Once Clear Waters [PRP-Tarot]

[sarhea]

Deep red-orange beams of sunlight spread across the afternoon sky in the wake of the setting sun. The gulls still flew overhead, trying to find their last bits of food before heading to roost. Fall was quickly setting in all along Scatterstone. The trees had begun changing color, dropping their leaves, which now skittered across the treeline and salt grass that seperated the beach from the forest. Even the salt grass was turning from green to hues of gold before it went dormant for the winter.

Shanda sat perched atop the large boulder at the water front, the boulder at which she had first met Tarot on his rocky end of the beach. She had not seen the small male now in months, not since the days following her recovery. She did not know where he had gone-but he always seemed the restless type, one to go on soul searching adventures. Maybe he'd gone to find his crazy brother-she could only imagine. Her gaze turned toward where his majestic cavern lay hidden amongst the rocks further inshore. She had not been there in weeks. She slid off the rock, and began to trot in that general direction.

As she neared the maze of boulders, there were no new scents of wolf, and any remaining scent had faded to barely noticable. She felt a pang of sadness, loneliness, but quickly shook it aside as she made her way through the maze. At the cavern's entrance, she paused, looking at the deserted scene before her. Sand, grass, and old leaves lay scatter about the cavern floor; it was not the picture of perfect cleanliness that she had remembered. Even the small remnants of the past meals that had made the place feel more homely were gone, most likely stolen by scavenger animals desperate for a meal. She shook her head and sighed as she made her way inside. She leaped to the top of the large grouping of rocks that had once been Tarot's "throne". The gulls had found their way in here, leaving their nasty droppings all about. She wrinkled her nose in great distaste at the sight-Boy, Tarot would not be very happy to see the status of his once grand home....

A glittering of golden red light beamed in and bounced off the walls from above. She looked up, suddenly remembering the secret ledge above, Tarot's mystical place. She had not been up there since he'd led her up there so long ago, so it seemed. Should she go up there? Curiosity tugged at her soul, but she couldn't help but feel that it would be violating his special place. But the urge to go was stronger than her worry, and she slowly made her way to the tiny, narrow hidden ledges that ran up the rock back of the cavern. The last jump at the top was made, and Shanda found herself on the once spotless rock sanctuary. At the opposite end, the hole in the cavern top allowed the orange light of the setting sun filter through...and the small pool....

She closed her eyes, remembering the day she'd come up there before-Tarot had seemed so strange that day-so mystical and wise. She opened her eyes once more and slowly came up beside the pool. No longer was the water crystal clear. Leaves and debris from the passing months had found their way to the waters, littering the surface and clouding it's purity. A sad sigh escaped her maw as she crouched down at it's side. This was really sad-this had to be remedied. She slowly stuck a large paw to the surface, scooping a cluster of floating leaves and grass from the surface.

What would Tarot think if he found his home in such shambles....

[tarot]

*Well..he had dictated that today would be the day he would return to his palace. Where had been, one might ask?*

*Where else...hiding...*

*After the early spring brough on such things as freak snow storms, coastal flood, and homicidal brothers, the cowardly little Tarot decided it was a perfect time to high tail it to highter ground...you know..just until things cleared up. No one could really blame him, there was a wolf easily twice his size with some insane mental issues hot on his tail. But it had been a whole summer now, and if Devi hadn't surfaced yet, chances are, he wouldn't again. Had this been a year earlier, Tarot would have packed his preverbial bags and hit the road, but the joker mystic had fallen in love with the beach. The sound of the pouding surf, the amazingly perfect palace with it's own private labrynth leading to it, and..well...of course...Shanda...*

*That enigmatic hybred had captured his imagination and his heart. Large, yet seemingly so small and femine...and when she wasn't playing THAT card, she was strong, capible, intelegent, brave...most everything the little charming worm that was Tarot wasn't. It was her scent, her face that had plauged him on his 'stratigical hiatus'. Last he saw her, she was sleeping comfortably on his throne, recovering from the attack of his evil twin. Was that maze of deep snow and forboading boulders enough to keep his brother away from her? Or was that why Devi never pursued him...he had satisfied himself on the blood of a female... The tiny male litteraly had to stop and shake that thought off himself before returning to his decent of the mountainside. That was NOT an option. The worst of it would be she, in most likeliness of a loner, would have moved on by now...at least farther away...away from, Tarot chuckled, 'the muddy side of the beach.'. It truly hurt him inside to think he would never meet her again...and that her last memory of the grey wolf would be of him running away from her, and to his home. Tarot was a coward, and he knew it...but ah well...can't change nature...*

*Finally making his way to the shore, the pebbles that made the sand shifted easily under his toes. Even his mixmatched eyes smiled. It was so good to be home! With a varigated tail lifted high and confidently, Tarot made his way through the maze as though he had done it yesterday. How could he forget something he ruled? He was, after all, the rightful king of this beach. The once sleek ruler was very unkempt, trying to survive doesn't leave a lot of time for personal grooming, but there was no mistaking the dwarfed wolf, by eyes of body langue...this was indeed the one and only Tarot. For a moment, he paused at the entrance, looking longingly over his shoulder. Perhaps, he should go check if Shanda still lived at her muddy stump, but upon a second thought, he changed his mind. It was hard enough to live with her imagined absense...he didn't need for it to be confirmed. The little wolf was about 100 yards away from the entrance, only a few turns away, when the first piece of evidence of his absense hit him. Right there, in the middle of the path, was a sunstancial piece of driftwood that had most definatly not been in his path all those months ago. Well! This was not to be accepted! So, the tiny Tarot sunk his teeth into the bark, and began to pull it aside. Upon the first tug, the grey wolf was reminded of his...comparitive tininess. With much huffing, and puffing, and grunting, and groaing, the vile knave of a stick was moved out of the way. Panting, yet thouroughly proud of himself, the jester smirked. He was about to take a proud step forward when...-splat-. Only centimeters in front of him, a vile blob of white splattered about the stones. Indignatly, Tarot looke up to see a gull flapping gently on the amber clouds. Why that little...what a mess the ma...had Tarot no hair on his face, one could see his face turn chalk white. With a few deep breathes, he finaly snarled, and continued on his way to the palace, pace quickened as he shouted to the sky and it's filthy inhabitants.*

Listen here, you slimey son's of dogs! If any one of you flying demons have been in my palace, I swear by all that is holy and not in this world, I will tear every one of your feathers out one by one and have you for dinner while you squack! YOU HEAR ME?!?

*As his head finally swung around to see the entrance, his knees literaly went weak...he really didnt' remember the stones being to white...or there being an unhealthy level of dead leaves in there...he could only stand to look at it only for a moment before he actualy shrunk lower, head hanging, and let out a few dry sobs of desperation. The sobs quickly turned into steady thuds, as Tarot was rythmicly beating his head on the stone doorway.*

Well. -Thump- Tarot, old boy -thump- you sure have -thump- your work cut out -thump- for you...

((SHANDA! WOW! It's great to be playing with you again! I can honestly say, that Tarot is one of my favorite characters. I don't know if it's playing with you, or using him, that makes me write my best! Perchance both?))

[sarhea]

The leaves and grass bits were scooped out steadily, Shanda's concentration on the task so great, that she barely noticed the faint echo of a familiar voice. So deep in thought, she was, that she lifted her head from the little pool, feeling like she was trapped in some strange daydream. Her head heavily turned back to the pool. There was just something about those waters, clear or not, that just mesmerized her. She kept thinking that if she concentrated hard enough, looked close enough, that maybe she would see some glimpse of anything.

A louder voice rang out, shaking her from her trance. Her head shot up, ears straining to distinguish the voice. What was it that she'd heard? Shanda quietly scrambled to her paws, peering over the ledge-god, was it a long way down....Her eyes fixed to the entrance of the cavern. There was something moving about out there, a growing feeling of excitement blossoming within her.

Listen here, you slimy son's of dogs! If any one of you flying demons have been in my palace, I swear by all that is holy and not in this world, I will tear every one of your feathers out one by one and have you for dinner while you squack! YOU HEAR ME?!?

The voice-louder, closer-very familiar. TAROT! He'd returned! Shanda could barely contain herself, her tail beginning to wag so furiously that her whole body swayed with the motion. She tried to move to the tiny rock ledge to get down to meet him, but her excitement was so much, that she nearly slipped on the first step. She quickly decided against trying to get down until she'd calmed herself. Then the thought hit her. She was in Tarot's special place, a place she felt must have been private unless one was invited. She suddenly felt that she should not be up here, even if she had only been trying to help, and didn't know if he would ever return. She tried her best to calm down and pick her way down the path. She made one step before an approaching shadow grew in the entrance of the cave. She scrambled backward until she was once again on the ledge, dropping to her stomach and barley peering over the edge.

Before too long, the seer himself stood in the entrance of his palace. She noticed him quickly wilt at the sight of his once grand abode. He looked very unkept, almost unrecognizable, but she knew it was him. He was the only full blood male wolf she knew that was as small as he was, and those mix matched eyes...the first thing that she had ever noticed about him....She had to fight back her own whines as she watched him take in the sad sight of his home. And then began beating his head on the wall. Shanda's head tilted to the side, her ears falling back. Had he gone mad? Surely not, please not, she begged silently, suddenly unsure.

Should she show herself, let her presence in his secret place be known? Was Tarot sane? She decided to wait just a little longer before showing herself, just to make sure of the situation. After that last encounter with the brothers, any signs of crazy things made her a little wary. She stayed low, watching her only friend with keen blue eyes. She knew it wouldn't be too long that he would pick up her fresh scent....

[tarot]

*What had the fool expected. Some kind, beach fairy to make sure his beloved home would remain clean in his absense? Oh how he wished they would have. Sure, Tarot had a certain attachment to his home. It was exquisit, an absolute one of a kind. There was no way that even this amazing earth could provide it's double. It's size, for one thing, was the first thing one would notice. But the tiny male loved it's subtlties. The throne, the wonderful jutting boulder that proved his place of sublime power. The way the ocean beat on the rocks outside and created the personal orchestra for the king inside. The very rocks that created the almost unnavicable maze that lead those lucky few to his doorstep. The almost surreal and nonexistant staircase that lead to his...well..holy land if you will. That was the place the jester could go and reconcile for the mitake he made years ago. When he was a little Tarot (even littler than he was now...), it was clear he had two gifts, the one of a special sight, and the one of words. The young one made the choice to foster his skill in words, his ability to spin them into a web in which unsespecting flies would willingly fly. Slowly, the sight grew dimmer, and Tarot depended more upon his voice than his eye. These years he spent "ruling" the beach, there were a many a nights where the tiny mystic would just lay by his eerie pool where the laws of evaporation never seemed to effect, and watch it's moonlite ripples, waiting for a sign...of anykind. His head now flopped limp, hanging like a limp mop from his neck. If only he had nurtured his gift...he could find Shanda...*

*Again that female entered his mind. Shanda...that creature who was niether a love intrest, nor trusted friend. The black and white phantom, ever changing roles and faces. A face, that, beacause of time, was almost just that...a face. But for all her beautiful oddities and flightly tendencies, she was the first person to ever enjoy the old fraud's company, not for his words, but for him...himself. Tarot, the tiny, narsisistic, fraudulent, cowardly, and overall, charmingly useless waste of space. Blinking his mix matched eyes slowly, he began to chuckle. It seemed as though he had blown it again. Gone was the only soul he had ever conisdered a friend, and with her, his hope for a happy, fufilled life after Devi.*

Shanda, you old she devil, will you never stop haunting me...

*Now realizing that mouring the loss of cleanliness would not change the state of his palace, he streached out his front legs, wiggling stripped toes to get the blood going. Eyes closed, and mouth moaning in sweet extasy, Tarot began to think of these last few moments, and began to laugh again*

Ah, what would you think of me now...talking to myself, as if I were as crazy as my thrice damned brother...

*As the wolf's eyes opened and slowly focused, the landed on his ledge. Ah, the last dying bits of sun swam freely through the minescule window of his seeing place. As though the beams were reading his mind, they granted his wish. Hazy, at first, through blurred eyes and dim light, the silloute of a wolfdog, tall and full. Honestly, the most beautiful thing to his eye right now. Slightly unfocused eyes smiled, as did his mouth, as he continued to streach his back at stare at his favorite place. But upon taking in a deep, refreshing breath, Tarot blinked, eyes becoming more alive. Sunlight was known to play with the eyes of the weary traveler, but it certainly held no power over the nose...did it? Mouth open just enough, the grey wolf slowly straightened his body to a standing position, eyes never leaving this ghostly visage. No, this couldn't be a vision. The eye catching contrast of black and white sharpened, and showed the wolf that this was INDEED Shanda. His eyes saw, his nose smelled, his heart wanted to believe, it wanted to believe with every beat it thumped. But logic spoke...damn logic, he thought. This had to be real. With no other sound but the distant waves and sea birds, the clicking of his claws on the cold stone floors echoed loudly in this dream. Ears almost flopped limp at the side of his head, the unbelieving eyes of Tarot store up at his ledge*

Shanda...?

*-Lord, please- He though, body tremmblng -if you are there, let this spectre answer me...-*

((Sorry for the wait, been in WY))

[sarhea]

Shanda stayed crouched on the ledge, just out of sight, as she watched with anticipation as Tarot moved deeper into his palace. He'd stopped beating his head on the cave entrance, which was a good sign. Now, he appeared completely defeated, his head hanging limp. Shanda cocked her head at the sight, wondering what was going through that mind of his. Why was he so troubled? She felt a growing excitement building in her, an excitement that she could not suppress, and soon, even her tail began to gently swish back and forth across the stone floor of the upper ledge.

She watched as Tarot stood upon his throne, looking around the expanse of his home. Several times his gaze fell across where she lay, causing her to hold her breath for a split second. All her limbs began to tremble, subtly at first, but growing stronger with every passing moment. Such excitement to come over her was unusual. She did not even know Tarot very well, but he'd helped save her life, and he was the only creature who had not condemed her for her tainted blood. Even when he had ran for his life when Devi went completely insane that night, showing his true colors, she still did not hold that against him. She still could not figure out why she had not done the same. This year she had spent on the beach had been one of extreme inner growth for her-some good, some not so good. And through it all, Tarot had been there. She may not have know it the whole time, but he had been there, watching....

Shanda, you old she devil, will you never stop haunting me...

Her head shot up at the quiet sound of her name. She could tell he'd been thinking, and now, as her name came from his maw, she stood, legs trembling so strongly she felt she'd fall at any minute, her gaze fixed upon the small gray male as he lay stretched upon his throne. But he was not looking her way-deep in thought, an amused laugh coming forth. She wanted so badly to get down from that ledge, to run and greet him, to welcome him back to the beach, but she could not make her legs move as she stood still as stone, excited eyes locked on his position.

Ah, what would you think of me now...talking to myself, as if I were as crazy as my thrice damned brother...

His eyes then fell directly upon her as he smiled. Shanda's heart nearly skipped a beat, her tail beginning to wag furiously, her trembling legs barely able to hold her weight. But he just lay still, gazing up at her as if in a dazed dream. Did he not see her? Finally, a noise of any kind escaped her maw; a small succession of excited whines. He blinked, his gaze never leaving her position. But now a change. The glazed over look those mix matched eyes originally held left, a hint of recognition appearing. Tarot became more alert, sitting up from his slumbering position to standing at full alert, his eyes staring at her in almost disbelief.

Shanda...?

A succession of thrilled yips and whines escaped her maw at the recognition, even if it was in disbelief. A sensation like none she'd ever felt washed over her like a flood. She wanted to run in excited circles, to climb down there and pounce on him.

"Tarot! Tarot, you have come back!" She finally exclaimed, shoving the irresponsible thoughts from her head. Now she was going crazy-run in circles-pounce on other creatures-what was she thinking. But she still could not quite her tremblilng limbs, and the first step she took to make her way down the narrow ledge, she slipped, knocking bits of rock and dust over the side. She caught herself just in time, scrambling backward into a sitting position.

"Tarot! I cannot get down!" she said with a happy laugh, then added once again, "I'm so glad you came back!"


[ah, dont worry about it. I'm very patient when it comes to our rp's well worth the wait. though sorry this one was a little 'off'. Lots going on and I kept getting distracted...shanda's showing yet another hidden side-her long lost playfulness....welll....kinda]

[tarot]

*So many sounds swam in the pool of Tarot's ears. The soft, yet unmercifuly strong waves pounding his cave. The gentle wind skuttling the long dried leaves around his palace grounds. The mournful call of the gulls retiring to thier cliff side nests. The clacking of excited paws, the falling of rocks. But there was nothing, nothing more beautiful than her voice right now. The harsh edges of his concentrated face were slowly rubbed away, to reveil a relieved smile, filled with compassion*

Thank God, the spectre speaks...

*The king stood tall on his throne, his tail high, and face soft. White ruffed neck streached upward to see his enigmatic queen shake like an aspen in the breeze in his holy place. Not even the most gifted artist could replicate a more beautiful scene in the fraud's eyes. Upon his secret ledge stood the gloriously furry woman who drove him crazy. Her beautiful black hair outlined her enchanting blue eyes, and for all her mass, she swayed and trembled like the most dainty faery. This was not the reaction he had expected. Her friend she was so happy to see had ran away, leaving her to the mercy of her beast like brother's jaws. And when she again saw him, he left again, leaving her in his cold palace to fend for herself. Now, Tarot knew little about friendship, being the independant cad he was, but he knew enough to know he had screwed himself in that department. But with the unbrideled excitement in her eyes...how could she had forgiven him so easy? Was this even possible? The sight, the scent, the voice, it was Shanda, absolutely no doubt. Wow...what a glorious lady she was...*

*His ears perked suddenly as he took a swift step forward as the hybred attempted to desend the ledge. There was no way she could, at least not now. It was hard enough for her to scale the almost nonexistant staircase with those cur paws of of hers on a good day. But now, her legs were unstable and weak from tremors. But there was no need to worry, she soon learned that herself. She laughed at her plight, and he couldn't help but smile as she told him. It was almost like a dangerous trap; his favoirte person in his favoirite place. The tiny wolf began to have imaages of her being stuck there forever, to keep Shanda as a beautiful and rare trinket to leave on the shelf of his favorite room. Tarot blinked that thought away quickly, though. He had far to much respect for the stuck mutt...besides, he thought with a wry smile, even if he DID want to keep her all for himself, how was he to do that? Overpower her? Yeah...that would be the day...*

*Instead, the jester mystic fell back in his old bad habbits. Surely, Shanda would know what he was doing. He lifted his lanky form to it's full height, pinned his ears back, and shot her a glance reminisant of a parent sorely dissapointed in a well loved pup. His stripped muzzle cocked slightly to the side, as he clicked his tongue disaprovingly at her predicament*

Well, I suppose that's what you get when you invade someone's very private place, you bad dog...

*Dainty paws began to rise and fall slowly on the hidden staircase. If a lucky human, or even any creature, for that matter, came into the mouth of the cave right now, they would see the mutt wiggling and yipping on a ledge, and a tiny wolf walking in middair to meet her. Tarot loved the spell it wove, hence creating one more thing to love about this mad house of a castle. Halfway up to her, Tarot's face began to slowly melt from the disaproving disiplinarian to the mischivious smirk that was his trademark. Unable to hold it in anymore, his stripped tail began to sway steadily back and forth. With only four steps left, the wolf decided to show off a little, and jump the remaining steps and land in front of his audiance. Between the narrowness of the launching pad, his tiny size, and the distance to the bottom of the cave, it was, overall, a stupid move. When his mussle's snapped, flinging his body through the air, he realized this. But by some mirical, the jester landed almost perfectly on the edge of the ledge. His heart now beating normally, and thankfuly, he went from his crouched landing, to a tall, cocky stance, with a smile right at Shanda.*

Now...

*Tarot's face once again went stern as he walked up to her. He tried as hard as he could to repress the trembling that was begining in HIS legs as he approachded her. Her very scent was intoxicating him.*

What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?

[sarhea]

Shanda stood tall as she looked down from the ledge, her tail never ceasing it's movement of excitement. He still wore an expression that he could not believe it was really her standing there, which caused her to smirk. If she had not let her excitement get the better of her, she could have really toyed with him for once. It was true, she really had good reason to be irritated towards him for leaving her stranded and alone like he did, but they really had no bond that would hurt to break. In fact, she really did not know much about him at all, and neither did he really know much about her. But the simple fact that they both lived in the same territory, that he was the only creature who had been a steady resident, and that he was the only creature that she had come across that gave her the time of day, made him a friend in her eyes. And fraud or not, there was just something about him that drew her like a magnet-his charming personality, the way he made her feel important, that her pathetic little life did indeed have value...

How happy she was to see his pleased smile, to see the compassion in his eyes. He could have been angry with her for being up there. Even as she slipped, the way he lurched forward. As she finally sat, trying to calm her trembling legs, she smiled widely. It made her feel important to know that he worried. Then she watched as a familiar look came over his face....What was that jester thinking now as he looked up at her...she just couldn't place her paw on it. And then that look came...that look that her mother used to give her when she disapproved of what she was doing. Shanda's poor excited heart skipped a beat, she held her breath for a moment. As his ears went back and shook his head as he made his way to the beginnings of the narrow pathway, she felt a familiar pang of worry trying to creep in and spoil her mood.

Well, I suppose that's what you get when you invade someone's very private place, you bad dog...

Instinctivly, she fell to her stomach. She stared at him, meeting his gaze, searching his eyes, hoping that this was just another of his tricks. As he began to make his way up the hidden stairs, the closer he got, the lower her head sunk to the cold stone floor, her eyes ever searching his for that hint of how he was really feeling. It was so hard to know. All the while, her tail still swished across the stone floor. Her mind churned in anxiety....the word dog especially stuck in her mind...she inched back ever so slightly, never taking her eyes off him. She could see him start to break as he made it half way up, the stern look fading, his mischievous smile slowly returning. Why, that dirty prankster! she thought....Scaring me like that! She gave him her own stern, playful glance as he paused, his own tail beginning to take motion.

She pricked her ears forward as he position himself. What the heck was he doing? Surely he was not about to jump? Before she could verbally protest, she watched the jester take flight, her eyes widening in disbelief as launched toward the ledge where she lay. In midflight, he suddenly did not look so confident, and she sucked in a breath as he just barley caught the edge of the ledge, landing crouched before her. He looked as surprised as she was. But that soon passed as he realized he'd made his target. Tall and proud, he now stood, giving her that cocky smile that made her just want to pounce on him and yell at him for scaring her like that.

She jumped to her feet as he started her way, that cocky stern look once again on his face. She was not fooled this time. Her own ears tilted back, her eyes ablaze.

What do you have to say for yourself, young lady?

Her gaze was locked upon him, her mind churning through all the things she could say right now. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she pounced forward, landing squarely in front of him, her face inches from his, her tail carried high in a dominant stance. If one looked closely, they could see the strong mischievousness behind her blazing eyes.

"I say-You are crazy!" She stepped back a few steps. "Do you just enjoy scaring the daylights out of me? I thought you were going to fall!" she said with a snort, turning her back to him and sticking her nose in the air...

"And you have the nerve to call me dog!" she snorted indignantly. All the while, his contagious excitement spread to her as she tried to fight it taking back a hold of her...it was her turn to mess with him...

[gah-please forgive the length-i may edit and take out the many repeats-i've tried to write this for over 2 hours-very distracted by music and telephone calls tonight...hehe..]

[paradigh]

((No worries, dear. Hehe, gotta love a relationship that revolves around messing with each other's heads!))

[sarhea]

[aint that true-and neither one of them knows the meaning of the word! haha-this is just too much fun-regular love stories=boring....screwing with each others minds=fun

If it even ends up that way-love is the LAST thing on Shanda's mind]

[tarot]

*The unplanned 'vacation' he took this summer: Weeks of cleaning to catch up on. Seeing his palace in tatters: a few thunks on his head. Jumping an impossible jump: two years off his life...*

*The look on Shanda'a face the entire time: Priceless...*


*From the playfull look of elation, to the cowering position on the floor, then onto her utter shock, MAN this day was beautiful! His wonderful balloon made of pure masculine ego was inflating beautifuly...until he saw her eyes again...there was a flame in there. For a young hearted trisker, fire was usualy a fun toy to show off with, to prove worthiness...but this was hellfire. The old addage flew his head "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'. The poor, yet fully deserving Tarot was about to learn that the above statement was wrong*

*Hell hath no worry like a WOMAN. Period...*

*Before even his expression could show his thought process of surrender, Shanda leapt, her face showing his fate. When her paws landed and her face found it's way mere inches away from his, his shoulders fell, ears limp, and attempted to scramble away. With wild clacking claws and unsure gasps of beathe, Tarot backed up, almost falling of the edge himself! His ears fell back as he looked up, mouth agaped, at the hybred. Easily, no matter what her fighting expierience, Shanda could flattened the dwarfed male. Soon, he could breathe without taking in her breath as she began to, unfortunatly as he told her, to 'say for herself'. Calling him crazy, swearing he frightened her...then...dog? What was THAT about? Of course he called her a dog, it wasn't the first time! Then finally; that tail flip and nose toss, that seemed a little...wait...dramatic. Damn! That blasted woman had pulled his trick on him. Raising shakily to his feet, Tarots's look hopeless, angry, and almost manic. His voice matched as he pointed a paw right at the back of the devil woman*

You..you...you...WOMEN!

*Throwing his head back on the last word, he staggered over to the pool. Now pointed at it accusingly*

And you! Why didn't YOU ever warn me about them! I swear, if all women are like her, I haven't a CLUE how the species continues! They lie! They play with your mind! And even worse! They ENJOY themselves while doing it! It's like they're...

*The whole shock of the situation of was slowly wearing off, and the mad spalshing he was doing with his paw in the pool slowed. The levity of the whole situation slowly reached his mind, and then his face, and with one more glance at the pool, he added*

Just like me...

*Realizing how stupid he must have just looked, Tarot slowly rose, and turned to face Shanda. With a wry smile and a gently wagging tail, he strode forward*

And Lord knows if the rest of th

*He would let her finish...if she had to...*

((Trust me, love isn't in his either!))

[sarhea]

Shanda felt evil-and was enjoying it. She thought for sure Tarot would see the mischief in her eyes, but when he wilted and scrambled backward at her pounce, claws scraping awkwardly against the stone, almost falling off the ledge himself, she knew that she really had scared him. She almost cut the act when he almost slipped, but caught himself, his eyes wide in disbelief and his mouth agape. But she was having too much fun. Part of her felt sick at torturing him like this-what the hell kind of friend was she? But another part of her, a part of her she didn't even know she had, took hold of her, causing her to dramatically toss her nose in the air like she did. She wanted so badly to turn and take it all back, to say she was only playing, but she stood firm....

You..you...you...WOMEN!

His manic, high pitched and frustrated voice rang out, as she spun in place, just catching his pointing at her before he stormed to the edge of his pool, the realization of what she had just done to him sinking in. Her own expression was now confused. She didn't know whether to apologize or wait out his rant as he began to yell at the waters. Guilt flooded over her as she had to stifle back a giggle-what the hell was wrong with her? When did she become so cruel?

And you! Why didn't YOU ever warn me about them! I swear, if all women are like her, I haven't a CLUE how the species continues! They lie! They play with your mind! And even worse! They ENJOY themselves while doing it! It's like they're...

She listened to his ranting accusations against the female gender, a brow cocked as he suddenly stopped, a look of sudden enlightenment coming over him.

Just like me...

Ah, there it was. Shanda now sat, a wiry smile plastered across her face, a brow raised, a posture of triumph. Though it had not been her intention at all to cause this realization to fall upon him, the pure fun of it all was too much to resist. She'd never considered herself to be a trickster sort, but it was funny how quickly one picked up the habits of others, no matter how brief their encounters...

As he approached, now smiling, totally humbled and embarassed, she couldn't surpress an aloof smile as she turned her head to the side, watching his approach, trying will all that she had to keep her own tail from wagging, from breaking down this charade of hers.

And Lord knows if the rest of th

At that she stood, holding her head and tail high, that aloof grin never leaving her face.

"If the rest of the what-the rest of the species were not so gullible? How else would us women be able to do all you accuse us of, and still the species has not ended."

Ok-where the hell did that come from? Being around Tarot was bringing out something in her that she never knew existed. It was almost overwhelming the empowering feeling that now flooded over her. It almost scared her. But she was enjoying the feeling that she felt she had won. Won what?-she didn't know or care-but it felt good-

[sarhea]

*Bumps for teh Paradigh*

[sarhea]

**OOC: bumpies-feel like continuing this, Paradigh, or we just letting it die?**