COUNT:##### TAG:For.For.For OUTFIT:link NOTES:speak.speak.speak.	Mal was out of his element, and he knew that. He was used to being in charge, and having those who he sought to help want his help. But this female was no such thing. She clearly wanted out of the picture as quickly as she'd stepped into it, and what bothered him most about that was just how messed up she looked. The observation of injuries went beyond that though. Reaching past the obvious most recent cuts and gashes to the scars beneath - not that he was surprised, considering who she was. But the fact was, he could see a hint of her unsettled mind in her eyes, and truth be told, he wasn't certain he could trust her - much less help her. And when it came to adding Kitten to that mix . . . . he was silent as he watched her, slowly noticing the stillness, the muscles locked and ready to react, though he was likely noticing it quite a bit to late. Her tail was the biggest change, curving up to coil over her hind end, and then her voice came, gritting against him with out any kind of emotion, clearly not really willing to work with him. He didn't care if she trusted him, but damn, she was in a bad state. THe snapping was a bit much though, and for a brief moment, the look of surprise and hurt crossed his features. Sure he wasn't handling this the best, but he was still struggling to figure stuff out with what was going on. She backed away, and he winced at her words, this time with remorse. He clearly could have handled all this better. But damn . . . . "You're right, you've caught me off guard and in a sticky situation, and I've reacted unjustly to you. I'm just . . . out of sorts right now. I still wish to help you, truly I do. I'm just . . . struggling on how to handle you. You're not really being the normal type of injured shifter. So, I apologize for my behavior. It was wrong, and foolish of me to behave in just a manner." He stated, with obvious regret in his voice. He was waiting for some sort of reaction - her storming away, refusing his help, but what he wasn't ready for was the seizure. His eyes snapped open in alarm, and quickly he moved to her side, kneeling and hesitating before touching her, alarm on his face, "Shit, Saranna? Saranna!?" Panic settled in his heart, fumbling over what to do to help her, fumbling about if he should move heror not. He wasn't expecting a seizure. "Speech"

Template by Melz/mizlopez89 @adoxography & Caution2.0

"speech"/'thoughts'

Claws scrambled at the half frozen ground, gouging deep lines. Her body jerked, contorting into grotesque positions. Her head was thrown back into such a severe angle, it was a wonder her neck did not snap. It was violent, the kind of seizure that made one question if she was possessed. Her muscles were like a livewire beneath his touch, rock hard with her increased strength flickering on and off like some dying light bulb. Yet even in this helpless state, her instincts to protect herself were still strong. Her body jerked viciously at his touch, her teeth snapping in his direction though her coordination was severely hampered. She very nearly ended up snipping off a few layers of her own skin when her body contorting in on itself.

She was running, stumbling over her own feet, cartwheeling head over heels as she struggled to simply run. Blood loss was quickly claiming her starvation weakened body. Her adrenaline blocked out the agony that should have had her vomiting on the ground and screaming her throat raw. Her vision was red with the blood that completely smothered the scents of the world around her. Even after several months of captivity, torture, and rape, she still left behind more bodies and damage than they had caused to her. She had waited for the right time, endured so that she could escape flawlessly. She’d never given up hope on escape. She never would.

She was approaching what she assumed to be the end of Cephus’s borders; the land was growing rocky and there was a sudden shift in the altitude as the ground rose steadily. She could hear the chaos she left behind her in the baying of the hounds and howls of the wolves. She could almost make out the gravelly roar of Cephus as he writhed in the pain of his own crippling injuries. She had to keep running, his pack would not pursue her past its borders for a few days with their leader down and seconds and third in commands dead. Even after she had long passed the border, when all coherent thoughts had left her, she was still fleeing and even when she finally gave into the darkness, her legs continued to move, carrying her further.

And quite suddenly, as quickly as the seizure began, it ended. Her body quivered with the aftermath of the seizure. Her eyes though, were blank, the scarred right eye completely shut and her left eye half lidded. Her whole body appeared to shudder with each rapid, tiny breath. Finally, the last vestiges of conscious thought slipped into darkness.

The albino Kishu stared out into the white out blankly. She lay on her side, listening to the howling wind and creaking of tree boughs above their impromptu shelter. The abandoned fox den was nestled in the grand roots of a great oak tree, almost mimicking a human cellar of sorts. Saranna sighed and laid her head on her paws. She had hoped to avoid a blizzard like. It would certainly delay her. Her wounds had healed to fresh, pink scar tissue, but the severe cold still caused her some minor pain and the skin kept wanting to chaff. But it was not for her own wellbeing that she worried so much. Sanguine eyes roved to gaze at the tightly curled ball of fur sleeping a few feet off to the side. The pup was shivering so severely that Saranna questioned if she really was truly asleep. Then again, with her belly finally full of a fresh meal, and exhausted from the long journey, Saranna doubted the dead could wake her pup.

The pup was nearly half the size she should be and in poor condition. Saranna had left her months ago in the care of Prie but upon her arrival a few days ago, Sari had discovered that Prie had fallen victim to a hunter’s trap and left her daughter completely alone. Too small and young to hunt, Saranna had showed up just in time. Kita would not have survived another week. It had been a few days since they had teamed up and already Saranna was seeing a miniature clone. Only this one was much more quick to temper. She was proud and stubborn, bent on proving she could do things on her own. It had been a rough start and the only reason the pup trusted her to begin with was Saranna revealed her and Prie’s similar origins; mill hounds as they were called then.

”Kita.” The pup’s shivering stopped for a moment. So she wasn’t asleep. Saranna called her secret daughter again and she sleepily raised her head. Saranna shifted her legs and the pup needed no more invitation. She stumbled to her paws, tottered over, and collapsed near Saranna’s belly and flank, pressing herself into the warmth. The pup whined softly when Saranna shifted, ”W-warm” she cooed in response. Saranna curled herself around the tiny bundle. Kita snuggled into her belly as Saranna curled her tail around the pup first before her whole body followed
suit.

”Saranna?” Kita mumbled faintly, her nose shoved so deep into the adult’s belly, she fancied she could still scent milk. Saranna hummed in acknowledgement. ”Do you have a child?” Saranna blinked and turned her head to look outside their shelter, leaving Kita to whine at the breech of cold air her movement brought ”Once. She was perfect.” And Saranna had been stupid to leave Kita because now she was doomed to anything but a normal childhood.

”Oh...” the pup murmured, recognizing the past tense. She was quiet again for a long while, perhaps she had fallen asleep. ”Saranna?” another hum of recognition from the albino Kishu. ” What’s…what’s it like? To have a mother? To be…loved?“ She was so lost. Saranna knew that at 6 months, she should be partially independent, causing trouble amongst her peers, fighting over who got the best bone or pelt, learning the basics of tracking and hunting. But she was so lost. ”I wish I knew the full answer to that...” Saranna reached around and, with her non-metal teeth, grabbed the pup by the scruff. She pulled her to rest her between her front legs and plopped her neck down on Kita so that only her head was visible. The pup wriggled until she realized that this was much warmer and cooed softly. ”But I imagine it starts like this.” Kita smiled dreamily and licked the leg under her chin. ”I like this,” she whispered as sleep finally claimed her. Saranna smiled softly as she listened to her daughter’s breathing evening out.”I do too, my little kite.”

Amount: 1,152 w/coding
Notes: the tooth rotting goodness ;_; I regret killing little Kita
Muse: EXCELLENT
Outfit: NONE
Tune: “The Beacon” by A Fine Frenzy
Tags: DYZZ/ Malekai

COUNT:##### TAG:For.For.For OUTFIT:link NOTES:speak.speak.speak.	This was clearly (very clearly) not going well. Anyone with half a brain could see the problems progressing between the male and the young dog before him (or was she old? He wasn't quite sure on age just yet). Either way, Malekai wasn't quite sure what to make of the Inu female - especially with his little sister being with in harms reach should she go chaotic. But Mal was determined to pull this back in the direction he wanted. He had all the knowledge needed to keep up the alpha dog thought process. He had all the ability to be that go to leader. And yet he was floundering in a rather unbecoming way. Not what he wanted - that was for certain. He watched her scramble, claws gouging into the ground, her body jerking and immediately his eyes snapped open wide as he moved towards her - hesitating at the violence her body snapped and threw itself into. She jerked from his touch and he quickly backpedaled himself, noticing the way she'd snapped at him (and he really - really - really didn't want to be caught by those teeth). Finally the episode seemed to stop - suddenly almost, her body still quivering, her eyes not really there, and he hesitated standing still, not sure if he should approach her or not. He didn't want another repeat. What the hell had just happened though. His sister showed up then, looking confused and concerned (and he gathered she must have seen it all from the window), before signing silently, SHE OKAY?. The male shrugged, hesitating, unsure. He slowly walked forward, watching the female for any signs of her waking, before carefully scooping her in his arms and carrying her inside the home. He immediately moved to the bathroom - surprised to see the tub already filled with luke warm water, about an inch and a half deep. Beside the toilet was a fully stocked medical kit, as well as a number of towels and rags. Humming his approval to his sister's thoughtfulness, he gently lay the unconscious female in the tub, before very gently and very carefully moving to clean her pelt - and to check over any and all visible wounds he found. Once she was considerably cleaner, he took the time to treat the worst of the wounds - and properly bandage them, before carrying her back out of the bathroom (the female this time wrapped in an oversize towel previously used for beaches). Setting her down in front of the fire place, he quickly stoked the fire until it began to heat up and grow with flickering lights. He then proceeded to use the many random blankets and pillows in the house (his pack tended to crash with out warning at his place), to create a nest for her close enough to the fire to feel the warmth, but not the bite. Setting her down more comfortably in the nest, he collapsed onto the nearby chair, watching the female as his sister brought him a cup of hot cocoa, "Thank you, Kitten. Please make sure that none of the pack come into the house. I want them kept away for the time being. My orders . . . ." The human nodded, eyes wide before lightly tilting her head and looking at the female as her brother let out a soft sigh, "I'm not sure what her full story is . . . . but she's a mess." His sister made a soft noise and he grinned gently at her, "Worse than even you, Kitty. I can only hope she'll be okay . . . . eventually." Kitten nodded quietly before hugging her brother and signing, WILL MAKE DINNER NOW. THREE SERVINGS. FOR ALL. WILL COME WHEN DONE. He watched the human girl leave, before returning his attention to the unconscious shifter. It wasn't long before his sister returned with a bowl of stew for him - likely reheated from a few nights ago. Another bowl was set before the shifter, being kept warm by the fire, ready for her to eat should she wake up . . . If she woke up any time soon, that is. "Speech"

Template by Melz/mizlopez89 @adoxography & Caution2.0

"speech"/'thoughts'

As time shifted and the day grew to night, Saranna did not stir. Even when being cared for, bandaged, and cleaned, she barely so much as twitched. Her breathing was deep, although a little strained from cracked ribs, signifying deep sleep. Comatose was more like it, nothing appeared to be close to rousing her. This was an unnatural slumber. It wasn’t until the middle of the night that she began to show signs of rising consciousness. Muscles began to twitch with the rise of dreams and a name was muttered softly. Kita.

The day was warm, if perhaps a bit humid, but a cooling breeze, traveling down from the high mountain peaks kept the heat in check. It was a shy one, whispering for a short time then darting into silence. It brought with it a myriad of scents. Crisp snow melt, invigorating pine sap spice, and a hint of the soon to be flowers, a promise that the brutal winter was finally seeing to its departure. In the lower meadows, where the ridges gave way to gentle slopes dotted with alpine trees and swathes of hardy tundra grass, life was already in bloom. Arctic poppies tracked the warmth of the sun rays with their ever twisting faces. Bottle bees, as the pups called them, buzzed and bobbed heavily, drunk on entirely too much nectar. Lichen clung to steeps cliffs, fluffy tufts swaying in the ever changing wind. High above the meadow patches, the figures of pack guards dotted the rocky slopes and even higher, white blobs of mountain goats danced among the ridges, bobbing from one platform to the next.

This was peace.

In this brief period, for spring was so short here, life flourished. The elevation wasn’t so high that it simulated artic conditions, but the growing season here was still noticeably shortened. Deciduous trees were in bloom, from the red cherry trees to the white dominated furry branches of Hawthornes. Nestled beneath the great, low sweeping bows of a Russian Hawthorne a single figure was laid out on its side. It appeared to be languidly enjoying the pleasant sunshine that dappled its coat through the shivering branches. The figure rolled on her back and stretched, exposing her belly in a rare moment of relaxation. From the trees above, another figure watched, gleaming ice eyes honed in on the white belly fur of her target. There was a moment of utter silence and stillness. The white figure below didn’t so much as blink when a sudden shower of white petals fell on her, brought down by the breeze.

" You are a rather poor squirrel, Kita." Saranna murmured from the ground. Kita groaned from up in the tree and dropped down gracefully, rolling to her side and back as well. She wriggled on her back, hind legs wiggling in ecstasy. ”You’re no fun. Do you have any idea how long I was waiting in the tree for you?” Saranna rolled upright and blinked at the rather large Shiba Inu shifter. "Do you not have duties?" Saranna inquired, head tilting sideways at her protégé. Kita snorted a white flower from her nose and gave one last long stretch, legs quivering with pleasure, the laid flat on her side. ”Done, been done for hours now. Today is the big hunt, remember? Chores are lightened.” Saranna grunted as she pulled her legs beneath her body. The two stared down from beneath the tree limbs at the youngsters playing, fighting on over a sun bleach bone. One rather runty pup was having trouble tramping through the grass that was taller than him. Kita giggled at having to watch him bob up and down, disappearing and then reappearing. Like some deformed rabbit. Saranna couldn’t understand how something so…lopsided could be called cute.

Another breeze bore with it the scent of Zev, high above them on a ridge overlooking the pack. Or rather, his alpha. It irked Saranna, but at least she wouldn’t have to deal with him for the hunt. Sentry duty was sentry duty, no exceptions.

”Logan and I have been discussing children,” Kita said suddenly, watching her mate from afar. The white wolf shifter had joined the pups in their play, his large bulk flattening the grass for the runty pup. The statement caught Saranna off guard, only shown by her side ways glance at her secret daughter. Saranna’s ruby eyes returned to Logan’s form, watching him handle the pups. ”Discussing? I am assuming you mean, he wants them and you are uncertain.” It wasn’t an obvious secret that Kita had grown up with a shitty mom. Saranna was the same way, even though she had the proof of being a bad mother sitting in front of her.

”Quite the opposite. It’s because of what my mother did that I know I will be a good mother. I know what mistakes not to make.” This floored Saranna, enough that she didn’t have enough time to hid it. She sat up fully to gaze upon Kita. Kita’s pale eyes remained on the pups, a completely content look gracing her pretty features. How perfect she looked. To think that Saranna had made that herself. ”You are too young to be a grandmother, so I figured god mother would be a better position for you. You are, after all, the reason I am who and what I am today. You are all the mother I could ever ask for.”

Silence stretched between them. It wasn’t awkward, Kita had long learned to deal with her ‘mother’s’ silent ways. Finally Saranna stood, moving in to the light to gather the pack for the hunt. She stopped, glancing over her shoulder at Kita, ”I never could really say no to you, little Kite.”

Saranna was slow to awaken, the thick cobwebs of deep sleep clinging to her, threatening to drag her back down. She remembered that day very well. The hunt had been more thrilling for her since her first years as a simply ranger in training. There had been no worries, no dark thoughts. Only her daughter, son-in-law, and extended family, her pack, working together as one to catch their meal. It was a night that had been full of laughter, dancing as canines only knew, stories for the pups, and singing.

Saranna’s eyes didn’t open until long after she was actually awake. She was somewhere warm, laying on something soft. Her first sight was that of crackling flames roaring in a hearth. And it was an all too familiar scene. It escaped her mouth without her really noticing, a quiet, longing whisper, ”Logan?” She made to move, to get up. She wanted to speak it louder, searching for an answer, hoping that the nightmare that had happened days ago, of feathers and blood and demons, had been nothing more than that. A nightmare. But she felt the pain of her wounds quickly, the immense strain her body had undergone and quickly knew it was not so. Her surroundings were different than Logan’s home and she quickly scented werewolf close by. Memories came rushing back. So, Malekai had taken her into his home after all. She lifted her head slowly, for fast movements made her head spin and vision spot. She scented food nearby and reached out with a quivering nose to sniff. It was cold, so she must have been unconscious for several hours. She sniffed the food again, finally picking out the scent of human and promptly ignored it. She’d never trust another human to feed her without her supervision of the preparation. Too long had she been simply tossed food and eaten it without thought.

She shuffled herself slightly out of the nest of blankets so it only covered her lower half and assessed her injuries. Her back and ribs hurt the most, from the tree impact no doubt, and her hind legs seemed intent on ignoring her commands. She really over worked her super strength. She sniffed at the stab wound under her elbow intently, and scenting that the sickness Logan had fought with her was gone, laid down again to stare at the fire. She knew she wasn’t alone and when she finally felt the silence about break, she spoke first, ”How long?”

How long was she out? How bad was the seizure, how long was the seizure? How long, how much, had he seen of the episode and how long had he been there, watching her? How long until he decided she was healed enough to leave, let alone move? How long would she have put him, his pack, and his little pet human in danger?

Amount: 1489 w/coding
Notes: about as close as Kita ever got to revealing she knew Saranna was her real mom
Muse: EXCELLENT
Outfit: NONE
Tune: “May It Be” by Enya
Tags: DYZZ/ Malekai

` DYZZIE *

COUNT:##### TAG:For.For.For OUTFIT:link NOTES:speak.speak.speak.	Mal really didn't know what to think of this dog, woman, shifter . . . person-canine thing that he'd taken in . . . what he did know was that it was beginning to feel like a LOT more trouble than he had originally believed. He took a deep, almost unsteady breath as he watched her slowly begin to awaken, seeing the faint change in her breathing, even as her eyes remained tightly closed against the waking world. The male didn't even bother in attempting to coax her into opening them, or sitting up . . . he was beginning to figure out that the best thing to do with Saranna was to slowly, ever so slowly let her do what she wanted and to merely attempt to guide. Slowly she did open her eyes though, looking towards the fireplace that crinkled and popped faintly, the flames reflecting off her pelt as her voice bleeded out in a whisper - a name. Logan. Malekai didn't bother to correct her, instead allowing her to come to on her own, his expression neutral, though his eyes betrayed his concern for her. She slowly began to move though, shifting lightly and drawing in a few sniff's worth of air. He remained silent as she began to access herself, and sniffing at the food his sister and prepared, before ignoring it, and shuffling to assess her injuries better. He was silent as she laid down again, staring at the fire and finally she spoke this time to him, How long. His gaze moved towards the fire, a slight shrug of his shoulder, even though he knew that she couldn't see him. He finally found his own voice, "It's the middle of the night, good few hours." He stated, turning slowly to look at her, "How do you feel?" He asked after a moment, shifting to look at her more fully, "My sister and I were quite concerned about you." He added after a moment's hesitation, glancing away again. "Speech"

Template by Melz/mizlopez89 @adoxography & Caution2.0

"speech"/'thoughts'

She hadn't always been this way; she liked to think that at one point, she'd been willing and accepting of help and that her presence caused calmness and exuded protection. The pack she'd fallen with, rose to the top of, helped become a grand thing: it had been a refuge to many. It was not often she turned others away and when she did it was with a heavy heart. Granted she never showed it and her verdict was swift. Zev had once been the one to help guide her in decisions of the moral kind. Her moral compass was askew at best, so it often results in some salty characters finding home in the pack. Buster was a grand example; his heightened aggression had results in Saranna ordering her Beta to take a leave of absence to help Buster cope with his new life.

That was all before Cephus of course.

After that, things had changed. Fewer were accepted into the pack without a trial and she ruled with a much colder out look.

A bit like she was now. It was all de-jah-vu, on so many different levels. The accepting and welcoming of help like Chandler. She hadn't seen him for a very long time it felt when in fact it was, at best, a week or two possibly. She'd roped him into this, nearly got him killed when Switchblade, Belial, and Haunt showed up. She'd cut ties with him very abruptly; she barely dared to even check on him from a distance.

But Logan...

Logan had been a different case entirely. She'd been so lost mentally when he found her and he'd swept her up much like Malekai had. The lack of communication had been strange and yet familiar. He'd become the presence she couldn't be without and he'd been wise and knowing enough to protect himself. She'd been much more careful with him, keeping him from being associated with her. He was Zev all over again.

Thinking about him, watching the flames dance like she had that night she'd woke up in his arms, made a deep pain resonate in her chest. It was unfamiliar and unwanted. This was not a pain she could ignore or outrun or make better with rest and medicine.

And being with this werewolf made everything, the pain, the loss and emptiness all the more palpable.

Her ear twitched, the only indication of her having heard Malekai speak. She ignored his question; she hurt, but that was not new. It was never new. "I should be leaving," she murmured lowly, but knew that his hearing would pick it up regardless, "He could track me here and..."

Her voice wavered off, staring into the flames dully. Finally she sighed and stood fully, her hips swaying uncertainly as her hind legs threatened to buckle. She didn't move for a while, muscles rippling down her spine as she flexed and worked them into wakefulness. Then she just bundled the cloth beneath her into a better nest and laid down on top of it. "But I am tired," she resigned herself to at least stay the night, or what was left of it. Hopefully that metal box she'd ridden in would throw her hunters for a loop long enough for her to rest and regain her strength.

Her life was a never end cycling and it was beginning to look like she was back to roaming around endlessly. She couldn't die, she owed it to her pack to live on. She couldn't retaliate because that would mean suicide and death; she couldn't bring herself to feel the need for revenge because she was smart enough to know where that road led. "Nowhere. It goes nowhere," she whispered to herself out loud without realizing it.

Deep inside, she knew part of her reason for staying was because she was more than just tired. She was shutting down; she didn't know how much longer she had before she couldn't go anymore. But this moment, this single moment of being with someone who knew her name and part of her story, she could breathe. An oppressing weight had been lifted off her shoulders for the briefest moment. All because one person knew. Knew her name, knew her story, knew the tragedy that had been done. He would never understand fully, at least she hoped because she would never wish this pain on anyone (not even Cephus) and she prayed to whatever deity that hated her so much to take pity on Malekai. She hoped he knew not of this wretched agony and prayed he'd be ever more blind to it.

Amount: 796 w/coding
Notes: she's breaking down
Muse:Good
Outfit: NONE
Tune: “Near to You” by A Fine Frenzy
Tags: DYZZ/ Malekai

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