Was it a dream?[for Calypso]

[.Shadow.]

Crescent
We'll let our heart beat guide us through the dark.

The glowing, light brown eyes of the beastly-sized Pit Bull burned into the female's skull as she stood there, her head lowered and fur bristled. Fangs gleamed against the black of her muzzle, her bushy tail swishing back and forth in an aggressive manner. Suddenly, the white brute leapt, but the agile fem dodged out of the way, snapping down on the terrier's shoulder and causing him to squeal in surprise. Flinging herself onto the male's back, she shifted her grip to the back of his neck, only to be pulled harshly off when the brute gripped her fore-leg. He threw her to the ground and stood towering over her, and though her hind legs scraped at his stomach and caused it to gush blood, he neither flinched nor let her up. Instead, he snatched up her throat; the fem cried out in pain.

With a gasp the dog was startled awake, rolling onto her stomach and panting, wide eyes franticly looking around. No sign of the white Pit Bull. Gulping down a breath of air, she breathed deeply, closing her sea-blue eyes for a moment to regain her composure. Then, she lifted herself, muscles rippling as she gaze her pelt a quick shake. The Belgian Tervuren had nearly had enough of those horrid nightmares of her past; it was just too much for her to take. But Crescent - as she was called - was still determined to chase off the past and look into the future. Even though what she really needed was the companionship of a canine who didn't run when they heard of her old work as a fighter.

Lifting her feathered tail to level with her haunches, Crescent quickly glanced about, black-lined ears pricked intently as her long, prodominantly-tan fur was ruffled by a sudden breeze. At four and a half years old, the female knew her way around town well; well enough to know that this wasn't the smartest place to take a nap in. Why she had chosen to do so in the first place was still unknown in her mind. Still, while she was here, it would be nice to have a pick through the garbage. As if on que her stomach began to rumble and feel utterly aweful as she paced forward, muzzle hovering just above the piles of leftovers as she sorted through them, looking for something both edible and sustaining. Finally, Crescent's keen sense of smell picked up the rotting stench of a quorter-eaten hot dog. Snatching it up in her jaws, she snapped it down in two gulps, sighing with satisfaction but now needing a drink to quench her parched throat.

Turning away, the purebred trotted quietly toward a small puddle of water, taking a whiff before gulping some of the liquid down to make sure it was safe to drink. The water felt cool against her dry, itchy throat, and soothed it for the moment. Lifting her dripping muzzle once more, she through it over her shoulder, searching for signs of life before looking straight ahead and continuing on at a slow-paced lope, her thick fur brushed to a gleam by the wind as she went. Ears were pressed against her skull as Crescent haulted at the gate marking the enterence to the Waste Management Center, and her rump lowered to rest on the earth as a sigh surpassed her black nostrils. In her bordem she found herself trailing back to the dream she'd had earlier, and wondering; what exactly had brought on thoughts of her past? She certainly didn't willingly think back to those horrid times of being owned by the twoleggers, but the memories still insist on haunting her. Heaving a deep breath of defeat, Crescent stretched her legs out before her and lowered to a lay, resting her head on her crossed front paws and closing her azule eyes, hoping not to fall to sleep but atleast resting her gaze for a moment.[/size][/color]

[solisticeofwinter]

Loyalty.

Calypso was wandering blindly down the path, his silver fur tinged with dirt, the black mask that concealed his face had added a few more silvery hairs their ranks. The loss of his beloved Mistress weighed heavily on Cal. He had seen only thirty minutes before she disappeared. He should have stayed by her side, laying on the pristine Russian carpet next to the flaming pit tucked away under the mantle, where Mistress kept the pictures of Calypso and Crystal. Another stab of pain pierced his chest as the image of that beautiful fae snapped into his mind, her glossy, reddish tan coat flowing in the wind, her face the color of the sky at a quarter till midnight. The brute imagined the oak color optics looking at him with a loving tone, the deep gorgeous pools bearing into his soul like she could read him.
I remember that day like anything. The deep scents around me as I waited on the pine-wood porch, the rocker chairs tilting in the wind as it tickled and teased them. I remember I was a younger dog then, I was only 2 or 3, with a proud and cocky air about me. Mistress was talking to a man with long dark hair. Their chat was an exciting one by the way the slurred their tones. I watched as Marcy handed the man a few grayish bills and as she reached for a tendril that was limply dangling from the cab of the truck. The man bid a farewell and hopped into the driver side.

I remember the entrance like no other day, the soft sigh of a rushed wind coming off that fae as she jumped down from the cab, her coat of the most splendid tan/auburn bore deep into my mind, her soft and gentle eyes hidden behind that shadow mask. She was so fluid as she moved, graceful and elegant. I remember the meeting. It was love at first sight.....

Calypso sighed, his eyes becoming moist with depressed heartbreak. He could still smell her scent on the air, her warmth wrapping him like a soft blanket. He wished and longed for her....

....And I watched as the fae I once loved lay before me on our sheepskin bed, dying. Her breathing was rasping and labored, her once bright eyes now dulled with cancerous thoughts. We whispered our secret words that night. Promises and apologies. We whispered our love for the last time. I watched with an aching soul as the vet slipped a needle into her vain, the magenta liquid pumping into her heart, stopping it for every. I laid with her, attuned to her heartbeat. I listened, the last beat pulsed, then silence..


Calypso shook his head. Deep memories needed to be put away and locked away. But the image of dear Crystalline was embedded deep within his mind. Cal padded slowly on the worn concrete, his cushioned pads plopping audibly on the rough surface. His silver tresses hung in disdain, his eyes had a saddened dull to them. The exuberant male was no longer there, but instead a defeated, old dog treaded his path. The Tervuren was a solitary male now. One of his vows was to never love another fae. Crystal had been his mate and she still was. He would never let go. Suddenly, the enticing scents of the Waste center stung his nose, and his belly mumbled a opinion only Cal could hear. His bones were now more visible, since his eating habits had diminished since losing Marcy and sinking into a depression. For once, he felt the pangs of starvation and decided to satiate that boiling hunger.


He turned into the center, his nose snuffling the cans and dumpster. He plodded along until he found a bucket of half-eaten chicken. In ravenous gulps, he tore the flesh from the bone, the succulent taste melting in his mouth. He devoured the first few in quick gulps, but slowed as he belly gurgled with contentment. After stuffing himself, Calypso drew a magenta tongue across his lips, drawing the grease and batter from them. He looked around and noticed a dog. Another Tervuren. His heart leaped. Was it Crystalline? No. She is dead and this one is too light to be her... He hesitated. She looked bored and like she enjoyed the solitude she was in. Cal could only gaze.

[.Shadow.]

.Crescent.

[/font]
We'll let our heart beats guide us through the dark.[/center]

Forcing her eyes open again, the female blinked the blurry vision she was greeted with away before lifting her head and glancing quickly around. Spotting nothing of alarm, she allowed her jaws to stretch open, tongue curling out as a yawn emerged mingled with a whine from her throat. Shutting her mouth with a soft click of her fangs, Crescent swung her muzzle to the right at the sudden sound of trash being picked through, only to spot another Tervuren, like herself. Only this one happened to be a male, maybe a year or two older than Crescent herself. His silver fur was splotched here and there with visible dirt, and his black mask was tinged with gray from his age. The fem inhaled his scent, hoping to learn more about him; his stench revealed that he was healthy but slightly on the starved side. And from the look of the collar around his neck, he was either an escaped stray, or his owners had disappeared like many others in Harlow these days.

Flicking her ears forward as the brute started to turn toward her, Crescent quickly looked away, gaze sweeping to sheepishly stare at her front paws. But curiosity was getting the best of her at the moment, and the intense feeling of his gaze burning into her skull was too much. Lifting her obsidian sniffer to face him, Crescent's entrancing sea-blue optics locked with his for a few fleeting moments before she woofed a quiet greeting and nodded subtly. Hoisting herself to a stand, a breeze brushed her pelt covered with various hues of tan as she turned her full body toward him, lowering her head to show she meant no harm but lifting her tail which curved at the tip with slight anxiety as she approached the brute. With a quick glance she sized him up, using skills honed in her mind from her career as a fighting dog; he seemed to be a head taller than her at the most, but he was only slightly large in muscle mass. In a battle, she could use her agility to tire him out and have a high chance of winning. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that though.

Lifting her head to a normal level once more Crescent halted a few feet in front of the brute, lowering her rump to the ground to signal furthermore how calm she was at the moment. In the past she would have attacked simply to make sure she got a meal from her owner that night, but today she could act like her natural, laid-back self. "The name is Crescent," she murmured at last, respecting his privacy and not bothering to ask for his alias. If he wanted to give it, so be it; but if not, that was his problem. Usually Crescent wouldn't even speak first, but he had been staring at her earlier, so it only felt reasonable to find out what that was all about. Perhaps he was just curious as well?[/size][/color]

[solisticeofwinter]

Loyalty.

Calypso watched with an intense gaze as she approached, the magical blue tint of her eyes was truly a sight. The brute studied her closely, his silvery sepia orbs flickering. Her coat was the normal Tervuren color, a gorgeous blanket of tans and dusty browns, with the traditional black masks. But her eyes were certainly a distinct and rare trait in the breed; or at least as far as Calypso knew. He was struck by her appearance, since the glossy sheen that bounced from her fur in radiant waves made her sparkle. Her scent was sweet and she was rather clean. To Calypso's embarrassment, since he looked like a ragged soul, all worn out looking.



Her submissive and friendly approach made the tense male relax, his swishing plume no longer a stiff sabre. His nose twitched, reading her scents. He lowered his head slightly, and with a slight stiffness, folded his legs under his body so that he was in a neutral sit, his posture welcoming and reserved. Her own guarded caution made him apprehensive, but all the same the subtle meeting was chance, since Cal had not seen another dog whose foul mouth did not offended him. He watched her silently before replying, her reserved and fluid lyrics murmured from her maw. Crescent. She had said her name was. Sounds like Crystal. A depressive thought mourned inside his mind, but he did not let his distressed feelings show.


The sky was a hazy azure tone, clouds obscuring the sky in a pillow manner, the sun beating down the rays heavily upon the dogs that faced each other. Calypso's voice was strong and calm, his tones still bearing the touch of eternal youth. "My name is Calypso." He was really a loss for words, since he did not know where to begin in this endless chain. His conversations weren't struck very easily.

"Have your owner's disappeared too, or are you a stray?" The words fell from his mouth. He almost wished they hadn't since it was a vast and overly answered.

[.Shadow.]

Crescent
We'll let our heart beats guide us through the dark.

Crescent took the time between her words and his reply to study the brute, and perhaps learn more about him. True, he looked dirty and like he hadn't groomed his pelt in a few weeks, but that was all normal in the world of the Strays. Still, though; something was off about this character, but it was nothing that made Crescent feel uncomfortable around him. No; it was something different. As she studied his brown-hued gaze, she found sorrow, depression and perhaps even regret hidden deep down in him. But why? Was it something in his past, like every other canine roaming the streets today? After all, he was a purebred. Surely he had owners at one point, just like her, right?

The male's strong, calm vocals snapped Crescent back into reality, chasing away her thoughts for the moment so she could consume his words fully. He'd said his name was Calypso. Crescent nodded subtly at the information, giving a small smile his way. "Nicely met, Calypso. I hope I didn't disturb your search for a meal earlier; it seems my curiousity won over my manners." A soft shake of her ruff fur is given, feathered ears lowering just a tad closer to her skull in an appologetic manner, though the smile stayed plastered to her pretty features.

Sea-blue optics seemed to reflect and glow in the sun's rays as the heat pounded down onto the two dogs' bodies, and Crescent did everything she could to keep from opening her mouth in an over-heated pant. Luckily, she fought it off with a mere sigh escaping from her black nostrils, harks pricking forward fully again as Calypso spoke once more. "Have your owners dissapeared too, or are you a stray?"[/b] A gulp is given by the fem, and her fluffed banner stopped wagging for a few moments as a far away look entered the female's gaze, and she seemed to be looking right through the brute. Her mind was tracing back to the old days, where fighting and killing were things to had to do to live. Ears fell back to her head as a flashback threatened to come before her, but she fought it off with a soft shake of her skull, a small, barely-audible whine escaping her throat as she came back to reality and met Calypso's glare. "I'm...I'm an escaped fighting dog." Crescent flinched as in her mind she pictured him walking away with disgust written clearly in his stride, just as all the other canines she'd met had when she'd told them of her past. But Calypso seemed different...in a good way. Maybe he would stay with Crescent, instead of vanishing from her life, like all the others had?[/size][/color]

[Amber]

I shall post later on tonight, I promise.