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 Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2013 12:36 pm
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Taigi sighed softly as she moved from her den. It was rather big for just one wild dog, but she had big plans for the future! A hopefully soon-to-be loving mother and mate, while watching over the young of the pride on top of that. There was very little she enjoyed more than being a doting motherly type, and she had become a nanny upon her return from her star quest to help fill the void of having no pups of her own. She had certainly met some...interesting wild dogs on her ventures, but none that she felt that connection with.
The moon had just risen by the time she reached the edge of the pack lands, where the river divided a portion of the rouge lands from their own. She lowered her head to drink, lapping happily at the cool water. Despite the void in her life, she was quite happy to be home. She had been out in the rouge lands for so long that she almost forgot the satisfaction of being around her family. It really was a blessing to have been born with a doting father and caring, if spacy, mother.
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 11:19 am
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Vumbi was used to walking at night, and that was still part of his routine. Some things were just hard to break away from, and he chose not to change his habits just because the world around him had changed.
One thing he was still not used to was not having a family or community around him. It was a shame, really, not to be able to feel those bonds of friendship every day, instead wandering alone under the stars and hoping he might come across a new home.
He supposed it could be worse, though, and he kept his spirits up that way. He smiled to himself as he padded along, always keeping his mind on the future. There were good things out there, he just had to find them.
He smelled something nearby, the scents of Wild Dogs nearby. He moved toward it, padding quickly as the scents got stronger. Was this a pack? Would they be friendly? There was really only one way to answer those questions. He found himself at a river, and he saw a female drinking from it. He hesitated, clearing his throat before he slowed his pace and drew closer cautiously.
"Hello, miss." |
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 11:45 am
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Having her nose in the water dulled her senses, and Taigi didn't notice that she wasn't alone until she heard a voice. Never one to be too worried, she lifted her head calmly and glanced in the directed the sound had come from. When she spotted a strange wild dog, her tail began to wag. Oh, someone new!
"Hello, sir," she returned, full of wagging tails and smiles, her ears turned forward in interest. She had never seen him nor smelled him before, which marked him as a rouge. Always one to enjoy meeting new people, she didn't hesitate to walk down her side of the river to be even with him, rather than a few paces to his left.
"What a lovely evening it is," she commented, slightly distracted by the heavens as she paused across from him. Her eyes locked on her constellation with a grin, but not wanting to be rude, she quickly turned her gaze back to him. "I don't think I've seen you before...are you new around this area?" She knew wild dogs would wander the rouge lands to come and join her pack, but she had never seen someone do that before. There were always new members to meet, but this...this was a first for her. How exciting!
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 1:40 pm
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He smiled at the tail wagging and decided that this girl was probably a very nice girl. That was a good sign: if she was nice, she was probably part of a nice pack? That was a reckless thing to think but he had no evidence to the contrary and was more than happy to think the best of new people before jumping to anything negative.
Anyway, he was the one that was trespassing, so she had every right to be mad at him if she wanted to be.
There was a river between them, anyway, so that was fine. Neither of them seemed violent, but the distance would keep them both on level playing fields, and feeling comfortable, right? It was just a help. He smiled at her and nodded his head.
"Yeah, it is lovely. I always like the night, though." He chuckled.
He sat down, tail wagging lazily behind him.
"I was just passing through I guess. I smell a lot of others here though, so I'm guessing this is a pack? It's been a very long time since I've been able to find a pack, or be a part of one..." |
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 3:28 pm
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"Me too," Taigi said quickly, her eyes lighting up. Another wild dog that liked the night! It was a surprise he wasn't in the pack, if she had to be honest. Most wild dogs preferred to be out and about in the day time, but every now and then you'd find a lone dog who enjoyed the night sky rather than the day.
As he went on about the possibility of a pack, Taigi began to pick up her front paws quickly in an excited little dance. "Yes, this is a pack! This is the Nyota-Wasomaji, and we love the night and the stars. We're always very active at night because of it." Tilting her head just a bit, she stilled her excited paws and moved forward just a bit, her toes in the water.
"You know, we're always accepting new members. Especially those who love the night," she said, trying to keep her voice even, but it was very difficult. The thought of another wild dog joining the pack was very exciting and she was very nearly trembling in delight. "If you wanted, you could come across the river and see if it's a place you'd like to call home! I'm Taigi, by the way," she added, flashing him a grin as her tail continued to wag like crazy. "I grew up here. It's very lovely and everyone's always so happy. I could give you a little tour!"
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Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:28 am
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"Vumbi tilted his head at the pack's name, ears perking forward. It was a lot of words for someone so used to short names and simple words, but that just made it sound exotic in its way. He smiled at the idea, nodding his head head as she explained that they liked the stars.
It sounded like a nice place, and it seemed almost too perfect a fit for the night dwelling wild dog. How had he not found this place before?
Maybe something had drawn him here, at this moment, to meet her and learn about this place. He could have just passed it by.
"You are? Well, I wouldn't mind taking a look at the place! It sounds like a nice home so far, and honestly, I'm tired of walking around and not having a home. And without many other creatures out at night, it can get a little lonely with my travel schedule.
"My name is Vumbi. It's very nice to meet you, Taigi! Uhm." He looked at the water, looking for a good place to cross. "I'll be right over!" |
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Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:43 am
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Taigi nodded in sympathy, knowing all about the pains of traveling at night. During her star quest she had traveled at night and had suffered quite a bit for that reason. She was so used to being around other wild dogs that being alone for so long had been part of the reason she had taken quite some time in finding her constellation.
"Nice to meet you as well, Vumbi," she said, wagging her tail as she jumped to the left and started to walk. "Come down this way! There's a little shallow bit further down." Leading the way for a few minutes, she paused when she spotted the little ripples on the surface of the water, indicating the sandy, slightly rocky bottom of the stream was close to the top of the water line.
"Here we go," she said, sitting down so she wouldn't dance around in excitement. He was so close to making it into the pack's lands and, honestly, she couldn't wait to show him around. He seemed so kind and sweet, just from their few minutes of talking. "Now you shouldn't have to worry about getting too wet."
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Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:50 am
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Vumbi nodded his head and bounded after her, on the opposite side of the river as she led him down to where he was going to be able to cross without drowning himself. He did not want to get completely soaked if he could avoid it, after all.
He bounded as he pranced down to the shallower water, tail high and wagging behind him in his excitement. He was not sure what he was going to do when he got over there, but he was happy just to be somewhere new and with dogs like him that he could talk to and hang out with.
It was a very nice change of pace.
"Oh, this looks good, thanks!" he bounced over the rocks, splashing a bit and losing his footing, so getting rather wet regardless of his efforts, but now he was in too much of a hurry to care. In a flurry of splashing legs and excitement he got to the other side, panting and grinning at her as he climbed onto the bank. |
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Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 2:07 pm
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Taigi tried to keep her excitement from showing, but it was hard. She wiggled in place, switching between play bowing and spinning in small circles while Vumbi crossed the river. Once he was over - very wet, but safe - she bounded forward happily to sniff his cheek curiously. He smelled like the rouge lands, smiles, and just a hint of something else she couldn't quite put her paw on. It was a good smell, though, and it made her even more excited.
"Come on, come on!" she barked, jumping forward happily, bending just a bit as her tail wagged behind her like a flag. "There's so much to see! I should show you the dens first! Or maybe the feeding grounds, or the star gazing field! Or maybe the forest, or my family, or...or..."
She realized she might be overwhelming the poor male and, after a moment, sat down to calm herself. "Sorry," she said weakly, her ears drooping as she smiled apologetically. "Are you hungry? We should do what you want first. What would you like to see?" Ack, too many questions, Taigi, stop it, you're going to scare him off, he'll run right back over that river and disappear and there goes your new friend...
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Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2013 4:27 pm
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Vumbi smiled and bounced after her, laughing as he went. It felt so good to be near others again, he was lost in how much fun it was just to have company again. Even a stranger was better than being alone, and they did not have to be strangers for long. After all, they were already introduced, and now he was seeing this pack.
For all he knew, this was the start of a new path for him. From here on out, some great things could happen.
"Show me everything! If you don't mind, I mean! If everyone is half as nice and accommodating as you are, I think I could really find a home here." He wagged his tail behind him, trotting along at a bit of a dance like canter, head held high as he looked around curiously. He did not seem put off by her questions and hardly noticed her apology.
"I'd really just like to see things first, I are not too long ago, and this place looks and feels and smells wonderful." |
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:25 pm
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Taigi stood up as Vumbi spoke, her tail wagging happily. He didn't seem too upset by her enthusiastic way of speaking, which was good. If Taigi was one thing, it was energetic. She bounced around the male before heading off into the pack's lands, trotting happily, tail held high.
"Great! It really is wonderful here," she said with a happy sigh as she trotted along. "I had to go into the rouge lands before I became an adult and oh...it wasn't fun. I was so glad when I got to come back."
She started off with the dens since they were fairly close to them, and then moved around the pack. She finished with the huge, open field that let them have an unobstructed view of the stars. "Well...that's most of the pack lands. There's more in the woods and along the rouge lands, but...the important parts," she said as he flopped down and rolled to her back to gaze up at the sky.
"Do you think you'll stay?" she asked after a moment, twisting her neck the other way to glance at Vumbi.
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2013 12:33 pm
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Vumbi wagged his tail and nodded a few times, looking around and getting caught up in the excitement of a potential new home. He was fairly easy to please, but this was going above and beyond what he had been expecting. A pack of wild dogs that enjoyed the night like he did?
How did he get so lucky?
"This place is lovely," he said, after the tour, nodding his head in approval. Not that he needed to approve of the place, it was his new home and he knew it before she even asked. If they would have him, anyway. He had already made a friend, and the place seemed like a very good fit for him. Or he was a very good fit for it. Either way.
He rolled onto his back near her, watching the stars.
"I'd like to, if you'll let me. I think this place is perfect. I think I might be dreaming or something." |
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:36 pm
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Vumbi smiled brightly at her, letting her put her paws on him and not minding in the slightest. If he was a cat he would be purring, he was so happy. But he was a dog, so he just wagged his tail and watched her with a supremely happy look on his face.
"I came from another pack, but it went away. I haven't had any home since then, and have been living in the rogue lands, mostly alone. Which sucks and is very boring."
He smiled at her and shook his head.
"But the past is the past, and I am looking forward to a new future! This is where I can start over, I think. And I think I'll be happy here! I would like to think about that, instead of focusing on the things I've lost. Thank you for showing me around, and letting me stay here. I think this is the start of something great." |
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Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2013 1:35 pm
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"It went away?" Taigi asked, tilting her head. That must have been awful! She wasn't sure what she would do if her pack ever went away...maybe stick around with her family. They were large enough to start their own pack, most likely. With mom and dad the total was ten!
As Vumbi continued, though, she nodded and gave a happy little yip. "I look forward to it too! Being home is so great, and now you're here so that's great. I've really only grown up around my siblings so a new friend is awesome. Plus you're very nice," she added, her tail thumping against the ground. She pulled her paws back to roll to her back once again, lifting a paw up to the stars.
"We make pictures in the sky here. There's lots of constellations for you to find and learn about. Want to see mine?" she asked, tail wagging furiously. She didn't get to show off her own personal constellation all that often.
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