Dusk had always been a favored time of Algani's. The air seemed to thin out and become crisper, easier to follow her favorite sorts of scents. Something new had caught her eye on this night, a strange flash in the sky. It disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving her baffled. A star maybe? No, there it was again, but in a different place. There were two! She snapped at one, lifting her front paws up from the ground in an awkward stand. "Come back her lights," she whined, narrowing her eyes as they flickered in and out of view around her.
Yawning heavily Lakeisha shook her head, the necklace at her throat chiming softly. She had dozed all afternoon, too worn out by the heat to hunt any more, but now the air was cooler and she was hungry. Yet there was nothing close by that she could scent so she had stuck off along a faint path, wandering as was her habit. As the shadows slowly lengthened she kept on walking, and very nearly went head-first into... a wild dog.
Blinking, she lifted her head, watching in confusion as the stranger danced about on the spot, front paws waving about in front of her. "Ummm...." Blinking she looked round, smiling briefly at the dancing fireflies before turning back to the bizarre activity of the female not a yard distant.
Algani attempted to pause in midspin and managed to dump herself sideways into a patch of brush. Dry and prickly, the sort she usually reserved for gentle scratching. "Darnit," she snapped as she scrambled to free herself, coming loose in a moment with a coat full of broken bits. Her curses trailed off as she glanced up and noticed the leopardess, her expression replaced by a bright smile. She stumbled over her feet as she righted herself, "Hey there! Are you after the lights too?"
"Ouch.." Wincing as the female tumbled into the prickly bush, Lakeisha stepped forwards, wanting to help but not wanting to cause the wild dog to hurt herself any further. "Oh.. lights?" Glancing round she wondered if the stranger meant the emerging stars, or the fireflies all round the area. "I don't think so?" She tried in answer even as she stepped forwards, glancing at the burrs stuck fast in the female's pale coat. "I can help with those..." She tried, oddly finding herself shy and somewhat on the back paw in the face of this stranger's startling bubbliness.
"Sure," she chirped happily as she pranced to the leopardess's side, arching her back to expose the burs, "It happens a lot, usually I can just roll them off." Her tail was wagging at an increasing rate, it was nice to meet new creatures. They always seemed so, well, shy. Were they really? She wasn't very good at mindreading. She had tried once but the rabbit she had been trying on had gotten annoyed and hopped away after a few minutes. "The lights taste funny, but I keep trying to get them every night," she added, "I think if I eat enough of them I might glow too."
Unable to help herself, she siled in reply to the female wide dog's cheerful manner. Obediently, she settled her rump on the ground and bent over, carefully starting to pluck the burrs from the female's coat, one yellow paw resting on the stranger's shoulder to steady her as her wagging tail made her sway from side to side. Lakeisha wondered if that ever made her unstable, but it seemed like a happy gesture so she didn't comment. After wandering all day earlier on, it was nice to meet someone so up beat. Pausing in her mission to clean the other, she lifted her head and glanced again at the fireflies. "Ive never tried to eat them... though, glowing does sound rather fun." Giggling she plucked another bit of twig off her new companion.
"If it worked I'd never get lost in the dark again," she shouted cheerfully, wincing just a little as the burrs were pulled from her. It got a little easier each time it happened, though she wasn't sure that was a good thing. "If I stay out past dark I forget where my den is," she explained, "And I don't like always having to find a new one." Even if it made her mornings interesting and gave her some reasons to find new color smells.
Pausing at the flinch she tried to be more careful, licking the pale fur with her rough tongue to try and loosen the more well-tangled burrs. Pausing to speak she tipped her head slightly. "Mm.. but wont being all.. glowy.. make it easier for others to see you too? you couldn't hunt well... and those that wanted to hurt you could track you easily...?" Her voice was slow and thoughtful as she pondered the possibility of glowing. Dipping her head she worked at another bit of brush. "Its not good to lose your den though..." she agreed.
She paused, thinking it over carefully, "I guess so, but I could hunt in the dark though and no one has really ever tried to hunt me." Not that she had ever known about at least. If they had they must have been very good. Not good enough to catch her of course, but enough to be avoided. "No, but I find new ones," she quipped cheerfully, "And I decorate them with flowers and things so that I have one of each color around. They all smell so good."
Utterly confused she wondered how ti would work.. if the female glowed like the little dots all around them, any prey would see her coming a mile off.. unless she hunted.. bats? Maybe... Turning the puzzle from her mind she carefully pulled out another burr and dropped it on the ground. "Oh, I can see why decorating anew den each night would be a pain.. Hmm.. maybe you can leave a sigh somewhere? Like.. a flower you like a lot, and leave a bunch close to your den so you can smell it?" Not really understanding the conversation any more, or at least, knowing she did but getting the feeling she was missing something, she glanced at the female again.
Algani yipped a little at the thought, it was brilliant. She wondered how she had never thought of that. If she left a big clump of flowers then she'd be able to pick out that scent and follow it back. Unless someone stole it, well she'd figure that part out if and when she came to it. "Do you have a den?" she asked, waggling a bit as she felt the last few burrs come loose, "And a family? I had a family once but they all went away. I'd like another."
Stepping back once her task was done, she brushed away a few of the burrs that sat on the ground and in danger of reattaching to either the female or herself. "Uh no.. not really a den, though I have sheltered in one a few times.. I usually climb trees.. " Smiling she tipped her head, considering the question. "A family? Not since I left my mother.. I guess, I'd like a family again one day, but I want to be able to care for them... " Blushing a little she wondered how one went about finding such a thing, oh she knew you found a mate first and then the rest followed, but how did you fin a mate?
The dog seemed to gave noticed the blush but shrugged it off as the usual weirdness that surrounded most females. She had never grasped it herself, but perhaps that was because she had never quite grasped a lot of things. "I think they could care for themselves mostly," she suggested, "If you have them in the right place. I've got a brother in a big pack, he's happy there even though he had to change his name."
Blinking she tipped her head at the other female, thoroughly confused now. "I uh.. suppose so..." How could cubs care for themselves, especially without a pack around when they are new born.. but then, she got the feeling the stranger was thinking of a different kind of family. Lost and feeling very out of her depth, she stood up again and smiled. "Its good that hes happy, and a name is only something to call yourself really." Lifting her head thoughtfully she caught sight of the fireflies again. "I'm sure you will find another family." She offered.
"Maybe," she laughed, wagging her tail more cheerfully now that her coat was clean, "I do have a lot more siblings." It was nice to meet someone who listened instead of getting their head all wrapped up in everything she said. It wasn't that difficult, she thought, she didn't use any of those big words some others did. "And if I can't find them maybe I'll find a nice male," she decided, nodding her head, "You can always make your own future."
Giggling as she finally worked out what the other had been talking about, she nodded easily. "Ahh yes. I don;t think I have siblings, but I have always through it would be fun to have a brother or sister. I hope to find a mate one day.. " Dropping her gaze she studied a pretty pebble before reaching out and nudging it closer, though she glanced around them after a moment, surprised at how much darker it had gotten. "The fireflies seem to be going away..."
"They do," Algani said with a pout, "I guess I won't catch enough tonight. I usually try to start finding my den before it gets too cold. If it takes too long then I still have time to find a new one." She didn't really want to go yet, but maybe she would be able to find this place tomorrow night and try again. It was always a toss up on what she would find, what the sun would bring, and whatever she would remember later on. She turned away a little, glancing back and up at the sky, "I think I came from the north."
Lakeisha tipped her head as she studied the wild dog female. "You don't recall where it is?" Ears flicking she wondered if the other had a memory loss problem. She had heard of others with it though had never met one. Pondering the problem for a moment she looked around. "Maybe if you put a certain flower here, you will know where it is, and flowers at your den too... " She offered hopefully, since the female had seemed to like the idea before. Dropping her nose she scented the ground. "I could maybe track your path back to your den.
"Really?" she yipped, bounding on her back feet a few times, "I'd like that. It smells like red and purple and a little yellow." A flower here? That might help, but she didn't smell any nearby. A bit of herself then. She sniffed at the ground, realizing that the burrs already contained a bit of her fur. Absently she brushed them all into a big pile, wincing a bit as one caught on the pad of her paw. She shook it off, offering the leopardess a wide grin, "All ready!"
That stopped Lakeisha and she blinked at the other, this time utterly confused. Though she watched as the other female pulled all the furry burrs into one area, nodding with a smile as she realized what the wild dog was doing. Now.. to the den issue.. "Hmm.." Subtly she dipped her nose and sniffed the female's coat, then took a few steps and sniffed the ground. Finally, she started walking in wide circles, getting larger and larger before she located where the female had actually entered the area. Lifting her head she smiled. "Over here." Grinning at the other she waited till the female was close then dropped her head and started tracking the scent back to the dog's den.
