sometimes I get a good feeling [open]

[jax;]

Dark clouds rumbled off in the distance; another big storm come in to wash away the sins on the unworthy souls that wandered the broken land. Already wading through a fairly big puddle, the light grey tom looked about for higher ground. Many storms like this one had swept through already, leaving the ground saturated, if not flooded. Bits of debris hung in unusually high places, standing as a reminder of how high the waters had risen last time.
Shaking a bit of mud off his hind leg, Thatcher peered up at a crooked lamp post in front of a dilapidated old house. It leaned to one side, the light shattered long ago. A little more than three quarters up the post, a dark stain marked the past waterline. A small circling of twigs and moss only served to emphasize it. His brow furrowed, looking back to the old house behind it. How had it survived if the water had gotten so high?

As the first few drops of rain began to fall, and the dark clouds engulfed the sky above, the tom somehow found himself waltzing in, regardless of the buildings rickety appearance.

Inside, the stench of mold and mildew washed quickly over ones senses. Thatcher had to stop, his one eye twitching slightly as he tried not to gag. With each paw step he took further inward, a small cloud of dust was kicked up. He would have called out in search of others, if it wasn't so apparent the place had been abandoned. His tracks through the thick layers of dust and grime seemed to be the first in a great while. Not even the occasional mouse scurried in the background.

His head turning constantly, Thatcher tried to soak everything in. The rain outside had already picked up a fast beat, hitting the ground at such speeds that it was creating a fine mist. A chill filled the air as the wind howled and the lightning and thunder crashed. If the storms haven't taken this house now, maybe they will this time around... He thought to himself, glancing back towards the absent front door he had walked in through. Too late to go back out now.

Expecting the worst, Thatcher padded quietly around before finding a staircase. From the outside, it appeared the building had three floors, not including the basement. It was tall, with ample room to escape any flood waters with. Setting a paw on the first step, a sickening crunch told him just how rotten the wood had become. His whiskers pricked forward as he sniffed at the damp carpet that draped down the stairs. He'd have to be careful if he was to avoid hurting himself.

After spending some time avoiding old holes in the stairs and trying to not make new ones, Thatcher found himself at the top floor. It was mostly empty; a couch and a few armchairs here and there, all angled around a carpet in front of a fireplace. Plain wooden floors covered with dust seemed intact enough to hold all of it up; there were no cracks, no holes, nor other signs of stress. Through one solid window, weak light shone in from outside. The room illuminated fully with every streak of lightning. Shaking out his fur, Thatcher sighed contentedly. This would do.

Though the furniture smelled of mold and had large chunks of their stuffing falling out, they were quite comfortable. Warm and mostly dry, the grey cat had little difficulty hopping up and settling down. Curled up on the far corner of the couch, he felt himself drifting off to sleep. Yet every time his eye began to close, the whipping wind and crashing thunder would run down the chimney, and fill the room with their noise. Keeping his eye opened just a crack, he napped lightly. Or, tried to. Who knew how long this storm would last.

Count;; 646
Charrie;; Thatcher
Notes;; Totally open c:

[drsnakes]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b555/zombiesnakes/Canine/Noelani/NoelaniTableMid1_zps2a89aaf7.png][scrolly:h(100),w(370),sy] 658 . Thatcher . I really hope he doesn't scratch her nose off. XD [/scrolly]

[atrb=background,http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b555/zombiesnakes/Canine/Noelani/NoelaniTableMid3_zps60455124.png] [scrolly:h(200),w(442),sy] Acting. Thinking. Another booming sound shook the earth, a flash of light soon following. Water poured through the sky, threatening to flood the land once again. While other creatures scurried off, there was one animal that was foolishly bounding about. She was ghostly white; the mist the thick downpour caused seemed to support the theory that this was, indeed, a ghost. She was quiet, with a small smile stretching her face as she jumped and snapped at the water. No noise came from the white dog's mouth; no noise ever came from her mouth. Her white coat was soaked, becoming slightly transparent as it pressed against her light pink skin. Noelani's dark eyes blinked rapidly as she looked skyward. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, the corners of her lips pulled back in a smile. The white Akita Inu let out a breath, her way of a giggle, and began jumping at the drops again. Although Noelani disliked noise, she loved the rain. Her joy over the rain was enough to block out her dislike of thunder. As the dog's paws touched the earth for the umpteenth time, water licked at her underbelly. Shocked, Noelani looked down. When did the water get this deep? Already, water was licking at her forelegs; the area between her wrists and her elbows. Looking straight ahead, Noelani quickly realized that there was to be another flood. If she didn't get to high ground, she was surely going to drown. Looking around, the canine quickly made the decision to enter one of the houses. Although none of them looked particularly inviting, it was certainly much better than drowning. Noelani chose the least run down of the homes; this one was tall, and though it was falling apart, it looked sturdy enough for her to trust that the top floor would hold her weight - not that she weighed much, especially with the rains keeping prey in hiding. Upon entered the home, the canine shook off. Droplets of water flew all around the room, wiping at the thick layer of dust and grime. Noelani looked around, her nose twitching. An interesting scent hit her, and led her to the stairs. When the Akita Inu sniffed the first step, she froze. Cat? What was a cat doing in the rain? No, not in the rain, Noelani reminded herself. They were in a house now. The cat had probably, like Noelani, taken shelter. The scent was fresh, but it was clear that some time had passed since the cat came up the stairs. Was it still there? Was it large? Would it take offense to her presence? Would it attack her? Noelani took a step back, her tail partially uncurling to touch the back of her legs. Her head lowered more, eyes looking up the stairs. What if this was the cat's home? Noelani took another step back. What if it was a massive lion? Another step. Worse, what if it was a hungry, territorial tiger, and it was going to kill her once it caught her scent? Noelani almost turned tail and ran, but when she looked outside, the water had risen and was now licking at the floor inside the home. With a gulp, the dog looked back toward the stairs. It's a house cat, Noe. It's a house cat. A small house cat. And... It's friendly. Very friendly. It's a kitten, Noelani! Please let it be a kitten... She took a deep breath, keeping positive thoughts, and made her way up the stairs. Every time they creaked, she cowered and moved all her weight to her back legs, ready to dart off. As quietly as she could, Noelani followed the trail to the third floor, and then into the room. When she entered the room, Noelani looked up. Almost immediately, her dark eyes were drawn to the sleeping cat. Her tail began to wag. He's adorable! Her mouth opened and her tongue rolled out in a quiet smile. [/scrolly]

[jax;]

The storm raged on, and before too long, the sound of water coursing through the street was mixed in. Thatcher's ears twitched slightly as his mind drifted, his one eye lazily swinging open. Letting out a deep yawn, the cat silently pitied anyone stupid enough to try to swim for cover. Once the water was up to you chest, the current would take you away. If anyone had a lick of sense to them, they'd have taken cover in one of the other houses. Thank the heavens I'm not stuck with anyone else.

Yet it seemed his praise was to be cut short. Down below, there was a soft shuffling across the tattered floorboards. His ears pinning back, the feline's eye went wide, his whiskers pinning forward. There was no movement at the staircase leading up to 'his place', yet, but still those noises. Like the soft click of claws on old wood and the shuffling of soft paw-pads through ages of dust and dirt, whatever it was down there sounded big. Or, bigger than Thatcher. Perhaps a large dog? He hadn't ever seen a wolf around here before; perhaps it was something worse.

He swallowed hard, leaning a bit forward off the couch as the sounds grew closer. So it is coming up. No matter, he'd wait for it to appear before deciding what to do next. No sense in preparing for something else and then wasting all that time and energy if that wasn't it. But if it is... Oh, the uncertainties of life. How they toyed with Thatcher's very being.

The brittle whines of the boards grew louder and louder, closer and closer, until with a final sigh of dust, it appeared at the top of the stairs. A ghostly white dog, soaked to the bone with rosy pink skin evident especially now, emerged from the dank and the gloom. What's more, is it didn't take long for it to take notice of the small cat.

No aggression was passed for a time. The dog seemed to smile at the cat, but not a word was spoken. Instinctively, Thatcher's fur began to raise, his pupil the size of a dinner plate. He did not move, did not make a sound; only watched, and waited. It didn't seem like she came here to eat him. Maybe she had come here escaping the floods like himself? Another loud crash of thunder was the reply.

His head turning slightly to give the canine a questioning look, Thatcher's words were low and cool, a vague warning as he spoke. Come in from the rain, have yeh?

[drsnakes]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b555/zombiesnakes/Canine/Noelani/NoelaniTableMid1_zps2a89aaf7.png][scrolly:h(100),w(370),sy] 338 . Thatcher . Yikes. Much shorter. x: I'm sorry. I hope this is enough for you to respond to. [/scrolly]

[atrb=background,http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b555/zombiesnakes/Canine/Noelani/NoelaniTableMid3_zps60455124.png] [scrolly:h(200),w(442),sy] Acting. Thinking. The canine's mouth slowly began to shut, the smile fading as the cat sat up and looked at her. Her tail uncurled again, lowering. The cat's hair standing on end caused him to look larger, and in return, scarier. Noelani took a step back, her head slowly lowering. She was trying to make herself look as least threatening as possible. She had no idea what this cat could do; what he would do. And instinctively, Noelani didn't trust him. Her lowered ears pricked up just slightly as the cat spoke. Noelani's eyes scanned over his body, trying to see if he was going to launch himself at her. When she was comfortable, she took a couple of steps closer, always keeping her eyes on the cat. He's asked you a question, Noe. Answer it. Noelani opened her mouth, but as no words came out, she shut it again, and instead nodded her head. Okay, that's good. It's polite to ask them, too, right? Isn't that what Mother said? Shit... Did Mother even say anything about greetings? Noelani, remember... The dog cocked her head to the side, looking intently at the cat, trying to ask him the same question he asked her. Come on, cat, read my mind... You were also chased in from the rain, right? Noelani tried to open up her mind or something, to send her thoughts to the cat. She deflated, looking away. Crap, she was going crazy. Noe looked around the room, her eyes landing on the window last. Almost instant, she was standing full height again, the smile back. Noelani hurried to the window, raising herself so she could place her paws on the window. She jumped down again, and raised a paw in the cat's direction. Her head nodded again, once, firmly, with a smile on her jaws. Connect it, cat. I know your species are smart. Window, rain, you, the couch... Please, connect it. This is the only way I can communicate, she mentally urged the cat to realize what she was asking. [/scrolly]

[jax;]

The ghostly white canine appeared to at least try to speak, but no words came forth. Not even a soft syllable, not even a squeak, pip, or wheeze. His fur smoothing out, Thatcher found himself mimicking the dogs lopsided expression, his head tipping to the side in mild wonder. Was she mute? Or just stupid? Sometimes it could be so difficult to tell. Standing up, the feline stretched, his back arching and his front paws jutting out in front of him, all while keeping an eye on the dog.

He didn't trust her, but he didn't feel threatened. It was obvious she was more afraid of him than anything. Yawning, he sat tidily on the sagging couch, not saying a single word after. If she was deaf, he'd just be wasting his breath. Yet as he rolled that thought around, the white canine began to do something strange. For the first time in the few moments since she had entered the attic, her posture straightened, her height towering over Thatcher. She ran over to the window, pointed a massive paw at the cat, and then nodded. What kind of point was she trying to get across? Then the gears clicked into synch, and the cats eye widened for a moment in surprise. Of course I'm in here because of the rain. He almost snapped, huffing in an irritated tone as he jumped off the couch to walk towards the stairs.

The water had risen quickly. It now lashed angrily about halfway up the steps, little bits of debris floating around in the dark soup. I don't know about you, but I know I can't swim in that. Turning back towards the window, lightning crashed nearby. No sooner had the flash blinded his vision had Thatcher's ears began to ring from the thunder that shook the very house around them. So. Cat got your tongue? Staring blankly at the dog, his stub of a tail twitched lightly. It was the closest thing to a joke one was likely to ever hear come from his mouth.

[drsnakes]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b555/zombiesnakes/Canine/Noelani/NoelaniTableMid1_zps2a89aaf7.png][scrolly:h(100),w(370),sy] 378 . Thatcher . >.> I didn't take too long... x.x I'm so sorry Jax <3 [/scrolly]

[atrb=background,http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b555/zombiesnakes/Canine/Noelani/NoelaniTableMid3_zps60455124.png] [scrolly:h(200),w(442),sy] Acting. Thinking. Noelani's back was turned, so there was, of course, no way for her to tell, but she swore she could feel the cat's eyes on her, watching her. It caused her fur to prickle slightly, and every instinct told her to run from the potential threat, but Noelani forced herself to continue trying to get her point across. When she did turn to the cat, her dark eyes searched his face enthusiastically, searching for some confirmation that he'd understood. She stood with baited breath as his mind seemed to turn, until, finally, his eyes seemed to light up with the knowledge. Her ears pricked momentarily before Noelani flinched as he huffed out the irritated words. She shifted back, so most of her weight was on her hind legs, leaning away from him. Noelani half expected the cat to strike at her, and with no way out, she was momentarily overcome with fear that caused her legs to lock up. It passed just as quickly as it came, however, when the cat turned around so his back was to her. Turning your back on a dog three times your size? You're either stupid or careless, the words were not thought in spite of the cat, but rather, with a curious ring. She tilted her head, attempting to figure the cat out. By the way he walked, she guessed that it was neither. He was a confident feline. She straightened up again, shaking her coat as a way to get rid of the stress and fear that still clung to her like static. She padded carefully and slowly behind the cat, ears angled forward as the cat began to speak. A smile parted her jaws as he spoke in a clear, confident voice. Although he might not have meant it to be humorous, Noelani found it quite funny. She stopped moving when he turned to her, her body freezing again, her smile disappearing as she shut her jaws. Her dark eyes searched his, looking for any signs of anger or other signs that he would attack. When she found none, she relaxed again. As the cat spoke yet again, another smile caused her tongue to loll out. She huffed out an amused breath, her way of giggling, and wagged her tail. [/scrolly]

[jax;]

(I took longer lol so I'm sorry xD)

He'd take the silence aside from light huffing as a 'yes'. Besides, the dog seemed amused. He half wondered who she was, where she had come from. Of course, getting someone's story out of a mute dog was damn near impossible, so Thatcher was unlikely to try. But...then again. If she could draw out words, if she could read and write human language, that was a way around it. Thatcher could; it was quite useful when passing along sensitive information, as the majority of the animal population didn't know how to. Still blankly staring, Thatcher leaped up onto the window sill, turned to look down at the dog.

My name is Thatcher. He began, his voice loud and clear through the pounding of the rain. Can you write? It was a question with silence as its most immediate answer. It would be more efficient if she could, and if not...well, Thatcher wasn't the best teacher, but he could try. Having a large dog as an ally could be useful. Though this one wasn't as intimidating as he would have hoped for, she was sweet natured, it seemed. Perhaps with some guidance she would become something a bit more. Pondering so many things at once, Thatch found himself spacing out for a minute, his eyes stuck staring down at the dog. Oh the uses she could be, if only pushed in the right direction.

Can you read, even? He almost snapped. The small cat was pushy at times, especially when he felt he was in no danger. His tail twitched again. What possibilities were open here? He could help her, if she needed it. But what would he really get out of it? She could be useful, but to what extent? Was it really worth sticking around for longer than this storm? Even if she didn't take to him, Thatcher might just follow her around to observe. His whiskers pricked forward, his gaze was intent as he waited with strained patience.

[drsnakes]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b555/zombiesnakes/Canine/Noelani/NoelaniTableMid1_zps2a89aaf7.png][scrolly:h(100),w(370),sy] 546 . Thatcher . I think I win in longest time taken to reply... Sorry... ^^; [/scrolly]

[atrb=background,http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b555/zombiesnakes/Canine/Noelani/NoelaniTableMid3_zps60455124.png] [scrolly:h(200),w(442),sy] Acting. Thinking. Her dark eyes watched the feline as he leaped onto the windowsill. Her head cocked to the side as she returned his stare. To make herself seem less invasive, she gave several slow eye-blinks and softened her eyes. As Noelani watched the cat, she momentarily thought about why she was so cautious. He wasn't tiny, but he was smaller than her. Despite her miniscule structure, she figured that even she'd be able to take the striped cat on. Noe shook her head - inwardly, of course - at the thought. She was not a fighter. And this cat, despite his size, looked like he knew his way around a battle. Besides, Noe had heard stories that cats had a remarkable ability to pinpoint weak points. The white Akita Inu was not about to take that chance. If things turned ugly, her only option - in her mind - was to flee, and hope that she would be able to take the currents of the swift water. He spoke, and his voice was deep, thundering over the sounds of wind and rain and lapping water. His deep voice was only further proof to the dog that he was strong; likely stronger than her. The feline's name was Thatcher. Noelani nodded to say that she heard, but the cat continued, asking her a question. Could she... write? Noe blinked, but before she had the chance to respond, he snapped out another question. His harsh voice caused the dog to flinch, her tail uncurling, pressing against her back quarters while she lowered her body, her legs bending. Her belly nearly touched the ground as Noelani cowered, ears pressed back. After taking a second to assure herself that Thatcher was not going to launch himself at her, Noelani slowly straightened her body. Running her tongue over her muzzle, she hesitantly nodded her head. Mother taught me that. That's how we communicated before she... left. Noelani thought, though of course those words were kept herself. The only hint to her thoughts was a look of sadness that caused her eyes to shine momentarily, before the white canine stood to her full height, and then sat down. Although she would have liked to believe herself useful to someone, the truth was, Noelani had very few uses. She was not at all frightening. Even first appearances could tell that. She was thin, and much smaller than her breed should have been. If someone wanted to, almost anyone could overpower her. Although she didn't like to admit it, there were times when Noelani was even frightened of the birds. She had never killed a bird. The only useful qualities Noe had, were the very qualities that made her so skittish. She was small, and she was quiet. She often snuck through territories like a ghost, silently slinking her way around half-eaten meals, taking them with hardly any notice. This was how she kept alive; she scavenged, and she hid, and she was quiet. Pushed in the right direction, she could easily steal food right from the noses of other hunters. She could be useful as a spy, a scout. Her ability to flit, ghostlike, was one that Noelani was proud of. And for an insecure young canine such as herself, being proud of herself meant a lot. [/scrolly]