On the Outskirts [all welcome]

[winter]

Badger's claws clicked on stray cobbelstones as he neared the small town. Man's scent was as thick as the morning fog here, as was those of the dog's. He was nervous and wary, yet the need for food forced him to edg closer. It had been a long time since he had something other than old carcasses to eat, and he knew from experience that places like these had food ripe for the taking. The only problem was getting in and out again without attracting the attention of the Hallow dogs.

The wolf had always been wary of dogs, even when he ran with his mother and her sled team. It was the wild in him. Wild instinct that caused him to be fearful of the unnatural and strange -- to be fearful of Man and his beasts. Yet even the wild things were apt to bend down to the unnatural in order to survive, and that was just what Badger intended to do.

The sun had yet to lift over the horizon yet the sky was already getting light. It had rained that night and the earth was soft and cold. The fog hung in heavy veils around the village, enough to cover the white wolf as he made his way in. The senses were dampened in such weather -- scent hindered by the moisture, sight by the low-lying clouds, and sound by the same clouds that echoed back words and noises. It would have been perfect weather for a little foraging if the fog didn't affect him, too.

Yet it was a chance that he would have to risk.

Badger's stomach growled as he waited on the outskirts of the village, reminding him of the reason he had come. With a reluctant sigh, he crept forward. The houses would provide adequate cover for him to hide behind, he just had to be careful of the dogs that tended to sleep at the doors... His slate grey paws padded as quietly as he could manage as he entered the town.

If worse came to worse, he could always take flight and run, but he preferred not to think about that. Even the winged beasts had to eat...

[dakota]

Fog...

God, the female mutt absolutely hated it. Her dark brown mane, was naturally curly and bouncy, though on day's like this, it either ended up, damp and weighed down, or just a bedraggled mess. Today, it was wet and flat. AH well, Nita seemed in a rather good mood despite this, maybe it was just because she was hyper, who knows, but she didn't allow the hair thing bother her.

Trotting along, she kept up a rather good pace, her deep, ocean toned eyes scanned her surroundings. Squinting slightly, she tried to cut through the thick cloud, making it hard too see any farther then a paw's length away. Pausing for only a moment, she shifted, before shrugging it off, and moving along yet again, looking for someone to bother, or an old friend perhaps. Really, the mutt looked in control, and completely aware of everything around her, of course in this situation, looks were definitely deceiving.

Nita had absolutely no idea where she was, nor what she was doing. This of course was the way things always seemed to be with her. She traveled almost all the time, never staying in one place for a long period of time, as she had no true purpose in life, or for her travels, except for a small possible reason, that lay in the deepest corners of her mind, though this wasn't something to explored right now. She just loved acting like she was in control, and getting on stranger's nerves, it was just fun, and plus, there were the rare occasions, she made real friends as well.

Smirking, Nita closed her eyes slowly, still trotting along, as she thought to herself, humming randomly. Yes, she was quite, odd in many, many aspects, though if you really knew her, you may have thought differently. Of course, she liked the idea of being unique and odd, it made her different from everyone else. Opening her bright eyes again, she let out a light squeak, as she tried to stop herself, though in vain, before she ran right into the male.

[This post was brought to you by my insane sugar-high... o.O]

[winter]

Sneak, sneak, sneak.

Badger pressed his nose to the cold ground to try to catch the scent of anything edible. As usual, there was nothing but Man and Dog, neither of which would be too happy if the wolf decided to take a nibble. So absorbed in his hunt, that he didn't notice the wolf-dog's approach. Had he been an older, wiser, and even more sensible wolf, Badger might have heard her claws on the stone or felt the air move with his whiskers. Just one more example of how hunger can so focus a beast's mind...

Badger's first -- and last -- warning was Nita's squeal of surprise coming at the exact moment that she ran into him. It was the worst moment to run into somebody and the worst for the one being run into. Badger had at the moment, placed his paw on a slick sheet of ice and was moving forward leaving only two paws on the ground to balance him.

He went over easily; too easily. He hadn't time to yelp before his body hit the hard cobblestones and the breath was knocked from his lungs. His shoulder and muzzle hit the ground painfully and the shock of the collision kept him down. His eyes were wide and his jaws were parted as he gasped for breath. It didn't do any good that the stranger was on top of him, effectively pinning him down.

After a moment, though, he managed to wriggle out from underneath the female and limp back to a safe distance. His body was crouched submissively with his ears were folded back and his tail tucked between his legs. The young wolf had been scared and knocked over -- showing a submissive face was the only thing that he could think to do.

In his surprise, he had not quite registered what it was that had run into him apart from the fact that the "attacker" was a dog... He would be in for another surprise when his mind finally cleared. Until then, all he could manage to do was mutter an anxious "Sorry" and lick at the blood on his muzzle.

[winter]

((bump))

[dakota]

[Sorry for the wait, had internet problems, then make-up work at school, all better though ^^]

Ocean toned eyes were wide, as she struggled to pull up, and away from the other. Boy wasn't this fantastic? The canine growled at herself, as both of them were finally free. Nita took a deep breath, and shook her pelt, her curly bangs falling in front of her eyes. Ah, if she didn't already seem like she was crazy, that may have pushed her over the edge into being considered insane.

After a long series of thoughts, Nita looked up, her eyes still wide, and an unseen blush of sheer embarrassment on her cheeks. Though before she could speak, the mutt heard the other's words, as he muttered an apology. She shifted, putting her weight on one side, as she thought again, something Nita was beginning to believe she did this too much recently...

"No, no... I'm soooo sorry... This is really my bad... I wasn't paying attention... Like usual... and then..."

Waiting, the canine forced herself to take another deep breath, as she stumbled over her own words. "...Are you alright? Seriously... I'm really sorry..."

She repeated, stepping closer, and tilting her head. Her own ears were back, as his were, while she looked to the wolf with slight concern. Nita's tail flicked once before lowering slowly, and she remained silent, though only for a moment longer.

"Really... I feel like an idiot... Again..." Okay, stop talking now... She thought, shaking her head slightly, and pulling a bit closer to the one, who's name she had yet to learn, after her babbling it was no surprise, as she seemed to overlook details such as a simple formality with another.

[...and crappy, rushed post]

[winter]

((So sorry for the wait, Dakota. Are you interested in continuing this?))