The Scruffy Elder(Any)

[Shantik]

"Call me a joker, call me a fool,
right at this moment I'm totally cool.
Clear as a crystal, sharp as a knife,
I feel like I'm in the palm of my life..."

As the tune carried from the gruff voice as the ragged-looking dog paced through the alleys, letting his too-big ears fall over to his face. The dog peered around the corner of the alley, out into the main port, smiling in pleasure. What a wondrous place this sea-smelling port was. And how it led him to break into song!

"Sometimes it feels like I'm goin' too fast,
I don't know how long this feeling will last,
Maybe it's only to..."

He stopped, his paws halted just as his voice had. He looked at the boats, curious. Maybe the ocean would welcome him. It seemed his old life was growing dull. He looked around, wondering if there was another dog someplace he could talk to. Flicking his ears out of his face, he looked around carefully.

[Squeeji]

A large dane looking mutt slept casually near the dock yard, he was as big as a house, but as still as the dead. In fact, the beast looked as ghoulish as a corpse, mottled and gray. As his sides moved ever so slowly, his mind started doing devious tricks to his sleeping psyche.

With a few grunts, the shuck twitched, his claws digging into the packed earth as smoothly as it it had been butter, but as soon as he he settled, a wild gold eye flashed open, darting quickly upon the old man terrier.

Murk gave a throaty yawn an alarming sight, given that everyone of his wicked yellow teeth displayed themselves, a stretch later and beast shambled to his feet, all the while his eyes wearily caught on Joel.

"Oi." he said simply, gesturing his head in a very makeshift greeting. "Y'new 'ere?" A few puffing sniffs and it wasn't too hard to figure that he was.

~Green as a pup, but older than a fossil~

Murk shook his head, clearing his mind.

[Shantik]

Joel turned at the sound of claws scraping across the earth and his eyes widened. The sheer size of this dog nearly made him swallow his own togue. He took a few wary steps back, not afraid, but more than a little precautious.

"Y'new 'ere?"

He dipped his head to the other, feeling a little shameful. Was it that obvious? Well, being this close to the sea, he had acted a tad puppish. He frowned, but then tilted his head, a sly grin on his face.

"Maybe. How 'bout you?"

[Squeeji]

"Nay, bourn 'ere." Murk lifted his back paw and scratched a bit of sand fleas he got from laying too close to that damnable sand. "Ah'm Murk." The coarse voiced male had a simple way about him, for now his voice lacked the poetry and prose that it could carry, which was good, usually such a fever pitch didn't come about unless the old dog was half mad with himself.

"Y'dun need t'feel bad ol'lad, I said it...cause ya dun smelt of salt an'guts lioke the rest o'us bastards." He tilted ahead towards the dock workers and their rope dogs, they all had a crusty look about them, and to be certain, they smelled about as good as they looked. "Less ur onna those pet dogs? Ones 'at get a bath f'time to time?"

~Too scrappy for that fool...look, he's too old to be some lady's pet dog!~

Murk twitched, his mind was making him think things, it was troublesome. More comfortable around the terrier Murk slauntered over a bit closer, his nose still testing the air, "Bawt...I fear t'say...ye dun look the part...so' I assumed...ye ain't f'round 'ere."

[Shantik]

Joel smiled at the Dane's explanation, understanding. He didn't stink like the rest of the sea-dogs, so he was ruled out as out as one. He tilted his head to the other side and nodded. He looked down at himself, then at the massive dog oppisite him as he approached. Maybe it was his longer fur compared to shorter, but Jo could now fully see his scruffiness. He sighed and changed the subject.

"I'm Joel. You?"

(My keyboard is acting up BIGTIME so sorry this takes so long...)

[Squeeji]

"Ah said, m'old Lad, ah'm Murk...it ain't a verb, tis a noun, m'name." It was often enough that his odd name gained him a little bit of a cocked brow, but it suited him, the great shuck looked like a shadowy specter, in the dark, he looked half a demon.

~What are you doing talking to this creature like you're a good dog, you bastard, you cad....you have no right!~

As quick as he seemed as civil as the pack's welcoming committee the big dog snarled and started gnawing on his own leg viciously. Tearing out gray hairs with his ragged yellow teeth until the wounds bled.

~Raaaagggghhhhhhh~

The bigger dog gave a sigh of relief from whatever he did to calm some unknown assailant. Murk smiled at Joel with a bloody smile, his yellow eyes alight with some feral glow. "'Ad an itch...pardon. So...what brings y' here Je'oh? Visitin'...or fixin' t'stay?'

[Shantik]

Joel grinned at the Dane's name. Murk. Not bad for a dog such as he. Suiting, to say the least. He took a step forward, about to ask for a tour or something, when the huge dog made a snarp snarl.

Joel lept back instinctivly, prepared for a fight, when the dog made for his own leg! Jo took a second step back, shocked. What the hell was he doing?!

"What-"

Quick as he'd started, Murk looked up again. He smiled, looking like nothing had happened. "'Ad an itch..." was his excuse! Joel looked at him with scrutiny, uncertain before his question reached his ears. "Visitin'...or fixin' t'stay?'"

Stuttering, Jo frowned. He never thought about it, truthfully. It just came as instinct to stay where he could, then leave should problems arise. He turned his head, weighing the idea. Finally, he answered, making sure not to sound like he was insulting the brute or some such thing like that.

"Depends. Are all dogs here like you?"

[Squeeji]

~Ach, see you scared him being the right psychopath you are.~

"Oh shaddup with ya...." Murk grumbled under his breath, to himself thankfully. He drew his paw up and casually licked the wound, wondering where and how he had gotten it, his yellow eyes on Joel curiously, why was the old man looking at him like that?

"Well, um...dun think so no...there's m'mate Khalid...e's...out an' bout...right bastard 'e is. And um that there ladydog who fancies herself an Alpha...prolly is, she's a right nice sort...gruff...good gal. " Murk gestured with his head as he finished up grooming himself, "Iffn' ya want, we can talk 'bout life in the 'arbour whilst I show ye around eh?"

It seemed the big dog held no animousity towards the wee old fellow. And why would he? He seemed as Murk would say, like a right sort. Luckily for Joel Murk was amiable most all times, even when he was mad as a hatter. It was getting used to his particular peculiarities that made dealing with the made Dane hard. "Soooooo...where ye come from eh? Seems t'me a old lad like y'self wouldn't be fixin t' move so late in life...somethin' bad 'appen?" Murk made well...ungraceful small talk as he went, whether or not Joel fancied to follow him.

[Shantik]

Joel shook of his expression, trying not to look aghast at the other. HE looked down guiltily. By the sounds and looks of things, this Murk didn't realize hed done anything. Jo shrugged, smiling as he straightened up. Well, all dogs had their...oddities.

At the Dane's explanation, Jo dubted this town not much different than Hallow. Other than it being by the sea, of course. He took Murk up on his offer and began to follow him, wagging his tail slightly. It seemed things would turn out alright. As he walked, Joel tried desperatly to hide his limp.

"Soooooo...where ye come from eh? Seems t'me a old lad like y'self wouldn't be fixin t' move so late in life...somethin' bad 'appen?"

Jo frowned, but shook his head. Well, this dog was smart, he'd give him that. Nothing would drive an old dog from his home unless it was real bad. That wasn't exactly Joel's case, but he figured he'd explain none-the-less.

"Nah, I've just got a terribly young spirit. Can't stay in one place. I lived in Hallow Village since pup-hood, so very long ago."-He chuckled at the insinuation that he was older than he actually was.-"But, yeah, it just got boring after some time, and I headed out. This place is nice. Not too much like what I'm used to to be boring, but not too different to make me uncomfortable. Asides, I'm lookin' for an apprentice. An old dog's got to show someone his tricks if he ain't got no pups of his own."

[Squeeji]

Murk was smart, but only accidentally so...when he had been a younger dog still, he was a uncannily clever beast, but his mind had rotted into insanity, leaving the creature that Joel saw now.

"T'ain't no harm inna bit o' wanderlust then...s'pose." He nodded now seemingly completely forgetting his bloody paw, out of sight, out of mind, no doubt when the terrier left, he wouldn't think about the old lad again until he saw him once more. The big dog lumbered on, keeping a slow and plodding pace, if it was because of Joel's limp he didn't make it seem so, it was like Murk just meandered through life casually. "Ah...over there is the butchers an' fish market...good tucker there...ifin' ye kin git it...they got guns y'see an' dun mind shootin' an over nosey dog..."

As they walked by the butcher eyed them begrudgingly, Murk smiled "He's still got 'is knickers in a twirl 'cause I got 'im pretty gud last season." He flashed some yellowed teeth an' laughed. "Soooo you jus lookin' for some young pup eh? Well most the curs 'ere are old mutts, and sea dogs...so I can't say whether o'not they'll be innerested..." He sighed, seeming sort of depressed he couldn't help Joel to find a pup of his own.

"Only youngster ah know is a wolf with no pack...keeps himself by that wicked cemetery...I snag him some tucker now and again, so 'e dun starve...poor pup."

[Shantik]

Joel smiled, comforted by the prescense of someone else for once. He shrugged at Murk's first comment, grinning. A little late, though...

As the tour went on, he flicked his gaze over the butcher's, narrowing his eyes at the butcher himself, and letting out a breif snarl. He turned to Murk, listening, though he almost didn't take his eyes off the butcher.

A lone wolf, eh...? Sounded interewsting, but Joel would check it out later. For now, he decided to keep up a conversation.

"You always so generous?"

[Squeeji]

"You always so generous?"

Murk seemed puzzled by the statement, his large head cocking as he pulled up a big paw to scratch at his ears. "Ah wager so, since y'said eet." The shuck had never even thought he had a virtue in his ratty hide, but the terrier had said so..."Ah take care o' m'own...iffin' that's wut y'mean..."

When he wasn't a raging lunatic, he could be rather kindly, but most mutts ran before he could even nod hullo.

[Shantik]

Joel nodded, coming to a short pause to bite at a flea that had found it's way to his side. Now that he thought about it, he probably looked quite bedrangled to Murk, not like the old mentor-like dog he was. He shrugged off the throught, throwing his head back around to face the Dane. What did he care what others thought?

"How loyal," He commented, not unknindly, then flicked his short tail. "So, what's left of our tour?"

[Squeeji]

"Not sure...an'thin' y'looking for" Murk had certainly missed the slight sardonic tone from the scruffy old man, but that was probably for the best, if he missed it, that meant he wasn't insulted, and if he wasn't insulted...then Joel was a-ok safe.

"Well...'cept for some pup...dunno where t'find one'othose...bawt...told you that already."

[Shantik]

Joel shrugged, looking around, his floppy ears flicking forward. What else would he need to know...
He perked up suddenly, then turned to his guide. "Is there any...half-decent place I could stay? As far as I can see, I probably won't get much better than that. Where could I go?"