life ain't passing you by [Bast]

[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/kaitable3-2.png] For it being still early in the day, the pack was buzzing with activity. Maybe it was the sudden burst of nice weather or spring fever that was causing so much energy among the dogs, but it was the first morning in weeks where no one had felt the urge to sleep in and be lazy. The sun was a constant presence in the sky, helping to melt away the last piles of snow and ice that still remained from the last blizzard. It wouldn't be long until winter was just a distant memory. A large, multi-colored dog lumbered along one of the roads that cut through the center of the territory. She wasn’t as excited about the change of season as some others since warm weather and the thickly layered fur she wore didn’t tend to mix well, but even she had to admit it was nice seeing the lands covered in sunshine instead of the drab cloudiness of winter. Kai had been up since dawn running laps around the perimeter of the packlands and sparring with some of the other soldiers-in-training, and now she was exhausted. Her paw pads were moist with sweat. Training practice had earned her a few small cuts and bruises along her shoulders where the other dogs had accidentally pushed or bitten her too hard - she always had to make sure to hit them back twice as hard whenever they did that, and doing so usually got her an extra smack from one of her teachers. Her body ached all over, but it was nothing she wasn’t used to or couldn’t handle. Her large tongue dangled out the side of her mouth as she flopped down on a cool patch of grass outside the cemetery. A few other tired looking warriors wandered by and she watched them go, noting how miserable they all seemed with their heads held low and their tails drooping between their legs. None of them ever seemed happy, not even on days like today. She couldn’t remember once seeing any of those dogs crack the barest hint of a smile; they always kept up their poker faces and had about as much personality as a wet rag. It was boring always hanging around such sticks in the mud, but she supposed that was what a soldier’s life did to some people. Kai only hoped she would never get like that when she was older.

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[bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i39.tinypic.com/1zw2eu1.jpg] GABRIEL hated to dream. Some dogs enjoyed it, imagined it was an escape from reality where anything could happen. Fantastical things could happen in dreams, fantasies coming alive as the subconscious runs wild, doing whatever it pleases. For Gabriel, it wasn't nearly so nice. It used to be, but not anymore. Now the rough collie was jerked from his sleep by the phantom feeling of snow leopard claws trying to rip through his long coat, flashing yellow eyes lit with madness seeking solace in dog blood. The image projected upon him had Gabe jerking away, sharp-muzzled head snapping up and brown eyes blinking in the pre-dawn light. His limbs were stiff with sleep, tensed from the nightmares and his mind buzzing unpleasantly with memories trying to surface of the sweet life he'd once led. Looking around him in the gloom, Gabriel fought his hardest not to think about how much he preferred sleeping among the warm pelts of his adopted family than sleeping with strangers or alone in some old warehouse. Shoving the unwelcome thought down and reminding himself yet again he had no family, Gabe got up and shook himself out. ABANDONING his sleeping spot behind some boards leaning against an alley wall, Gabe set out into the city to start patrolling. He didn't have any formal orders at the moment so he fell into the pattern of 'peace' times. Constant patrols, the occasional cat hunt and just in general making sure everyone was behaving as they should be. To some the monotony was maddening but for Gabriel it quieted his buzzing mind. He could ignore the lingering thoughts of his old freedom before coming to the military-style pack. It helped him chase away the remnants of his nightmares and forced him to focus on the fact that this is all he had, this was his lot in life. FOR the next several hours as the sun rose and heralded a day of mild weather, the young male collie drifted through the territory like some sort of living shadow. He didn't draw attention to himself as he drifted in among groups of citizens or past sparring soldiers still in the midst of their training. Dark brown eyes keenly observed but his jaws remained firmly shut. Gabriel would pause from time to time to observe the goings on and absorb some gossip, sampling it only to see if there was any vital information for him before shutting it out again as nothing but background noise. A few times he passed his fellow soldiers, most of them looking a bit droopy from the heat if they had thicker coats. Otherwise a majority just looked tired from having been up all night patrolling. Gabe didn't do more than incline his head to those ahead of his station. He didn't speak or offer words of companionship. Companions got killed and that caused pain. Pain he wouldn't tolerate. APPROACHING the cemetery, an almost unusual sight caught Gabriel's keen gaze. Just outside of the rusty gates, a large mutt was laying in the grass, apparently just watching others pass by. This drew Gabe's gaze because it was unusual. Most Tempest dogs weren't allowed downtime, either because they were being punished, they had too much to do or they just didn't feel the need to rest before nightfall. Poor productivity was generally frowned upon. To Gabriel it was just plain foreign. Gabriel simply couldn't imagine just...sitting there for no reason. His active mind balked at the very idea. Even before becoming a Tempest dog he hadn't been able to handle being still for long. He had to keep working, hunting, patrolling, doing something to keep his over-active mind quiet. Seeing someone willingly just laying there watching others, it was almost unnatural. Unnatural enough to still Gabriel's own paws, making him come to a halt across the street from the cemetery. frozen river of cracked pavement separated the long-furred collie from the bulky mutt but he doubted she'd see him. No one ever did, he had an uncanny habit of just blending into the background. HE took that chance to watch her instead as her gaze tracked a trio of hunters trotting toward the cemetery to hunt rabbits or squirrels or something like that. They were young and noisy, gallivanting around, breaking formation and chattering like birds in the height of spring. The corners of Gabe's mouth twitched toward a frown but he didn't vocalize any correction to them, simply letting them pass, taking the opportunity to observe the she-dog observing them. Was she a spy trying to weed out the unfaithful or simply a lazy fool? UNLESS she was a spy, it was more or less Gabe's job to report her to some superior for punishment because she was wasting time. Valuable time. Only citizens really had freedoms to do what they pleased so long as it was within reason but she looked a bit too rough to just be a citizen of the pack. What she was, he had no idea but if she didn't watch herself she'd probably end up being reprimanded or worse. Getting raked across the coals so to speak wasn't a pleasant experience and the Warden and the General were all too good at it. Gabe had never experienced it himself but he had observed it more than once when a young soldier got mouthy or someone tried to stir up trouble. Still, just like with the passing hunters, Gabriel made no move to cross the road and correct her behavior. He simply stood on the broken sidewalk and observed, caught between if he should bother correcting her and just going about his own business. Tagged;; Kai Word Count;; 989 Background Song;; "Time of Dying" by Three Doors Down Notes;; longer than i expected

[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/kaitable3-2.png] Kai rolled to her side and leisurely stretched out all four legs. The strength was steadily starting to flow back into her muscles and she was no longer panting as hard as before. She might have started to fall into a brief nap if the wounds on her shoulder blades weren’t stinging so much and causing her to shift in place every few minutes out of pain. Then again, it didn't matter that much anyway since she would need to stop lounging around soon and get back to doing something productive. She turned away from the crowd of soldiers and looked out towards the graveyard, wondering in the back of her mind what mind-numbing task the adults would impose upon her next. Without meaning to, her eyes wandered over to a lone figure standing across the road a little ways away from her. An uncomfortable chill traveled down the back of her neck as she realized she was being watched. Not simply being looked at, but stared at. She lifted her chin and warily met the older dog's gaze for a fleeting moment before jerking her head away and hoping he would get the hint that she didn’t appreciate his gawking. She snorted softly to herself, furrowing her brows and concentrating on a single swaying leaf that was dangling from a branch high above her. Something to look at besides the collie who was practically burning holes into her skin with his eyes. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to move on and leave her alone, Kai grit her teeth together and stood up on her paws. They weren’t friends or acquaintances; for that matter, she couldn’t remember having even seen his face around before. So why was he still standing there and gaping at her like that? If all he wanted was to speak with her, then that was fine. It did briefly occur to her that he might just be shy or nervous about starting up a conversation with a stranger. But the way he had been watching her for all this time, she knew he was regarding her with ill thoughts in his head. Whatever issue it was that he had with her, Kai wished he would just spit it out already and leave her be. Her black lips curled back and her muzzle twisted into the beginnings of a snarl. “Problem?” she barked to him, loud enough that a few passing dogs stopped to turn their heads in her direction. She didn’t care if she stirred up trouble with this guy. He was severely bugging her and she just wanted him gone.

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[bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i39.tinypic.com/1zw2eu1.jpg] SEVERAL heads turned when the tall she-dog stood up and snarled. Most of them were probably looking for a good fight to observe, or maybe even get in on. If he'd perhaps moved a bit quicker Gabriel could have avoided having attention called to him because honestly, who else could she be snarling at? This really was an inconvenience though. A Tempest soldier he may be, but Gabe was no fan of confrontation. He fought to defend himself. Lashing out first just didn't happen with this long-pelted collie. In his mind, if he was given no reason to defend, he had no reason to fight. Perhaps most dogs thought that way on some primal level since the dog hadn't spoken up until she realized she was being watched. It made her defensive but it also made her easy to read. Probably didn't care for authority figures despite being in a rather militaristic pack since she obviously held no regards for calling someone out on something. He probably could have been the Warden and she still would have snapped at him. THE fact that she hadn't lunged across the street and just started trying to rip his throat out spoke a lot of either her intelligence or her sanity, perhaps a bit of both. Gabe had come across his fair share of dogs that if you so much as glanced at them funny, they would be out for your blood. It was a dangerous game he played, his little observing game, and sometimes it came back to get him with dogs that were unexpectedly violent. Still, it also said she was unlikely to be much of a problem since she stayed on her side of the street. Oh she might initiate conversation but she didn't try to make him back down in any way. If she thought a small growl was going to do the trick she was sorely mistaken. There wasn't a Tempest dog he knew that would back down from one growl, at least not from her. ANY young male with any hint of decency caught staring at a she-dog would normally duck their eyes shyly and blush under their fur, probably trying to pretend they hadn't been staring at all. Those with less than pure intentions might be a bit more brash, start trying to flirt the instant they saw their attentions had been noticed or in some darker cases take what they wanted. Yes, Gabriel had seen the spoils of war and it was often unpleasant. Gabriel met her gaze for a moment, studying the irritation he found there for a moment before rising from his sitting position. Giving his long pelt a brisk shake. "APPARENTLY not," Gabriel said, not loudly. Just loud enough for his deeper voice to carry to the she-dog, indifference and almost boredom underlying his tone. STEPPING lightly off the cracked sidewalk. The light clicking of his claws on the asphalt accompanied him as he strode across the faded lines of the old human road. Years in the sun and snow without any of it being painted over or retreated had left the road in a bad way. Potholes, faded lines, deep cracks, grass growing up through it, all those sorts of things. Gabe didn't notice it though, at least not as anything important. He'd taken his gaze away from the she-dog and instead was inspecting the rusty cemetery gate just over her shoulder. Might be as good a place as any to patrol, he hadn't done rounds here in a while. For the past few weeks he'd been mostly skulking through the dark alleys and keeping to himself, hunting up rats when he was hungry. Unimportant things really but you never knew when someone might try to use the alleys to sneak into the territory. It would be nice to spend a day in the sun sniffing among tombstones, alone with the dead. AS though the she-dog had never held any interest for him at all, Gabe stepped over the curb and strode right past her. His dark brown eyes didn't even flicker in her direction. That was Gabe's mind though, once he lost interest he found something else to inspect. She had interested him because she'd been immobile, a state he had never been able to maintain for long and a state that could be dangerous if the Warden saw you. Now though, she'd called attention to him, something Gabriel greatly disliked. Eyes on him were uncomfortable, disconcerting, but it was fitting. He had been staring at her after all, he did acknowledge that he deserved it. Still, he had no desire for physical altercations and frankly she didn't look that intelligent so he decided to just let it slide like water from a duck's wing. Perhaps she would follow his example and not cause more of a ruckus. WALKING past her, Gabriel did note that she was a few inches taller than him. Not an overly unusual thing, he was only an average sized collie after all. Handsome for his breed and well kept he may be, Gabriel knew he was far from the biggest dog around, a factor he took into account each time he did have to fight. Right now though, fighting wasn't on his mind. He was simply walking past a packmate into the quiet sanctuary of the human dead and hoping she wouldn't be one of those irrational fools that made a fuss out of something that wasn't a big deal at all. So he had been watching her, it was no big deal. He watched everyone. She just happened to catch on to him watching her, something that normally didn't happen. It did speak of slightly higher observance on her part than in the average Tempest fool but not by much, not in the grand scheme of things. A more cunning dog would have turned his observation against him, perhaps led him on somehow before demanding what he wanted. Oh well. Only so much cunning could be found among the dull and dim. Perhaps it was only cats that thought that way? Gabriel hated to remember it but he had been raised by snow leopards who liked to play tricks and elaborate games. STRIDING into the cemetery, Gabriel hoped to leave the tall she-dog behind him. Still, he wasn't fool enough to necessarily think she'd let him leave easily. There was a stubborn light in her eyes that bothered him. He hated stubborn dogs, they questioned everything when it was easier to just let it go. Gabe had a sneaking suspicion she'd follow him like a lost pup looking for its mother, demanding to know what he wanted and why he was watching her and if he was some kind of pervert or whatever. So Gabriel kept his ears alert for sounds of her heavier footsteps as he began to weave his way through the cracked and weathered tombstones, keeping his steps light and body loose in case she got it in her head to pounce on him or something from behind. For some reason he wouldn't put it behind her. Really though he didn't see why she would bother, not in his mind. He'd been staring but not for any real reason. It certainly wasn't because she was pretty so that sort of flattery was a fool's thought. She was abnormally tall but aside from that who cared? She was another lazy soldier with a mind so simple it didn't have to be occupied all the time. SO why had he stopped and stared? THE thought bothered him, echoing in the corners of his mind. Was it so simple as he'd been astounded she could be immobile? Clenching his jaw as he wove around an angel statue with one wing, Gabe shoved the thought to the back of his mind. She was nothing special, his mind was just being flighty today. It was the dreams, he always had off days when he had particularly bad dreams. Tagged;; Kai Word Count;; 1395 Background Song;; "Authority Song" by John Mellencamp Notes;; sorry if i got to rambling...

[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/kaitable3-2.png] The cryptic answer she was given resulted in Kai rolling her eyes at the stranger and bristling with frustration. “Wha’ever,” she half-mumbled, half-growled. Her body flopped back down on the grass with a heavy thump, one paw crossing over the other. She continued to stare back at him through narrowed eyes, waiting for an explanation on his behavior, or for him to make another comment, or some kind of move…she waited for something. When nothing happened and all he did was meander away from her, Kai’s jaw slackened in surprise. “Hey. Hey! Where’re you going?” she called, rising back to her feet and cocking her head in confusion. After he spent God-knows-how-long gawking at her like some voyeuristic creep, she figured she at least had the right to know why. She’d be damned if she was just going to let him walk away like this. And maybe there were other reasons she was interested in following him - this would be a good excuse to put off her soldierly duties for a little longer, after all. She jogged after him, weaving in and out of crumbling headstones and tombs until she reached his flank, now out of breath and panting again, her dry tongue hanging loosely out the side of her mouth. One eyebrow raised up slightly, she turned to him and said, “What’s your deal?” It was more an honest question than anything. Her tone was about as casual as if she’d been asking about the weather, her interest in the weird dog overpowering her annoyance toward him for the moment. If there was one thing that always got her attention, it was something mysterious, and this aloof guy was the very definition. Now that they were closer and she could get a better look at him, Kai squinted and gave him a long onceover from head to toe. She didn’t try to be subtle with it, either. Her gaze drifted away from him and she tossed her head condescendingly, as if she was displeased by what she saw and found his body unattractive. That wasn’t a hundred percent true – he was obviously in good shape and had a nice face, if she had to be honest – but she wasn’t willing to give him the satisfaction of feeling good about himself after what he did. Then again, maybe this guy wasn’t the type who cared about what girls thought of him. She knew a lot of males who were that way, those who cared for nothing beyond fighting and staying alive and had no interest in mates or anything like that. Pulling the thoughts from her head, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and waited for some kind of response, not knowing what she should expect from this weirdo.

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[bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i39.tinypic.com/1zw2eu1.jpg] FOR some reason, dogs liked to think that Gabriel was a complex creature. Someone once told him he just looked like he was always deep in thought or something like that. Gabe didn't believe a word of it. It was nonsense really. He wasn't deep and he wasn't complex. At least, he tried not to be. Gabriel used to be simple, truly and really he did. His life was great with the snow leopards. He had brothers and sisters to romp through the land with and there was no such thing as being a soldier or fighting in a war. Gabriel kept his mind busy keeping up with his cunning adopted family and playing their games. His life was hunting and running and chasing. It had been beautiful. Now Gabriel did everything he could to stay simple but it felt like with each passing day it got harder. A military life couldn't always keep the young collie's mind quiet. He couldn't always keep his dreams from making him jerk awake with a loud yelp which was why he slept far from his pack. Sometimes Gabriel could feel the memory of his own brother's fangs and claws sinking into him. It made his mind whirl with hurt and made him even more reclusive than he was now. Gabriel wanted nothing to do with it. Hurt, betrayal, he didn't want it. He just wanted to drift through life and find an end that didn't bring so much hurt. Glancing over at the she-dog trailing alongside him, Gabriel mentally sighed tiredly. He wished she'd go away. Everyone trying to be friends or get to know him, they formed attachments that would hurt when broken. Even if he just talked to her for a while he would remember her when she died on the battlefield and it would make him sad. Unfortunately there was some small voice in his mind reminding him he was always lonely. Lonely by choice but still lonely. He observed and he watched but he never really talked or got close to his packmates. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea? THEN again, it had worked so far. He'd seen dogs die since he'd come to the Tempest Pack. It hadn't hurt to see them, bloodied and torn with scarlet staining their fangs and their eyes turning milky. He hadn't known them. Had never spoken a word to them or even heard their names in passing. Even now he could barely remember the names murmured or wailed by mourners. Couldn't remember their faces. If he talked to someone there would be an attachment. He'd remember them, always. Out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel chanced a glance at his gangly companion. The loneliness tugged at his lips, urging him to say something as he stepped over a flat grave marker. "NOWHERE. I'm going nowhere." GABRIEL wasn't a loud dog. He spoke in a low, rolling voice that was pleasant to listen to but heard all too seldom. It was a pleasant voice really. Gabe couldn't bring himself to look back over at the she-dog so he just kept his eyes on the ground ahead of him and the landscape rising up to meet their steps. The cemetery seemed fairly quiet and empty though somewhere he could hear a hunting patrol chasing down some rabbits. Gabe made no move to go after them or to assist. He was a soldier, not a hunter. So he kept going, trying to pretend the taller she-dog wasn't there. Maybe his boring answer would make her leave? HE couldn't help but think how true his statement was though. It actually brought him to a stop in front of another grave marker shaped like an angel. Looking at it, the young collie took in the weathered stone. The head on the angel had been knocked off at some point, or perhaps broken but either way it laid at the base of the statue, just to the left of its stone feet. The name on the marker had been beaten off by wind, rain and other weather. Reclining on his haunches in front of the gravestone, not paying any attention to his unexpected companion, only aware of her out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel looked at the statue from top to bottom and back again. His adopted mother used to tell him he was named after what humans used to call angels, magic beings that brought healing and protection and had wings. Apparently the original Gabriel had been some sort of messenger bringing good news or something like that. Looking at the statue in front of him, Gabe frankly wasn't impressed. The angel looked like a weathered and beaten thing. Turning his dark brown gaze to the other statues and forms in the graveyard, Gabe figured it must be a trend. THE remains of the human world were dying and with it, the idea of fantastical beings that could bring good news. Gabe could sympathize. When was the last time he'd heard good news? CATCHING a glimpse of the mutt she-dog out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel turned his head toward her. He didn't say anything, just waited. Tagged;; Kai Word Count;; 921 Background Song;; NA Notes;; my muse died half way through....

[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/kaitable3-2.png] Slowing her pace, Kai allowed him to walk ahead of her instead of side-by-side, curious as to where he might eventually end up leading her if she followed. Despite his intentions, the one-note answer he gave only intrigued her more and she found herself watching him intently as he made his way over to an old monument and sat down before it, looking at it with some kind of strange fascination. She hadn’t the faintest idea what he planned to do with the archangel statue, but she waited to find out. She waited and waited and when he never budged an inch, Kai’s face darkened and she just looked at him like he was the most pathetic creature she had ever seen. As it turned out, he wasn’t very interesting at all and was, in fact, just another huge loser. And possibly a little mentally unsound as well. Anyone who spent their free time staring at random strangers and admiring broken statues had to be pretty screwed up in the head. Yet she couldn’t help but also feel a small twinge of pity for him. So many dogs in this pack seemed to live such dull and meaningless lives, going about their duties every day like emotionless robots and never knowing anything else beyond fighting and killing. She couldn’t understand the reasoning behind it. In a world where any day could be your last, it only made sense to live each moment to the fullest. When he turned around to actually look at her, all Kai did was shrug. She didn’t know what he expected from her. Oh, right, she realized, scowling a little to herself, he’s waiting for me to just disappear already. She let out a huff of exasperation, rolled her shoulders and said dryly, “Look, if you want to be alone, just say the word and I’ll be happy to leave you to…whatever it is you’re doing. Because clearly you seem to be having a blast over there and I wouldn’t want to interrupt or anything.” Already guessing what his answer might be, she spun on her heels away from the moping collie and took a few steps in the direction of where she had been laying before he had appeared. But before she went any further, she looked back at him once more and added, in an almost sympathetic manner, “Y’know, being in the Tempest Pack doesn’t require you to have to walk around constantly depressed all the time. It’s not like having a good life is outlawed here or something - believe it or not, a soldier can have fun once in awhile. But that’s probably a foreign concept to you.” Guy wouldn’t know fun if it came up and slapped him in the face, she thought with a grunt.

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