Apathetic. [open]

[.Shadow.]

Cayote

"How you feelin' ta'day, ol' boy?" The thick accent of improper vocabulary itched at the male canine's pointed ears, and they pricked tencely forward at the sound. A growl was stifled in his throat as large head was lifted, the thick chain choker collar jingling against the metal of the linked-leash that heald him to a steak in the ground. Golden optics turned up to glare at the man in hatred, his lips quivering as he responded. "Like killing you." Though, to the stupid two-legger it simply sounded like a harsh snarl. The human drew his leg back, then propelled it forward into the dog's rib cage. Coughing, Cayote stumbled to all fours, standing in a rather protective position and lowering his head to shoulder level, his fangs bared and a growl rumbling deep in his throat. His gold eyes flashed as he watched every move the man made. The human only laughed loudly, turning and walking across the lawn. Once he heard the slamming of the front door Cayote allowed himself to relax, falling into a sitting position and allowing his jaw to hang open, tongue lolling out as he panted, pain wracking his whole body with each breath.

The Saarloos Wolfdog and Gray Wolf mix caught his composure once more after a moment, and though his chest still hurt like hell, he picked himself up, giving his short-cropped fur a quick shake. Turning then, he shifted his position so the sun shown full down on his tanish hide, which was littered and tinted with gray - giving him a very wolfish look. "The damned human better not come back," he muttered lowly to himself, ears flicking back toward his skull at the thought of getting kicked again. It was a daily ritual that the three year old would never grow quiet accustomed to, but had learned to tolerate to a certain degree. With a sigh, the brute took a quick glance around the place; so far, none had shown up to disturb his...peace? It could be called peace, yes. But perhaps a better name would be 'alone time'. For really, Cayote had never known a peaceful time in his life - and didn't expect to any time soon, with the way things were going.

Rolling his eyes at the random thought, he turned toward the steak in the ground that held him. Backing up until the chain-link leash was tightened to its full extent, he lowered his head and squirmed for a moment, shaking his muscular neck back and forth. Finally, he felt the choker slide over his head. Shaking it off his muzzle, he barked with pride; he'd escaped, for now. Turning, he dashed toward the small fence, jumping it in a single leap and landing gracefully, trotting forward a few paces before haulting. Swinging his regally-pointed muzzle over his shoulder, he stared blanky at the closed front door of his owner's home. No disturbances; he'd made a clean get away. Of course, it wouldn't be long until the human noticed he was gone and the pound was after him again, but until then he could roam and perhaps even socialize. It'd been quite a while since he'd met a new face, so today could be his chance to do just that. With that goal in mind, he looked ahead of him again, glancing breifly around before trotting down the street and away from his house.

Two hours later found the male walking silently toward his 'home' again. The Wolf Hybrid had made his rounds in the whole neighborhood; it just seemed as if nobody else wanted to be social again. Shrugging simply, he padded into the backyard of the next-door neighbors. Nobody lived in this particular house as of late, and Cayote hadn't heard of any newcomers moving in quite yet - so he assumed it to be a good place for a nap in the sun. For, what else was there to do? "Except waste the only free time I have," he growled to himself, dissapointed in the way his day had turned out. Sighing, he walked over to the porch and slipped under the steps. There, he circled once before laying down and curling up in the cool dirt, laying his head on an oddly-placed stump and closing his eyes. 'Another goal not reached,' he thought to himself with a sigh, ears flicking back toward his cranium as he slowly drifted off into a light slumber.

[Maybe ♫]

The sounds of her feet thumping against the concrete came in rhythmic beats, accompanied by the pleasant sound of her collar jingling upon her thick neck. The white canine trotted slowly and gracefully along the pavement, listening idly to her own noises, the thud, thud, thud of her paws and the gentle chime of her name tag hitting the metal ring that fastened it to her collar. The night was cool and still, save for a slight breeze that ruffled her pretty ivory fur gently. It was almost as if the wind was caressing her pelt with its illusive fingers, running them slowly through her coat and sending chills down her spine.

As the moments wore on, the breeze that was once a gentle whisp, began to blow more heavily, this time giving her chills that were much less pleasant. Sooner than she expected, the shy had become overcast and a deep, dark gray, as if the clouds were ready to burst with rain. Lowering her ears, she scented the air. Yep, rain was coming, and soon. The German Shepherd let out a soft whine, but kept trotting along until she spotted an old run-down house. It had a wrap-around deck and a lawn that clearly needed tending to. Weeds and crab-grass grew in excess, giving the animal the impression that the home wasn't being lived in.

A smile came to her face as her golden eyes found a spot, near the stairs that led up to the front porch, that the thatched paneling that supported the deck was broken by a large hole. Large enough, realized the dog, to fit through. As soon as the thought hit her, as if on cue, a sprinkle of rain began to fall from the clouds. Knowing it wouldn't stay drizzling for long, the pallid female quickly made for the hole in the deck paneling. As she squeezed through, the scent of another dog buffeted her, accompanied by soft, even breathing. Clearly this hiding spot had been used before, and not only that, but it was in use now. Fear struck the gentle creature, but she knew she couldn't walk home in this weather, as the rain was now pelting down like stones.

What is my family going to think? She thought. They'll be so worried about me! But she knew trying to get home in this storm wasn't worth the risk. It was either face this dog, or risk the chance of being hit by a car on the way home. She knew humans didn't have the best eye sight, and driving in the rain was hazardous, making her chances of getting hit much higher. There was no way she was going to do that. Knowing what she had to do, she called out softly into the darkness of the haven, not able to see who, or what lurked in its depths.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

[.Shadow.]

Cayote

Not long after his breath had become even with sleep did the clouds open up in the night sky, and a drizzle began coming down outside. A singular, gold optic opened up, glowing in the darkness as he looked about. Some of the rain managed to drip through the cracks ni the floorboards above him, but for the most part he remained dry; warm, was another thing. His thick fur coat from the Wolf in him helped a lot on nights like this, so usually he didn't worry much about keeping warm. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he closed his optics once more, curling up just a little bit tighter and wrapping his fluffed tail around his muzzle before returning to sleep.

Perhaps only twenty minutes later a low squeak became audible to his ever-alert ears; someone else was out and about, and now using this porch area as a place to hide from the raging storm. Cayote could hear the rain falling steadily outside, pelting the ground with drops as hard as stone; not a thing he wished to go out into, even if it meant meeting with this new canine. And, by the scent of it, a female at that. Finally, the female announced her arrival; "Hello? Is anyone there?" With a huffed-out sigh, the brute lifted his head, glowing golden optics searching the small area about him. Spotting the ghastly white figure near him, he nodded to himself, knowing she most likely wouldn't see the greeting. "I am," the brute muttered at last, giving his head and neck fur a quick shake to rid it of any moisture before continuing. "My name is Cayote. And yours, m'am?" Cayote raised a singular eye brow, harks flicking forth and straining heartily to hear the lyrics from the fem over the sound of the pooring percipitation.

[Maybe ♫]

It seemed as though a few moons had passed since she had uttered her half-hearted greeting, and as she sat staring into the darkness of the hideout, only silence greeted her. However, a few heartbeats later, a muffled grunt sounded out, almost inaudible over the raging storm outside. Winter's ears seemed to move on their own accord, pricking up as soon as the slightest noise hit them; someone was here. She inclined her snout, sniffing the air gingerly.

Male. Quite dominant by the scent of it.

When he spoke, her tense muscles relaxed some, and her tail lifted from between her legs. She was thoroughly soaked to the bone now, and she could feel the rain seeping through her fur and chilling her skin. Trembling with cold, no longer with apprehension, she slid soundlessly into the cavernous area, golden eyes wandering around curiously. As the male announced his name, she tilted her head. The mystery of who was lurking beneath the deck was gone. Cayote, sort of like the wild dogs, coyotes, that her mother used to tell her about. They were smaller than wolves, but not to be taken lightly, she was told. Hoping the calling was only a name, not a description, the German Shepherd padded farther into the dark depths.

Then, the male asked her name. "Winter," she replied quietly, but loud enough to be heard over the roaring rain. Shivering, she shook her pelt, dispelling an array of raindrops. As soon as she had rid herself of a great deal of moisture, she began inching closer to the voice, and a faint shape began to be highlighted in the darkness. She lay down a ways away from him, watching him intently with ever-vigilant orbs. This could very well be a trap, better keep my guard up, she thought cynically, eyes narrowing at the thought of being ambushed.

"Is it alright if I stay here until the rain stops? I'm soaked to the skin and I fear I'll freeze out there." Her voice was hopeful, and her eyes were pleading, although it was too dark and she was too far away for the male to see the inflection in those amber pools.

[.Shadow.]

Cayote

Ears listened intently as he heard the soft sound of the female's paws tapping daintily against the muddied earth; good, she was coming farther in. Hopefully she didn't suspect him to be some crazy rapist guy, or anything like that; because honestly, he could care less what others thought of him, but the layed-back canine would rather not be thought of as the murderous kind simply because he was half Gray Wolf. The male finally heard the dog's voice once more; Winter. "A beautiful name, Winter." He stated, giving a small smirk even though the darkness hid all his facial expressions.

By now, his fur was thoroughly drenched with water, for the stair's wide spaces allowed too much water to escape past. Lifting to a crouch, he crawled forth until he could stand; though, the large brute still had to hand his head low, less he slam it into one of the floor boards. Blinking once to help his eyes become more adjusted to the darkness, he stared steadily at the figure of the white female called Winter; by her shape, she looked like some sort of Shepherd dog, and by her sweet scent, she seemed nervous. Finally, Winter spoke once more; this time asking permission to stay under the porch, out of the rain. "Why, of course," her muttered with a small chuckle, "no need to ask." Sighing softly, he allowed a shiver to run down his body as a few drops of wetness seeped through his udnercoat and touched his skin; now, it was getting desperate. He hadn't the time to get sick with a cold of any sort, for that would probably cause instantanious death, if his owner ever found out. Golden eyes narrowed at the thought, and he trotted a little closer to the fem, toward the back of the porch; apparently, someone had forgotten a welcome mat when they moved out. Lucky for him, for it served as a good umbrella of sorts, and the dirt here was dryer and less rain seeped through.

Cayote could tell the female was cold by the way he saw her bodice shiver, but he didn't want to ruin his reputation by asking her to lay next to him; even though comman sence told him it would help a lot. Not only did the abnormaly large mat block out most of the rain, but being closer would allow body heat to form between the canines, warming them up as well. He gulped thoughtfully, before asking; "Would you, uh, like to lay over here?" Quickly, he added for composure's sake; "I mean, because the mat here blocks the rain. You won't get as wet," even though she's soaked already, dimwit? he repremanded himself, rolling his eyes and blinking before watching Winter's figure once more, anticipating her responce of disgust and repulsion.

[Maybe ♫]

ooc // sorry, my muse is running low today.


Though she could hardly see through the blackness, Winter could discern that the male was moving about, and had gone to lay where it was warmer. She blinked, her eyes glued to the spot where she knew he was now laying, dry and warm upon the dirt. When he complimented her name, she smiled slightly, her cheeks burning hot as the concrete on a summer afternoon. Lifting one paw gingerly, she padded a bit farther into the darkness, weary of being attacked.

But his deep, soothing voice comforted her when he told her that she had no need to ask permission to stay here, and at that, her tense muscles relaxed. Looking around, she could faintly make out the scene, and looking up, she saw the large welcome mat that served as an umbrella for the male.

"Good idea," she grinned, crouching down on the cold, wet floor, her eyes searching for his in the blackness. After a moment of silence, the male stammered an invitation for her to join him, promising her warmth. Smiling, though weary as she was, she obliged. Padding over to him, her head held low so as not to smack it against the floorboards above, she quietly curled up beside him, her amber eyes burning into him the whole time. She would not take her eyes off of this one for a second.

"Thank you," she breathed, her gratitude showing in her voice. she felt his warm, shaggy fur brush lightly against hers, and, longing for more warmth, she inched closer so that their skin made full contact. "So how did you get here?" She questioned, wondering how the male had gotten caught in the storm.

[.Shadow.]

Cayote

An inaudible breath of relief was admitted as Winter accepted his invitation to lay next to him. He'd just met the female - in no way was he attached to her. But, naturally he had been raised to be a gentlemen to all females; and that's exactly what he intended to do with this German Shepherd. Flashing a smirk her way as she curled up at his side, he dipped his head and held it there, showing he still meant no harm. "See?" He muttered thoughtfully, smirk growing into a grin. "Its warmer and drier here," he stated thoughtfuly, his right ear twitching and flicking back toward his skull as the female inched toward him, and he felt soaked fur touch his own, saturated pelt and remain there. With a content sigh, his tence muscles relaxed, and his cranium lowered ever more to rest upon his large fore-paws, pricked, wolf-like harks listening intently to the pooring rain outside the confined space underneath the porch.

A few moments later, Winter's voice caressed his intent ears once more; "So how did you get here?" Slowly, he pried his gaze upward, his golden gaze meeting her own, finding - now that he could seem them more clearly - that they had the same eye color. "Well, you see, I live with a sorry-excuse for a man who I haven't bothered to remember the name of at this moment. Anyways, he keeps me chained up on the front lawn; you know, the 'I own a dog whose half Wolf' scare tactic. Seeing as I do have the size and looks of a pure Gray Wolf, his plan seemed to work; I've never had to really guard the house." He paused for a moment, realising his speach was mere rambling. Shaking his head, he sighed, continuing on in his cool, calm and collected tone; "Every once in a while I'm able to escape from the choker collar he puts around my neck; today just happened to be one of those days." Cayote stopped speaking then, nodding as he realised he'd told her pretty much the story of his day. Tilting his muzzle towards her in a suggestive manner, he asked; "How about you?"

[Maybe ♫]

The young female glanced at him, locking amber gaze into amber gaze. Breaking the visual link between the two canines, she watched as her paws shifted in the dirt, each claw making a tiny ravine within the wet, malleable sod. She nodded to him, it was indeed drier over here. Grateful for his body warmth, she hummed quietly in her throat, signaling her appreciation for the male.

As he began to tell his story, she kept quiet, harks erect upon her head like twin sentries, catching each and every word, each breath the wolfdog uttered. As the tale came to an end, the male finished with a question. What about her? She rolled her shoulders in a dog-like shrug, amber eyes venturing forth to meet his own.

"I was out for a walk." She muttered, her voice soft and gentle despite the heavy rains outside. "Sometimes I visit my sister. I escape my garden when my Twolegs are out and I go and pay her a visit at her home. But today she wasn't there, and I forgot she had told me that she was going to the vet today." The white Shepherd paused, ears flicking irritably at the raging wind outside the haven of the deck. "I didn't want to waste me day, so I went for a stroll." She nodded to herself, as if to be agreeing with her own words. "That's when the storm hit."

As she finished, she pondered about what he had said. It was hard to believe a human could be so awful; hers were lovely and kind. She felt sad for this dejected beast, and though she hardly knew him, she wanted to offer him a place in her own warm, safe home. Thinking to herself, she came to the shocking realization that this dog had probably never felt what it was like to be loved, and to love in return. Tilting her head at this fathomless thought, she gazed at him, her yellow orbs ablaze with sympathy.

"Your owner sounds horrible," she breathed, her voice betraying as much pity as she would allow. "You must long to be rid of him. How did you come to such an awful home, Cayote?"

[.Shadow.]

Cayote

Ears flicked slightly, moving back towards his skull as Winter's gaze met his. Gold optics broke away from her's just as she moved her gaze to her paws, only his stare glanced up at the shadow created by the huge mat that rested on the porch above them. Lowering his muzzle once more to face the white female, Cayote's ears came forward slightly at the sound of a low humming noise coming from the female's throat; possibly a note of appreciation. He shifted his body to lean slightly closer to her's as a cold wind rushed in under the porch, and a single muscle on his shoulder twitched. Twisting his muzzle over, his tongue lashed once over his shoulder before he turned away, resting his head upon his fore-paws.

Though, as Winter's amber eyes met his own, he knew she was about to tell him her story. Lifting his cranium he politely turned his nose to face her, flashing a small smile as she began. Though, he forced his harks to strani against the strong winds in order to hear her soft, delicate vocals. 'Ah, so an escapee, eh?' He thought with a smirk, digesting her tale quickly, 'rather classic.

Winter's humans sounded so normal; they loved their pet to death, but they also had other things in life to deal with. Cayote had always longed for that life, to a certain degree; to be just a family pet, to lounge around the house and not worry about a thing. To know that his meal is coming that night - not because he'd earned it, but simply because the humans remembered he was actually there. The hybrid sighed at the thought, his ears falling back to his cranium as Winter began to speak again; her voice betraying pity for the brute as she spoke of his human now. 'She must be a mind reader,' he thought as he stared into her yellow orbs, lips curling into a small smirk as he saw the sympothy in her gaze.

"Well, I won't bother to tell you the whole story, for its rather boring," he started with a nod, eyes matching her's, "but I'll make a long tale short. My brother, Dingo and I were sold to the same owner when we turned six months old; there, we were taught the ways of dog fighting, with no sympathy allowed. At first, we faired well, both of us winning more than we lost. One night, though, that changed; the humans decided to pit us in a fight together." At this point, Cayote paused for a lingering moment, shifting his gaze down to his creamy-tan fore-paws and sighing deeply. "I was forced to kill my brother in order to live. After that, I refused to fight; in the end, I was sold. Which is why I now live with this current twolegger." Cayote's speach haulted then, optics meeting Winter's again, though reluctantly; for, he expected some sort of resentment. Most canines hated him for his past, especially when he told them that he'd killed his own flesh and blood. Slowly, Cayote rolled his shoulder blades under his thick skin and shaggy pelt, harks pressing softly against his skull as he waited for her to speak.[/color]

[Maybe ♫]

As Cayote pondered over her question, Winter could amost imagine what he was thinking. Letting out a deep sigh, she began to think of her family, all warm and snug by the fire, wondering where she was. Her food bowl must be sitting on the front porch right now, waiting to lure her back home. As she began to get lost in her thoughts, she was brought back to their converation as the male pressed his warm body against hers, a muscle in his shoulder twitching softly against her own shoulder.

As he warned her of the boring story ahead, she tilted her cranium, amber eyes wavering with curiosity. Listening to his tale was one of the hardest things she had ever done, and she did her best not to wince. "You had to-" Her eyes opened wide, taking him all in. How awful! Her humans would never do anything like that, making it hard for the female to proces the concept that not all towleggers were good. Cayote's eyes filled with a distinct sadness, and it looked as if, in his mind, he was revisiting that very moment when he had to land the fatal blow. The pallid female swore just then that she could see the look in his brother's eyes as Cayote's teeth sank into his jugular. Surpressing a shudder, Winter pressed her snout up against his side.

"I guess not all twoleggers are as nice as mine." She shrugged, rubbing her wet black nose up against his shoulder. Her amber gaze searched his features for any hint of emotion, butthe only one she could percieve was sadness and grief. Suddely filled with sympathy, she gently raspedher tongue along his shoulder blade, hoping to offer some comfort to the dejected beast. "I wish you could meet them. They have a twoleg cub." She forced a smile to her face, ears flicking back as his warm breath tickled them. "She cries sometimes and isn't as cute as dog pups, but she's very intelligent, and she loves to roll around on the floor and rub my fur." She chuckled weakly, only half watching him through glassy golden eyes that seemed to be elsewhere as well. Perhaps in the twoleg nest with her family, romping on the rug with the cub.

"You would love it," she mused, shifting her gaze to look out into the cold, dark distance. "A warm place to sleep, free belly-rubs, as much food as you can eat, walks in the park," She paused, her tone changing from thoughtful to sad. "A family to love you..."

[.Shadow.]

Cayote

A shudder passed down Cayote's spine as he felt Winter's cold nose press against his side, his damp fur tingling at the touch. He shifted his muzzle over to face her, gold eyes staring down at her with unspoken gratitude; after all, most dogs wouldn't show much compassion to the brute. The hybrid sighed quietly as the scene of his brother's death flashed before his eyes. Optics shut tightly then, ears flicking backwards a small bit before he opened his eyes once more, gaze flickering down to the dirt ground as her nose slipped up his shoulder, forcing him to surpress a shiver; and not from the cold. "No, I guess not." He replied softly, not meaning to be rude in any way, even though Winter did seem quite naive about twoleggers. Cayote passed it off, though; not all dogs had the chance to meet the bad side of the human race. 'They're the lucky ones,' he mused with a stifled sigh, ears pricking forward as he heard Winter's soothing voice once more.

Catching the distant look in her eyes as Winter spoke of the human cub she shared a home with, Cayote smirked solemnly and murmered, "You must be eager to return home." Though, the white shepherd continued on without answering, and Cayote didn't push the subject, but instead allowed her to speak her thoughts about the ups of having an owner that actually cared. He couldn't help but think about how nice it would be to have someone who cared about him; even if the affection did come from a being who stood on its hind legs. "It truely sounds as if you have a lovely life. But, the fact is that my owner will be sending the pound out to find me any moment now." He sighed for a moment, glancing down at a white scar on his right shoulder; Winter might've not seen it yet, seeing as she was on his left shoulder. "ANd I'm rather easy to spot in a group of purebreds." He chuckled light-heartedly at the thought, lowering his ears in a content fashion.

But, as he listened to his surroundings, the mutt noticed that the sound of rain pouring down had stopped; there was mostly silence. Had the storm passed for the night? With the question lingering in his mind, he hauled himself up with a soft grunt, trotting a few paces away before he shook himself; an effort to keep any dirt from flying onto his companion. Then, the male turned and padded toward the opening from where Winter had entered. The hole lead to the front yard, Cayote noted as he stepped a single paw out of the opening, glancing breifly around. The ground was wet beneath his black pads, but no water fell from the sky. He smirked, then stepped back into the safelt of the poarch. Throwing his muzzle over his shoulder, Cayote whined with a small amount of excitement toward where Winter currently was. "The storm has passed. Surely your owner is worried about you, but it is rather late," he barked, pausing thoughtfuly for a moment. "Why don't I walk you home? I wouldn't ever forgive myself if I let you wonder off by yourself and you got attacked by on of those psychopaths that patrol these hours of the night." He smiled, his grin showing his good intentions. Then, he turned and stepped out into the dark night, lifting his regally pointed muzzle into the air, black nose twitching softly as he tested his surroundings for any unusual scents. Finding none, he stepped forward enough to allow Winter comfortable space to exit, and lowered his rump, settling onto his muscled haunches as he waited patiently for the fae to join him.

Cayote's gaze lingered on he stars, his muzzle tilted slightly upward. The reflection of the stars caused his golden eyes to look as if they were sparkling. "Its a beautiful night for star gazing," he muttered, glancing down to wherever Winter currently rested.[/color]

[Maybe ♫]

Winter's body lurched slightly as Cayote hoisted himself up, making her sway with unbalance. She watched him silently as he padded to the entrance, shook his fur, and sampled the air. She too took in a deep breath, letting the air run over her tongue and analyzing the scents. The sweet smell of freshly fallen rain was thick on the breeze, while the scent of the hind-walkers was far from fresh. Confused, she sniffed again, hoping that she had just made a mistake, but all she could smell was the damp earth and the grass, hardly anything that suggested they were in a twoleg place.

Her ears flicked back, unaware that her humans were gone as well. She was hardly listening to Cayote's words, but they registered enough for her to get the general point. "Yes, I believe they will be worried," she muttered, her voice distant and her eyes staring pat the crossbred male, out into the streets. As he offered to accompany her home, the white shepherd merely nodded, hoisting her own lithe form up and padding toward the entrance where he stood. She heard his comment about the stars, but her mind was far from the cosmos. Was her family gone too?

ooc // Sorry about the length. I have a lot of threads to reply to. How about you make a new thread for when they go to her house?