|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:34 pm
Huni panted heavily, his paws finally slowing. He'd been running for so long, and his legs were aching and throbbing from the strain. But now he was safe. That damn lion he'd stolen from was now long gone. That's the thing about lions, they were incredibly strong, but lacked the endurance to run such distances. But Huni... he had the power to keep going!
Now that he'd caught his breath, the wild dog barked out a laugh, doing a lil dance in a circle. His tail wagged furiously as he set down the bit of meat. It wasn't really much, barely a meal... but he'd taken it, and it was the rush that really fueled him. The best food was food that belonged to someone else!
Machungwa'kweu was tired, and lonely. She had been traveling ever since her parting with the one she had reopened her fragile heart to, barely ever stopping, never for long, and avoiding others like a plague. She was almost back to her original self, but for the one difference. She didn't even have her imaginary friend with her for companionship. No longer did she seemingly talk to herself, she couldn't remember the last time she had used her voice.
Her orange pelt belied her spirit. Within, she didn't burn like fire. No, she was an ember, slowing growing dimmer and dimmer. But she carried on, that was all she knew. Keep walking. Keep going. You'll make it. Time will help. Over and over it repeated in her mind. She didn't even notice the other dog nearby.
The male was too busy scarfing down his meal to notice the other wild dog as well... If he had, he'd have reacted quite differently. Especially around such a cute one.
He finished with one large gulp, letting out a soft belch afterwards, then a victory cry. "AHA! Victory!" He raised his head and howled out with joy, a wide grin plastered across his maw. There was nothing like the rush that came from stealing... Well, stealing successfully anyway. He smirked and huffed, then turned to start trotting again... And saw her. He stopped dead in his tracked, dark eyes widdening with... fear.
Kweu turned her head, pausing when she heard the noise of another, yellow eyes blinking in weak curiosity. What was that other dog doing, acting so happily like that? Surely he knew all that noise might draw another's attention. Just as those thoughts crossed her hazy mind, he noticed her standing there watching him, his eyes widening. Was it fear or simply surprise? She wasn't too sure. She also wasn't sure what she should do. Run? Fight? Flop down there and just let whatever would happen, happen?
For the moment, she just stood, watching him. Eyes blank, tail low, maw bearing simply an impassive line.
Huni felt his heart stop, and his body continued to tense. Ohno... Ohno, ohno, ohno. What was he going to do? There was a GIRL. Right in front of him! He gulped and forced himself to breath, though he already felt a bit dizzy. Speak, Huni, speak!
"...U-uhhh-h..." He blinked slowly, then cleared his throat. "You're.... a.... girl."
Kweu blinked back at him and tilted her head just a bit to one side.
"And you're a male. So?"she asked softly, not so much that he wouldn't be able to hear her, but no louder than that. She still hadn't decided on whether she should flee or not, but for the moment she just stood there. He didn't seem to be a threat, and she was so tired. now was as good a time as any to get some kind of rest.
"Uhh..." He glanced to the side, considering running himself. Then again, he could barely breath, so he'd probably just pass out after a few steps. "I mean... uh..." He glanced back at her, still looking rather terrorfied, as if she were some strange monster.
But then he noticed how tired she looked. Even though he was afraid, he was still a good guy. And any gentleman would be concerned. He tried to push aside his anxietys long enough to speak without stutter. "Are you... alright?"
A small smile crossed Kweu's features, though it was a sad, sarcastic one that didn't reach any higher than her muzzle.
"I haven't been alright for a long time," she replied, shaking her head slowly. After a moment of becoming lost in her thoughts, she returned her attention to the other dog.
"You look terrified." It wasn't a question, merely an observation.
"I... uh." He looked down, his ears laid back while his tail tucked under himself. This was humiliating! Males weren't suppose to fear females like this... Still, he couldn't help it... "I... get... and your... uh... I MEAN... I'm not scared." He raised his head and forced his ears forward, though his tail still instinctivel remained tucked down. He tried his best to look tough and strong.
"What's got you down?"
"I'm just tired of life hurting so much, that's all," Kweu replied with a sigh, sitting down and curling her tail around one side. Why couldn't things turn out al right for her? Her family, her mind, the one time she thought she would finally be happy, all ghosts that still haunted her. She decided to ignore how he had looked at her before. He probably didn't like her point that out. Not that she really cared. She just didn't want to fight.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:23 pm
Huni frowned deeper and nearly jumped backwards when she shifted away, terrorfied of somehow offending or scaring her... And then she'd start crying or something, and lord knows he couldn't deal with that! "Oh, uh... Alright. I understand... Anything I can do?" He frowned at her for a moment, then looked down, shifting uneasily.
"I..." At first she wanted to say that there was nothing he could do to help, but that would be a lie. So she decided to go with the truth.
"I don't know. I don't know what can help. I don't know how to feel better," she replied, shaking her head slowly as she slowly sat down. She slouched a bit, not really caring about her posture.
"Um... well..." His pressed against the back of his head as he watched her. His mind raced through ideas, but she probably wouldn't like stealing, like him... "I.. uh." Around his neck hung dozens of necklaces and pendants that he'd stolen from people or made himself, tiny stones, teeth, and feathers tied together. He dipped his head down and hanked one off. One of his lesser rare ones. He wanted to be nice, but he was still greedy. It was a shiny red and orange stone, well polished and set onto a long woven string woven from grass. "These things make me happy." He muttered between clenched teeth.
Kweu watched the male remove the necklace and smiled a tiny bit. It was an admirable gesture.
"Then you should keep it. That you would offer it to me makes me happier... a bit," she replied and nodded her head slowly. He was a nice dog. But so was... She shivered a bit and shook her head.
"I couldn't take it."
Are you sure?" He frowned, his tail tucked under a bit. "I don't... ah... mind. I have a lot of them." He paused, looking embarassed. "As if that isn't obvious..."
Kweu stood and carefully walked towards him. She picked up the necklace and put it back around his neck.
"I'm sure. But... thank you," she repeated. She was sure that he would not like the gesture, but it would be the easiest way to prove she didn't want him to part with it, as well as get the necklace back around his neck. No one had really ever given her anything before, not even her own mother.
He yelped loudly and nearly fell backwards when she drew closer, even more so when she nearly touch him! His mind raced with irrational fears and insecurities until he was almost dizzy. "U-uhh..." He crawled backwards a bit and frowned at her- or more like the air just to the side of her head. He couldn't look her in the eye. "Alright... If you say so."
Kweu's ears drooped a bit but she stepped back after she had finished.
"I'm sorry..." she replied, taking several more steps away before sitting back down. She couldn't look at him any more than he could look at her. Gods, she missed Motu, even if he was just a figment of her imagination.
"N-no! I... uh!" He was even more embarassed and anxious now... He'd offended her! Gah... please don't cry, please don't cry! "I'm sorry, I just.. I... u-um..." He sat up strait and looked down, lips curled downwards nerviously. "Just... nervious..."
"It's okay. I was just apologizing for making it worse." Kweu looked up at him and shrugged a bit.
"I'm not mad or anything. You don't really have anything to be nervous about," she added, her gaze flicking away. She didn't quite understand why he was so flustered. Was he afraid of females? Or maybe other wild dogs. She knew she had been like that once. But she had gotten over it, only to get hurt even more.
"I... uh... I know... I just..." His shoulders slumped a bit and he looked down. "Sorry." He said again. He wasn't sure what else to say. Suddenly he stood, eyes wide as he blinked at her. "Food! I'll catch you something to eat! THat's what I'll do..." He walked around in a circle franticly for a moment, then darted off before she could really object.
Kweu's mouth opened to do just that, but he was already off like a shooting star, intent on getting her something to eat. She looked down at her stomach at the thought of food, trying to remember when she last ate. She couldn't.
So she laid down, curling up a bit to wait for him to come back. IF he came back, that is.
It was hard for him to really find something, with him being so nervious... But he did return a bit later, holding an old rabbit in his teeth. He barked softly whe he got close, rushing over to drop the hunk of meat beside her. Then he stepped back, grinning goofily but awkwardly.
Kweu had dozed a bit while he was gone, but stirred slowly as he approached. She was used to waking slowly; most of the time in her youth if she jerked awake, she was struck in what her pack-mates called self-defense.
She blinked at the rabbit for a minute before actually smiling at the other dog, if only a little.
"Thank you... I... I don't think you ever gave me your name. My name's Machungwa'kweu," she said softly before dipping her head to eat the meat he had brought. It was a little tough, but her stomach didn't complain. Food was food.
"Ah, it's uh.." He smiled, though it was a nerviously awkward one. He moved back and laid down, letting her eat in peace. "Huni... S-silly name... Yeah... but... yeaah... It's um, nice to meet you. Machunga-wakeke...um. Do you have a nickname?"
Kweu chuckled a little bit. She'd had others have difficulty with her name before, but his pronunciation amused her.
"Kweu. One of my... friends, he used to call me that," she replied, sighing at the end. She really had to wonder, was she better off in her bouts of madness rather than sanity? At least when her mind was hazy, she was never without company.
"Kweu. Ah, good, Kweu... I can remember that." He was slowly becoming less anxious, especially when she didn't seem as sad. Until... she sighed. He looked incredibly paniced, fur bristling. "Icancallyousomethingelse!"
Kweu perked, a bit startled at his exclamation and slowly shook her head.
"No, I like being called Kweu. I was just remembering something..." she paused there, smiling in an embarrassed fashion. "It's kind of silly..."
"Oh, ah... Are you sure? I can try to remmeber your full name! Im sure it won't be too hard... Yeah... Um.. It was.. Machu...wa...kako... Uh... No... Mikugike..." He looked down, frowning deeply as he tried oh SO hard!
Kweu chuckled again and shook her head.
"No, it's alright, it is a long name. I think the only reason I know it myself is because it was the only nice thing my mother ever gave me," she replied with a shrug. Huni was a really nice dog. He was different from Haveo, seemed younger. He tried a bit too hard, but his flustered state was... cute.
He nodded a little, nose pointed down at the ground. "Mm.. yeah..." He muttered, glancing at her awkwardly. The wold dog settled down and plucked up a couple pieces of grass, carefully weaving them together. It was a nervious habit, but he seemed fairly skilled at it. "I wish I had a different name... I-it's kinda silly, more of a girl's name really... Huni..."
Kweu shrugged a bit.
"I like it. It's short and easy to remember and..." She shrugged when she couldn't find anything else to back up her statement. She frowned a bit at his weaving. She'd never seen that before and it... intrigued her.
"What are you doing?" she asked, a bit of curiosity slipping into her voice.
"Weaving..." He muttered, eyes focused on the long pieces of grass. He held the strands securely under his paws, shifting them around and using his teeth to tie them around each other. After several minutes he held up the strand in his teeth, revealing a small make-shift rope. "It can be used to make other things."
Kweu blinked and perked her ears forward.
"Oh, like your necklaces, right? Where did you learn to do that?" she asked, glancing up at him for a moment, loosening up and forgetting her problems, for the time. She was just talking with him, no harm in talking. It wouldn't hurt when they parted company, not after a little talking.
"It's.. not that hard, r-really... And I just kinda taught myself." He smiled shyly at him. "I could help you make one if you wanted... T-then you could keep it without feeling bad!"
Kweu thought about it for a bit, bitting her lower lip softly with her thinking.
"I... I guess, if you really want to," she finally replied. Honestly, she didn't like reminders, not any more. But... But she always liked learning new things. And his weaving looked rather fun.
He frowned a little, laying the strand aside. "It's okay, um, we can do something else if you'd prefer..."
"Oh! No, actually, I would really like to learn. I just wasn't sure you really wanted to teach me," Kweu replied quickly, offering him a reassuring nod. The idea of learning something new outweighed carrying around a reminder of another "friend" gone.
"Oh, ah, sure." He smiled at her. It was sincere, even if it was still awkward and rather terrorfied. "I mean- nothing else, really... to do..." He scooted closer slowly, plucking up a few more pieces of glass grass. "Here... Ah, tie them in a knot at one end."
Kweu took the grass and tried to remember how he did it.
"Like... this?" she asked, doing her best. It was a little loose, but it was more or less the same knot he had done on the first bit of weaving he had worked on.
"Ah, yeah, thats fine. Should work... Now... here." He took up a few strands of his own, so he could show and do it with. Once they were tied, he held the tied end down with one paw and slowly and carefully started to braid the strands together. "See? Just one over the other."
Kweu watched him as he put one over the other, doing her best to memorize the motions before attempting them herself. They were a bit awkward at first, but she was a fast learner. In little time, she was smiling and looking up at him for approval.
"Did I do it right?" she asked, her ears pricked forward expectantly. Approval. Such a tiny thing and yet so great to one such as herself.
"Yeah!" He agreed, nodding eagerly. "It's a tiny bit loose, but it's great! They get better with more practice and stuff, you know.. Here, let's make another. With a few of em' we can make a necklace or something..." He reached over and gnawed off a couple more bits of grass, then set to work making another... He was defenitly more at ease now, though he made a point not to get too close to her.
Kweu picked some grasses for herself and did as he did, making another. And then another. Halfway through the third braid she realized she was having fun. Her paws stopped moving and her gaze unfocused between the unfinished braid and the ground, throat closing painfully again as she was reminded how it wouldn't last. Huni'd have to go sooner or later and then she'd be all alone again, with only her ghosts for company.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 10:57 pm
Huni finished his own strands, ignorant to her pain. Until he stood, smiling brightly as he was about to explain the next step.. And noticed her expression. He paniced, his fur once again bristling. "Wh-what's wrong...?"
"I..." Kweu started, but shook her head slowly, closing her eyes.
"You're going to have to leave, and I'll be all alone again. I... I just hate it..." she answered, lying down and scrunching her eyes closed, crossing her paws over her muzzle. "Why does everyone always have to leave?"
His heart felt like it was going to explode in his chest. He stared down at her with wide eyes, his tail tucked under. In reality he wanted nothing more than to just run away at that moment. But... then she'd be even more sad, and he'd only be fufilling HER fears. He couldn't do that...No matter how much he wanted too.
"Um. I.. could um... I dunno, I could stay? For a while at least?" He frowned, ears back.
Kweu shook her head slowly, her ears down.
"That just makes it hurt more. You stay with someone and you get all nice and happy and then one day they just aren't there anymore. All you've got left is echoes of the past and yourself. I don't know what's worse, being alone for a long time or suddenly becoming alone," she replied, moving her paws to stack in front of her eyes. It was hard to get close to a flame after being burned, no matter how warm or comforting it was.
"I... Kweu..." He frowned deeply, unsure and confused. "D-do you want me to leave? Or stay? Wh-what do you want me to do? ...I'll do it... Oh please don't cry." He fidgeted and started to pace, though his eyes stayed mostly on her.
"I don't... I'm not going to cry. I WON'T cry... Can't... I don't know what I want," she replied, getting frustrated with it all. She didn't want to be alone, but she didn't want to get attached to anyone anymore. Hell, even her imaginary friend up and left her.
"I don't know... I'm sorry..." It was all she could think to say.
Huni just... stood there, frowning. He waited for her to make up her mind... And if she didn't.. well, he'd stay there until she did. Slowly, anxiously, he stepped closer to gently nudge his cold nose against her cheek. "It's okay..."
Kweu shook a bit at his touch, took a small breath and sighed.
"I just don't want to have to deal with that anymore. And I don't know how," she replied, a bit of calm finding its way into her voice.
"Well, um..." He tried to think of the right words... he really wasn't that good at comforting people... "Y-you know... Um... You could... come with me? I mean, me... us. I'm in a pride. They're all felines, but they're really nice! We... wander around. That's what we do-we travel and... find what it is we love. You could travel with us-ah, if you wanted... And you could leave if you decided to... But it'd be your choice, not anyone elses..."
Kweu sighed but thought about it for a few moments. A pride of only felines, and Huni. He was the odd one out, being the only dog, just like she had been when she was young, only it sounded like his pride didn't care much that he was a dog. She certainly wouldn't be alone there. But did she really want to try again? It had been hard to trust another pack... Maybe cats were nicer than dogs and this would work out. A small bit of hope blossomed in her.
She looked up at him, uncertainty, but a willingness to try in her eyes.
"I'll... I'll try, if you don't mind me coming..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:12 pm
He blinked, a little suprised when she accepted. He wasn't particuarly unhappy, but he didn't think she would accept so easily either. Then again.. the thought of being in this constant state of fear and anxiety was... mindnumbing. He couldn't help but mentally dread that. He kept those thoughts away for his expression though.
Instead he smiled, nodding. "I don't mind... Just don't be sad anymore, ya?"
Kweu smiled softly at him. That was a hard thing to do, when you had had a life such as hers, but for him, she'd do her best. He was nice enough to invite her back with him to his pride, even though she had the feeling her being a girl made him uncomfortable. She wasn't too sure why, or whether he had that problem with the other females in his pride, but she wasn't going to pry.
"Okay," she replied as she sat up, sniffing and rubbing her nose with the back of one paw a bit. "I'll try my best not to be sad."
He nodded curtly, looking a touch more relieved. "Good... There's nothing scarrier than a sad female. Now... come on, wanna finish your necklace? Or do you wanna just...um. I duno... do something else?" He fidgeted a little, unsure what ELSE they really could do.
Scary? How were sad females scary?
"How was I scary?" she asked, unable to stop herself. She looked down at the unfinished braid and picked back up where she left off, wondering what he meant.
"Uh... well.. I mean..." He sat heavily and frowned, watching her braid as he fought for the words. He didn't want to offend her, after all. "I just mean, that... it's really sad, you know? To see girls cry. So I'm always afraid they will, and I'm terrible at making people feel better."
"Oh... well... Sometimes we just have to cry, you know? Sometimes it makes us feel better afterwards," she replied as she finished up the braid. Maybe one more, and then she could ask him what to do next. So she broke some more grass and started again.
"But I think I'm done crying for a long time, even if I seem like I might. So I don't think you have to worry about that. Do you get flustered around the females in your pride?" She didn't look up, focused on the grass.
He shook his head, settling back down close to her. His tail occasionally thumped against the ground, bringing up a puff of dust. "No... I guess cause they're felines.. I mean, they're my family... But I know they can take care of themselves. They're just... different..."
"Oh... What do I do now?" Kweu asked, looking up and then nodding at the braids of grass. She figured if she was going to be hanging around him, it would probably be better if she didn't ask too many questions. Gods knew SHE didn't much like talking about herself.
"Ah, alright... Now we need to find something to go on them. It can be whatever you like, really... lighter things are easier to tie on though. Maybe a flower or feather or something..." He stood againd and looked around, peeking out over the long grass for any signs of color.
Kweu looked around too, but didn't see much, really. Maybe she should save it for when she found something really special.
"Maybe... I should wait, until I come across something really special." Like a bright yellow and gold and orange feather, she added in her mind. Wouldn't that be wonderful, like a small connection to the friend she never really had. Motu may not have been real, but he had been her only friend in a time when she should have had many. To find something even close to that... She could only hope.
Huni blinked back at her for a moment, then nodded, smiling. "Alright... Here, we'll tie it so you can wear it at least, can you can add onto it later!" He gestured with a paw to the strands. "All you have to do is tie the ends together into a loop."
Kweu nodded and tried her best to tie them together. She wasn't very good at it, a fact she found as she frowned over them. She tried again, to no avail. Tying strands together was easier than making a loop, apparently.
"Oh, here... I'll help." He scooted closer and took a couple stands, slowly tieing them together so she could see. It was a bit trickier, but managable. Once they were all tied he scooped it up in his teeth and slipped it carefully around her neck. "There... It looks nice."
Kweu smiled a bit at his help, in both tying the first two together and getting it around her neck.
"Thanks..." she said and looked around.
"Where were you heading... when you saw me, I mean?" She'd feel a bit bad if she had detained him from something, but if he was heading home, well... Maybe they should start heading that way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:01 pm
"Oh... No where really! Well, I mean... I was heading back towards the pride." He nods slightly, then glance around in an attempt to reposition himself in his surroundings. "I... think it's that way..." He lifts a paw slightly, as if to point.
"Oh... Okay," Kweu said in return and looked away, in part from thought but also because this was starting to get to the long awkward silences portion of a somewhat awkward meeting. She fidgeted a bit, her paws wanting to get moving again, but not wanting to be the first to say "go", especially since she was the one following him for the time being.
"Well... um." He glanced anxiously back to her for a moment, then forced a smile, ears perked. "You ready to go? They shouldn't be too far off... A few hours away, at most..."
Kweu nodded slowly, doing her best to match his smile. It was hard to do, not really being in practice recently and whatnot, but it was still something of a smile.
"Lead on," she replied, standing and waiting for him to start off in the direction of his pride.
He nodded in reply, shifting anxiously before he started to trot off through the tall grass. His tail twitched back and forth lazily as he moved, occasionally glancing at her to make sure he followed. He walked mostly in silent, occasionally making small talk... He was mostly burried in his own thoughts... What the heck had he gotten himself into...?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
