Marching through the Marsh {SCAVENGER THREAD}

[¿ Taçhi ?]

The Scavengers have been divided into three groups, each heading for Hexasol on their own as to arouse as little suspicion as possible. This group is headed through the Marshland a couple of miles away from Hexasol. You've been travelling for days and the journey has taken its toll. The members of this group would be:

- Gravity (commander)
- Arabella
- Leopold
- Jade
- Quinn
- Phantom

But oh noes! The patch of marsh right in front of you is deeper than expected, though you haven't realized this yet. Watch out for those holes, you'll soon start sinking!

This Thread is for Scavenger Members ONLY This is a thread for you to play a bit around with your characters, and become familiar with them. There is no posting order. Go crazy, have fun <3

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[dreamy]

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[atrb=background,http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5064/5585456314_2571355d07_o.png] Phantom walks. "Phantom talks."

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Winter had begun to approach. It began as only the slightest chill in the wind until the days previous where it had started to snow. Very lightly, but snowing nonetheless. The sky was relatively clear, aside from the occasional darker cloud that shrouded out the morning sun. The dewdrops that clung dearly to the fern leaves had started to freeze in their tracks, reflecting the soft glow of the sun through the clouds.

On a usual day Phantom would have probably been displeased, giving his thinner coat made winter harsher than those with thick coats of fur. However, it brought a bit of relief by making the stagnant, swampy air a bit more subtle, a bit more bearable. The mud had begun to harden with the freeze, making it a bit easier to walk across (though it was only slightly easier. Mud was mud after all)

Phantom's head swung around, almost symmetric with the conflicting colors of black and white. He had been traveling at a steady pace, for he liked to be encircled by the others. A nice chat here and there was enough to brighten a dark mood.

Unless, god forbid, there were cats

But To Phantom's delight upon joining such a group is that they all held some sort of bitter grudge, and that there was not one cat in sight. He snorted. Ooohh did those cats have something coming.

His mind wandered from such a violent subject back to the present, where he turned to each person around him, smiled, and uttered a cheery "Hello!" But it was when he greeted in such a matter when he got looks, looks of confusion, of wariness, even of fear from the softer of heart. He didn't mind it much. It made him feel special. Unique. Like he was someone to be considered.

Phantom felt the snow gently brush against his muzzle, trying to conceal the black side of his face. Sure, it was not quite as fun to have snow, for after rain there were rainbows, and he couldn't say anything pleasant came after snow, and yet his spirits were lifted so high that it didn't matter. He smiled broadly, not for any particular reason but being around others.

But he was caught off guard suddenly, and yelped obscenities as his leg lurched into a deep point of the mud. There was a sucking noise, and now trapped with his belly cold against the mud, the day had become much worse. "Uhh, trouble ahead guys?"


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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/29y1t8m.png] I do my little turn on the catwalk. "I'm Speaking!" I'm thinking! Leo tried to swagger confidently through the marshland, hoping to attract a lady friend or two, but his efforts were completely unsucessful. He muttered, irritated, as the wet ground squished beneath his paws with each step. He hated marshland. He hated winter. Simply put, he hated wet weather. This is disgusting, he thought. Barely any hot dames around here is bad enough, but this crap? This tops it all.

[/color] He imagined he looked hideous right about now. No lady would be swooning over him in this type of mucky appearance.

He turned around briefly to check out the other scavengers. They were going at a fairly brisk pace not too far behind him, despite the lightly falling snow. Though he was much smaller than all of them, he was determined to let them know he could do twice the input they did. Prove to them that he was a total badass, and nothing at all could get in his way.

Suddenly, not even paying attention to Phantom's warning or the terrain ahead of him, Leopold felt his feet become stuck all at once. A gurgling noise, almost hungry in sound, pierced his wide bat ears. At once he was filled with mud and water up to his chest. "Oh, damn it!" he yipped at the top of his lungs, desperately trying to paddle. "I like the occasional mud bath and all, but this is ridiculous! If I lose this jacket, one of you is gonna get me a new one!" He struggled to push himself out of nature's cold trap, snarling and carrying on relentlessly. Why did it have to be him that got pushed down all the time?
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[Hunter]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/2cdc08h.jpg] While trotting through the marshlands on this long journey toward Hexasol, Quinn had made his time more joyful by licking the dew off the blades of grass without stopping. And he was actually becoming quite good at it! Now he didn’t drop his funky sunglasses anymore so he was really getting pro at this. It had been really irritating the first… many times, because the others didn’t want to wait for him. That had meant he’d had to increase his pace every time he’d spend time on getting his sunglasses on again. Why couldn’t they just hold a break? Take it easy and get something nice to eat? The only thing that was good about moving this much was that they didn’t had to freeze in the cold. He didn’t care about the mud, so he just walked as he used to without caring about the mud that now spotted his legs and entirely covered his huge paws. And now there was snow too! So he shifted from bowing his head down to the dew and then lifting it up while opening his mouth to catch snowflakes on his tongue. That was difficult too, but soon he would be a pro at it, and he wouldn’t even have to stop while doing it. After all, he didn’t drop his sunglasses anymore so he wasn’t slowed down because of this… crazy sport. Then a weird sound made him stop. He looked down and saw both Phantom and Leopold caught in the tricky mud. ”Heheh, hey you little-guys. Trying to get more patches, eh? Maybe you should just be happy with what you got instead of trying to… yearh, you know. Besides, mud doesn’t fit you very well,” he laughed goofily and then went to Phantom to give him some assistance. ”Stay still, I’ll pull you’p.” The mud didn’t sound like it liked his weight, but for now it held and didn’t make him slip. He took Phantom in the coat on his neck to pull him up from his trap.

[ROBYNASAURUS]

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[atrb=background,http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/6064/arabellabackground.jpg] Her footfalls were light, raising the pad almost as instantly as it hit the soft muds. She carried her body in a gentle trot, the constant movement keeping her above the shifting marshy ground for the time being. The collie contently trailed near the pack of the pack, out of the way of the conversation. From here she could watch the rest of her 'pack', if you could them that, more than a mismatch of dogs who chose to band together. Thick bushy tail wagged back and forth with gentle happiness as her eyes scanned the rest of the mutt-ley crew. Phantom, the plucky terrier seemed to lead them through the marshes. Quinn lo-lopped along behind him, snappy for snowflakes in his mouth, sloshing through the mud with little regard. His vibrant fashion sense and laid back approach was refreshing and Bella often wished she could be that carefree as she watched the dane prance joyfully, but she never could. Nonetheless it brought as smile to her face. Whose face it didn't bring a smile to was Leopold, who whined with each step he took, with mud creeping further and further up his precious leather jacket. His charisma made up for his pint-sized frame and he was not shy of the ladies. While he sweet (though she didn't really think 'sweet' was the 'suave sophisticated casanova' he was aiming for), Arabella found her eyes forever drawn away to him. Each strand of silvery fur was glittered with light snowflakes that seemed to her gleam in the dull morning light. Her eyes shone with admiration as she watched him stride through the mud, full of pride, a wolf with a mission. Bella could never repay him enough for the kindness he showed her, accepting her into his band of misfit hounds. Giving her a true 'family', a true purpose. He'd never really know how much she thanked him for it... how much she admired him for his guidance and leadership... how much she cared for him... how much she loved him. By now the tail of the love sick collie was beating back and forth quite rapidly, her eyes so intently fixed of Gravity that it took the yelps of the chihuahua to bring her back to reality. The further they traveled in the marsh, the thicker and more unstable the mud became and the stout legs of the small dogs were not enough to support them and they began to sink. As Quinn moved in to help Phantom, the collie picked up her pace, standing over Leo. She dropped her thin muzzle in low to his level, concerned eyes staring at him. "Do you...want me to pull you up?" she offered, hoping not to offend him by insinuating he could no get out himself. Arabella's own legs began to shift the mud uneasily around her as she halted and she could feel the cool mud creeping its way up her legs as she slowly began to sink. Hopefully she would be able to get Leopold out before they both became trapped....

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/29y1t8m.png] I do my little turn on the catwalk. "I'm Speaking!" I'm thinking! Leo continued to carry on in his screechy little voice, yelling out more pointless swears and continuing to flail as he sank further into the mud. He sniffed and stuck his head up arrogantly when nobody came to help him at first. Hmph, he thought bitterly, gritting his teeth in frustration against one another. I may be littler than all of them, but that doesn't mean I'm a worthless pipsqueak without feelings. Heck, what do they think I am? Some kind of moronic cat? Well fine. I don't need some giant airhead's help. I don't need anybody's help. I will do it myself, one way or another! They better just remember when they need help out of a jam, don't come crying to me! He took those venomous words back as soon as a thin muzzle reached down towards him. He glanced up for a moment, still writhing in the mud. Arabella, the purebred Rough Collie, was standing near him, her expression concerned. "Do you...want me to pull you up?" she had asked, sounding a bit hesitant, as if she thought he was going to snap. At once, Leopold's tail started to wag and his big sonar pair of ears pricked. His angry thoughts and snarls of desperation paused just for a bit. Although, he still had to keep his feet moving in order not to sink. He had smiled at Bella and nodded gently. "Well, if you don't mind, chica, could you?" he asked, trying to turn on the Chihuahua 'charm' even in the face of trouble. "But then again, you wouldn't want to get that lovely coat all messy, would you? Blasted mud! Took us all completely by surprise." He tried to let out a chuckle, but it sounded more agitated than lighthearted, to his slight dismay. Growling, Leo tried one last time to wriggle himself out, his legs moving like oars all at once. The mud had moved another inch or so over him, poising in on him as if he was some kind of sick meal. He panted, starting to tire. He was fruitless at trying to get out, so once again he glanced up at Bella. He finally came to the conclusion that unless he was given help, he was jammed shut in this gooey pit eventually to drown...

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[Jay]

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=background,http://i54.tinypic.com/2sb0qdi.jpg] [scrolly:h(230),w(218),sy] Jade attempted to walk as dignified as she could as she moved to catch up with the others. As a Scavenger, she had been placed in one of the three patrols headed for the city of Hexasol, One, lead by Maestro(a fox who always seemed to be in control of every situation), which consisted of Lilith(who Jade thought was a tad bit violent), K9(who seemed unable to do anything without someone in charge), Dasher(a total sweetheart), Trixie(a flirt), and Cass(Yet another flirt). The next team was lead by Fenris(one protective wolf when it came to his mate Dawn) and consisted of Dawn(Good natured if a bit volatile), Autumn(an adorable young coyote who really shouldn't already be battling cats), Blitzen(one dog who seemed to be missing a couple brain cells), Juliet(a sweet dear who, more often than not, seemed confused), Elvis(who seemed quite insane), and Vagabond(not the prettiest pooch in the pack, but a good, loyal fighter). The final patrol was the one Jade herself had been placed in, lead by Gravity himself(who wasn't half bad looking, but Jade would never understand Arabella's infatuation with him), Arabella(who was timid and sweet, though the obvious infatuation with Gravity was hard to understand), Quinn(a lumbering darling with a big enough heart to match his size), Phantom(who seemed like a sweet dear, but a little mentally unstable), and Jade's dear friend, Leopold(who had a big enough ego and voice to make up for his small size). As she trotted through the miserable mud of the marsh(haha, illiteration Jade) she finally caught sight of the patrol that had left her behind when she paused to clean some mud from her fur. She growled slightly to herself as she picked up the pace, hearing Leo's distressed voice calling out as he got stuck in a particularly deep section of mud. She finally caught up to see Arabella offering to get him out, while Quinn worked on getting Phantom out. "I'm sorry, I would have been here to help but I was busy cleaning some mud out from the fur around my paws. Is there anything I can do?" Other than not get myself stuck? she added in the back of her mind. [/scrolly]

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[ROBYNASAURUS]

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[atrb=background,http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/6064/arabellabackground.jpg] Arabella felt her cheeks blush and she became flustered. She knew he didn't mean anything serious by it, this was Leopold we were talking about but she couldn't help but be slightly embarrassed by his flirting that she stumbled over her words. "Yes...well no...but yes.." the rough collie stammered. What she had meant to say was that 'no' - she didn't mind helping him, and 'yes'- she could and would help him up. Instead the words came out in a jumbled up mess and she felt a fool. Nuzzling at the back of his neck, she moved the collar of his precious leather jacket out of the way, taking hold of of the scruff of his neck as gently as a mother would her puppies and tugged on the chihuahua. The marsh mud was thick and gloopy. At first she hadn't want to tug him for fear of hurting him but he was stuck tighter than she imagined. With a jerk, the small dog popped free. Plopping him down on a small rock that jutted out from the marsh, Arabella smiled. "Are you okay? I'm sorry if I hurt you..", she apologised, looking down sheepishly. "Don't worry about my coat, yours is so much nicer anyway...". The collie glanced around when she heard a familiar voice behind her. Jade, the young poodle had caught up with them. Bella glanced down at her down muddy legs as Jade had spoke of cleaning hers. She looked a state, especially next to Jade - who she had to admit was a stunning dog. "Uhm...there's not much else." Bella whispered, eyes focussing on the ground rather than the poodle. "It's just that the ground is probably going to be more unstable the further we go....what if he gets stuck again?" she piped up, "One of us might have to carry him....on our back or otherwise", hoping not to offend either dog. It was no secret that Jade and Leopold were close, they had came to the scavengers together and obviously been through much together. While Bella did not know the full extent to their relationship, if there was anymore to it other than friends but she did know that Jade was the jealous type and the collie did not want to be on the receiving end of her wrath. "I'll uhm....just leave you too.....". She left them with an uncomfortable smile as she padded after the rest of the group, her eyes drifting back to Gravity.

[dreamy]

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[atrb=background,http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5064/5585456314_2571355d07_o.png] Phantom walks. "Phantom talks."

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Phantom had started to feel his legs sink further into the mud, and he thrashed wildly in an attempt to free himself of it. Snowflakes landed gently against his fur, the delicate rosettes melting into frigid water that seeped into his skin.

The black and white foxhound let his trail of obscenities end as he heard the approach of another dog behind him, and within moments, the terrible sucking noise of the marsh grabbing at a canine's paws. Phantom lifted his head, spying Leo only a little ways behind him, almost fully drenched in the thick, merciless mud.

Phantom smiled at Leo protested, clearly aware of the chihuahua's dislike for such situations. He could not help but chuckle lightly. His mind was set on getting free, and yet he hung limp, waiting for some source of escape. He felt helpless in his current state, sinking until his belly was brushing the thick, murky mud. He knew that Leo would be in an even worse state, considering how much shorter and smaller he was even then Phantom. "Well, after the rainstorm there's always a rainbow, eh?" He inquired, humor lacing his words. He thought a cheering up was what was needed at the moment, and it was a good belief to hold anyway. Phantom's demeanor simply would not allow him to go without passing such a pleasant remark. Again, with the exception of cats, which would probably drive him fiercely mad. At least, that was what he had heard, for it was almost instinctual to him. Or perhaps there was something more...

Phantom could feel the mud strain as heavy paw steps landed behind him. He felt his breath rush into a sharp sigh. Quinn! Certainly Quinn could set him free, and to his delight the Great Dane was able to drag him from the hold of the deeper marshland and steady him nearby.

Once freed, Phantom could see that Arabelle and Jade were follow close behind, and he smiled warmly. he could not help but let his mind drift to Leo, who he could imagine would be head over heels for the ladies had he not been trapped in the marshland's hold.

"And we all arrive! He shouted, grinning broadly. "And just in time! Don't step any closer there." He motioned with his mismatched face toward the marshland where, though undetected by their sight, was much deeper than the rest.

Phantom stopped to stare himself down, making tsk tsk noises under his breath and smiling. His swiveled his head so that it stared intently as Arabella lifted Leo from the marsh. So they were all free. At least, for now. He smiled again, nodding toward Arabella reassuringly as he sensed her unease.

So with Leo, Jade, Arabella, Quinn, and Phantom, that left only Gravity that was missing form the patrol. As the commander himself, Phantom would have at first thought him to have been the first to arrive, and yet, the black and white male pondered on what commanders did that others didn't. Probably important business. He wasn't one to be nosy, nor one to judge. (Again with the exception of cats)

Phantom plopped himself down onto the ground, careful to stay at the fringe of the deeper part. " I hate to be a stick in the mud, almost literally, but how are we supposed to all cross that?" He asked, making his voice louder as if to harmlessly emphasize the importance of the thought. Though he seemed to have been scouting ahead most of the patrol, he was not the leader type, so he sat there, his brow furrowed in deep concentration, thinking of ways to cross such a difficult obstacle.

((OOC: Sorry for the failness my muse plopped.))




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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/29y1t8m.png] I do my little turn on the catwalk. "I'm Speaking!" I'm thinking! Leo felt the gentle tug of Arabella's teeth as she lifted him out of the mud. With a relieving pop, he was out, free again. She even had the politeness enough to watch his jacket. He wagged his tail happily and shuffled his paws when he was placed on the rock. "Thanks a lot," he said to her with a hearty canine smile. "You're a real doll. And don't you worry, I'll be able to handle the rest of the trip on my own. I just wasn't looking, is all." He winked one eye. He had to admit, he was a little offended at the thought of being carried around by somebody else, but he knew that Bella meant well with her suggestion. He watched for a quick moment as Bella walked away to catch up with the rest of the group. Is she stalking Gravity or something? he thought, noticing the different shine in her gaze. He shrugged, as if answering his own question. He turned to glance at Jade, his dear friend. He'd chased after many girls and was a true casanova on the loose, but he could never play games with her like he did with the so many others. They'd gone through a lot together. "Hey!" he greeted her indifferently, as if getting stuck in the mud didn't even happen. "How are you holding up? This mud is so gross isn't it? I'd rather be stuck in a tree for the rest of my life than walk in this for a few days. But I guess it'll be worth it in the end." He realized he was still covered in mud himself, so he bent his head down to lick off the wet earth. He shuddered at the sharp, bland taste of it. He also glanced behind himself and below his chest at his jacket. He grumbled softly. There were a few splatters of mud here and there on the back, but most of it had collected underneath, on the stomach part. He'd have to soak in freshwater for days to get it all off. He let out a sigh. Glancing at Phantom, Leopold twitched his ears. "Well, whatever we do, don't expect me to stick a paw in there again," he growled at the mud and spat. "One brush with death is enough for me. Besides, who would be here to comfort these lovely ladies if something happened to me?" He looked at both of the two females. No matter what, he always had to be the last one to get a flirt in.