowledgment anyway, deciding that it would behoove him to meet this “wonderful” pack of hers. He might get something out of it.

Something bumped into his rear when he stopped, and with a soft yip he spun around to look at Hotaru curiously. He might have spared a smile and told her not to worry about it, but the image of her smacking into the tree jumped into his mind. The corners of his dark lips turning downward, he inched a little closer and asked, “Is something the matter?”



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#19
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Hotaru
Sometimes the light that guides us along our paths, is not something that we can see, but something deep inside of us.



Anger boiled up in the female again as her frustration grew. She wasn't normally so clumsy or careless and her lack of dexterity frightened her. Hotaru hated tripping or running into things that others could easily avoid. It was frightening, her world was scary. A single trip meant a fall that would last a lifetime. Hotaru couldn't see the ground, she couldn't tell how far she would go, and that gap lead to her imagination running wild. There were times when Hotaru feared that she would into eternity. Bumping into things created a similar paranoia, but with a more claustrophobic feeling. However, not in a million years would the blind wolf ever admit her fears to another. Father, she subconsciously turned her fear into anger and Levent was unfortunate enough to be the target of her frustration.



"Nothing is wrong with me!" she spat, her scathing words burned her tongue and made her ears flick back. "What's wrong with you? Why would you stop so suddenly? Are you trying to make fun of me?" Hurt filled the female's words as she fought to bring her anger down to a respectable level. Levent should have known better, she thought. Although she didn't want to be pitied, she at least wanted him to understand her predicament and not do stupid things like stopping suddenly or asking her for directions. Honestly, who would ask a blind wolf for directions?



Frustrated out of her mind Hotaru put her nose to the ground and then raised it high in the air. She wanted to know where they were, but refused to ask Levent. It seemed to her that he knew very little and wouldn't be very helpful. The grey wolf took deep draughts of air, her sensitive nose worked to detect any hint of familiarity in the land. Alas, there was nothing she recognized. They were in a forest, but Hotaru didn't know where. If only she had at least paid attention to surroundings more.


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levfeelslikecrapnow and there is pp with them both walkin' again


The timber wolf snarled at him, and Levent’s ears flattened as he took a few steps back in case she might lash out physically. Her words bit into him, and he suppressed a whimper as he wondered what he’d done wrong. She proved herself to be fiery, short-tempered, thus far—but this carried something darker and heavier behind it. When her tone almost grew hurtful, the woman accusing him of making fun of her, he blinked and stared at her.

Realization dawned on him, slowly, slowly, and his intestines twisted themselves in knots as the heavy knowledge fell upon him. All of a sudden it was like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on him, and his expression twisted with shame and grief as he stared at her—at those auburn eyes, so beautiful, so normal, blankly facing him.

Hotaru was blind.

He might have smacked himself and cursed himself thrice for a fool, but instead he spoke quietly to her, his voice hushed and thick with emotion, although what emotions came out he didn’t know. “I’m sorry,” he breathed heavily. “You look—I didn’t—I’m sorry.” He had tried not to stammer, but his pauses came out thickly, and he turned slowly in a circle to face away from her. His ears remained pinned against his skull as he took a couple of steps in the direction of her pack, scuffing the earth with his paws so she could hear him.

“I didn’t know,” Levent murmured as a pathetic last excuse, and then finished with, “Let’s go.” He walked like a defeated man might, his head hunched and his tail low, his paws dragging as much from his emotions as to keep her on track. For the rest of the time, he did not speak, except to mention that he was stopping for a moment when he heard Wilson returning. The cat stared at the two of them, puzzled, a shrew dangling from his jaws, but he received no explanation and only followed them as Levent took up the march again.

At last, the smell of salt graced the wind—as much as the Turkish male wanted to shudder at the stench—and one could catch a whiff of the territory markers. He glanced sideways and stopped again, taking a seat on the earth; he could see the great tree that was Cercatori d’Arte’s beautiful landmark, and he was sure that she could find her way now.

“We’re here, Hotaru,” Levent stated, and went silent again.


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