Shelter From The Storm

[Aku]

Crack!

An eye cracked open at the reverberating sound of thunder echoing off the dark walls of the den, a slight sliver of bright emerald that glared sourly at the wild storm raging outside as its owner¡¯s ears pricked up, only to flatten against her skull in a show of her displeasure. Letting an irritated noise escape from her throat, the black Ninetales made to stand up, gently nudging aside the paw draped across her middle and the silvery tails twined with her hind leg cautiously as to prevent from waking up their owner.

A blast of cold, damp air greeted her as she took a few steps away, an unpleasant, but not entirely unwelcome, wake up call that shook her from the drowsiness that had wanted to keep her near the only other source of heat in the chilly den. For a moment she debated whether or not it would be worth it to just attempt to go back to the comfortable folds of sleep again, instead of staying awake and watching the storm.

In the end, her decision was made when another flash of lightning illuminated the den, accompanied by a rumble of thunder. It would be hard to go back to sleep with that racket outside, she decided. She would rather watch the storm instead of tossing and turning in an attempt to reach sleep again, only to get up in a few hours.

Now more awake, she padded up to the mouth of her temporary home where she and her companion had sought refuge the night before, her footfalls light and almost noiseless as her breath escaped her in a faint, cloudy puff into the frigid air. Her bright emerald eyes almost glowed in the faint light provided by the jagged, lightly illuminating crystals imbedded into the walls of the den, her gaze flickering from corner to corner as she moved.

As she watched, the storm outside continued to rage on, a fury of wind, rain, and ice that pounded against the earth and whipped trees from side to side. She was only lucky, she thought dryly, that the other, who was still sleeping, had picked up on the upcoming storm and had persuaded her to take shelter only a few hours before the tempest. There was no way she would¡¯ve been able to find somewhere to rest had she been an hour later; it had taken her the good part of the remaining time and a lot of searching to find a nice, sheltered place where the storm would not reach, not to mention a /few/ miles of running...

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[fya]

The cold spring rain pelted down on the mightyena's back. His body was looking smaller than usual, do to his messy fur all slicked down on his skin thanks to the rain. His shady head was down as he trotted through the rain. Another boom and lightning broke the darkness for an instant. He shivered and continued to move on. He thought he saw a makeshift den in the distance...he hoped it was vacant for he was wet, cold, and tired. And not in a mood to fight for a dry sleep.

[Aku]

¡°Nngh¡¦¡±

The black Ninetales looked up at the sudden, soft sound, startled, blinking her emerald eyes when they met unfocused stormy gray-blue eyes which gazed sleepily in return. Letting out a tired noise as her mouth opened in a large yawn, the new arrival lazily padded up to the dark furred one, her tails curling around herself as she settled down a few feet away.

¡°What¡¯re you doing up¡¦? Go back to sleep, Yuu.¡± Her voice came out as a low murmur, rough from sleep and being unused in the past few hours, and emerald eyes narrowed slightly when the other gave a slight ¡®Hhmph.¡¯, otherwise ignoring her as she buried her nose into her wispy fur.

¡°Can¡¯t.¡± The other¡¯s voice, normally pleasingly soft and melodious but now sleep-laced and dulled, replied, cracking slightly as she stifled another yawn. ¡°You weren¡¯t there anymore, and it¡¯s cold back there.¡±

¡°You¡¯re a fire type. If you¡¯re cold, then make a fire to keep it warm,¡± she deadpanned, turning her head to gaze back outside.

¡°So? You weren¡¯t there.¡± The dark furred Ninetales had to fight from letting a low growl of irritation escaping from her at the muffled reply, and the childish logic being used against her.

¡°Tch, you¡¯re so cold, ¡®Nashii.¡± A brief rustle was all she had in warning before she found herself pinned to the floor, a mass of silvery fur perched on top of her and a smugly grinning Ninetales looked down at her.

¡°You know, this reminds me of that time when we were little,¡± she chirped, seeming every bit like the cat that ate the canary. ¡°We¡¯re not that old, Yuu. Your behavior proves it, if anyone says otherwise.¡± The fair furred Ninetales seemed to shrug slightly at that, her smug expression not even fazed.

¡°Little-er, then,¡± she corrected, grinning. ¡°You were being all sulky and superior-like and refused to play agreeably with me, and didn¡¯t want to be nice, like now. So, Mother had to tell you to play nice with me,¡± she purred, playfully swatting at the irked, dark furred Ninetales and retreating just in time to avoid being swiped at by a silvery paw.

¡°And in the end, I didn¡¯t, now did I?¡± She smirked, only to let out a startled noise as she was abruptly shoved aside.

¡°No, you didn¡¯t. So you ended up being reprimanded while I watched sullenly from the side.¡± Inashii looked up sharply as the tone changed from playful to soft and light, and found her fair furred companion¡¯s demeanor completely changed as the gray-blue eyed Ninetales blinked owlishly at her.

¡°Jeez--I really wish you wouldn¡¯t do that every time you have your little ¡®mood changes¡¯,¡± she muttered darkly, casting a short glare in the other¡¯s direction, though it softened when she met the other¡¯s eyes.

¡°Sorry, ¡®Nashii.¡±

And, that was that. Silently, the two sat side-by-side, watching the storm outside.

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[fya]

Even through the thick rain, Kunu could smell the scent of dogs. Fresh, too. He blinked his stunning dark green eyes as the shelter came closer and closer. He heard himself whimper a bit. The smell was coming from in the shelter. Which meant he probably couldn't stay. The young mightyena hung his head down. He might as well just curl up in the cold rain. Right here, right now. He had no energy left for a fight. Why pick one?

[Aku]

Two pairs of ears, each pair sporting one ear spotted with a different color, pricked up as a faint whimper floated towards them, nearly drowned out by the deafening storm, and two pairs of keen eyes returned to watching their surroundings outside, this time with a sharp intent on finding the source of the noise rather than watching the sky. A few moments later, a distorted black and gray figure became apparent a ways away, at least a good twenty feet off.

The two Ninetales shared a brief glance before they both started to rise, only to stop and give each other a look, irritation rolling off of the dark one in thick waves while the fair one radiated calmness with an underlying tone of irritation and stubbornness that matched the other¡¯s in intensity.

¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Inashii growled out, rolling her shoulders and stretching as she prepared to dart outside. ¡°You. Stay here.¡±

Yuu fixed her with a look, gray-blue eyes turning icy as she stepped forward.

¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± she hissed softly, stepping past Inashii and forcing her back up as she flicked a few of her tails in her direction. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like the rain much.¡±

Inashii let a noise of frustration escape from her throat as she sidestepped the black-tipped tails, retaliating by roughly shouldering against Yuu as she stepped back up to let her displeasure known.

¡°Now is not the time to be arguing. There¡¯s something out there, and one moment could be all that it takes for it to get sick, or die,¡± Yuu said sharply, her soft voice taking a more insistent tone.

A short bark of dry laughter met her ears and Yuu let out a low growl, ears flattening against her skull. ¡°That¡¯s funny. I don¡¯t recall you ever being worried about anyone before,¡± Inashii murmured, a smirk playing on her lips.

¡°I¡¯m not worried about them. I¡¯m more worried about the stench its carcass could make, even with this downpour and especially if it turns sunny and its hide, or feathers, rot, and the lack of food. It might be prey that¡¯s out there, and I don¡¯t want to eat drowned Pidgy if it happens to be food.¡±

Inashii¡¯s schooled her features twist into an condescending smirk, knowing it would annoy the irked Ninetales even further. ¡°Suit yourself, then,¡± she replied mockingly, then with a toss of her head, darted out into the downpour.

Muttering a low curse under her breath, Yuu took off after her darker companion without pausing to stretch her sore muscles, her long strides helping her keeping hot on the other¡¯s heels even as she winced at the burning that soon became present in her legs.

As she slowed to a slow trot, the fair furred Ninetales had her suspicions confirmed; there was Mightyena slumped in the rain, apparently exhausted, and her companion was already there, the condescending smirk still in place as she prowled around the new arrival.

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[fya]

Kunu saw the ninetails. He pulled himself to his feet and growled. He knew he was a pathetic mess. Fine. They'd kill him. Maybe it'd be a quick death. He hoped so. He'd never done anything to desearve torture, or so he thought.

[Aku]

Inashii circled the Mightyena, eye narrowed slightly as she examined him critically and managed to look intimidating, even with the rain that drenched her fur until it flattened against her body, a wide grin on her face. It wasn¡¯t a very reassuring sight. White, sharp teeth in contrast with her fur and the slight tilt to her sadistic grin made her an imposing sight, claws outstretched and ready to lash out in a moment¡¯s notice if needed.

¡°Well, so it¡¯s not prey, nor dead,¡± she purred, flicking a tail in Yuu¡¯s direction as she spoke without bothering to face the one she was addressing, words nearly drowned out by the din of the storm, yet still carrying out. ¡°And it at least has some guts to stand up for itself, though it¡¯s in pitiful condition. So what shall we do¡¦?¡±

Yuu¡¯s features were a blank mask, though her eyes glinted with an unrecognizable emotion. ¡°You know better than to run off without me, ¡®Nashii,¡± she spoke, soft words laced with ice. ¡°But we can talk about that later. Better bring him inside, before he gets sick.¡±

The dark furred one made a shrugging motion, as if saying ¡®if you say so¡¦¡¯, haughty grin in place as she tilted her head in Kunu¡¯s direction.

¡°Oi; you think you can run for another minute or so?¡± she questioned, though her voice made it more of a command than anything else, as her eyes momentarily flickered to the--barely, though one couldn¡¯t tell--patiently waiting form of her companion, emerald eyes briefly locking with gray-blue ones for a moment before she tore her gaze away and back to Kunu to watch him expectantly.

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[fya]

Kunu couldn't focus on what the ninetails were saying. BUt they weren't talking to him. He grunted and started to back away. "I'll..be going now. Bye," he growled. The young dog hoped they wouldn't become trouble.

[Aku]

Inashii internally groaned, knowing what she had to do; otherwise, she'd probably end up getting told off by Yuu and made to go back out in the rain as punishment. She hated these moments when Yuu was in one of her kinder moods, worried even for a stranger; she prefered for her to be apathetic. In a flash, she was in front of Kunu, partially blocking his path, though slightly tilted as to allow Kunu to leave if he wished to.

¡°Look,¡± she snapped, exasperated, ¡°I hardly think that you can survive any longer out here in that condition; you can either come with us and have a safe place to stay for the night, or you can freeze and die out here. You can leave when the storm stops, or even before if you want, if you¡¯re suicidal enough to try that.¡±

Yuu looked slightly peeved at the less than delicate phrasing the black Ninetales used but kept quiet, gray-blue eyes not as cold anymore, and more curious now than irked.

¡®If she keeps that up, she was just going to end up driving away the Mightyena, rather than convince him to stay...¡¯ she thought sullenly, knowing she would have to cut in soon if she wanted to keep the Mightyena from leaving and keep from drowning.

Speaking of drowning¡¦

Her ears flattened against her skull as she was once more made aware of exactly how hard the rain was driving into her sore muscles, even with her now-wet fur serving as slightly helpful shield against the rain. Small sticks and leaves, she knew, were tangled into her damp fur by the wind from the run she¡¯d had, causing a discomforting sensation that left her shifting her weight from side to side as her anxiousness to return to the safety of the den increased.

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[fya]

ooc: Can you use quotation marks instead of the little upside down exclaimation points and stuff..? I'm easily confused..sorry! And you can use them..but what are the little underscores that are err upper-scores for?

ic: "Um..thanks?" Kunu bristled at the ninetail's hostile behavior but padded out of the rain into the den. He sat down at the edge of it, towards the front. This was so awkward. He'd never had to take shelter in another packs or dog's den. THis was so weird.

"Hi..and thanks," he said after his heart had stopped pulsing so quickly.

[Aku]

Ooc|| Eeh¡¦?! I thought I got rid of that problem already¡¦! -headdesk- Geh, for some reason, some of my posts, apparently, start appearing with weird symbols replacing quotation marks and the like... -pain- Usually, it¡¯s just on my side, but¡¦This time, it¡¯s affecting other people instead of me, I guess, since it looks fine from my side¡¦ -dies- I¡¯m not sure on how to change it, so¡¦ Do you have multiple language installed in your computer¡¦? That might be what¡¯s causing the problem, so¡¦ -hopeful- I¡¯m so sorry! I didn¡¯t know it was appearing like that¡¦ TT.TT And I'm not sure what caused it, or how to fix it, either... -pain- At the other forum, since it appeared like that on mine as well, all I had to do was go back and keep re-correcting two-page long responses, little by little, letter by letter, until it finally appeared right on mine... [And it usually took around an hour for each response, too, the cursed thing...] And, of course, I assumed that it appeared correctly on others' computers as well...



BIC:


Inashii followed hesitantly, mulling over the offer that had just slipped from her mouth all the while. Maybe it wouldn¡¯t have been that bad if she¡¯d just let the Mightyena leave when he¡¯d started to flee¡¦ But, then again, she would¡¯ve had to deal with Yuu after that¡¦

Yuu trotted beside the brooding Ninetales, giving her a sideways glance as she matched her pace with the other¡¯s; by now, she knew not to interrupt Inashii when she was having one of her ¡®moments¡¯, and simply kept quiet until the other started talking to her first. That was the easiest way to deal with the problem, she thought, giving her head a light shake. Shaking her tail to get rid of some of the water soaked into her fur, then working up the rest of her body to her neck, she made a semi-effective effort to dry herself off, sending droplets of water flying around the entrance of the den. When she was satisfied that she had gotten rid of all the excess moisture she could [for now], she trotted in after Kunu and sat a few feet away, ignoring the annoyed gaze she received from Inashii.

Grumbling under her breath, Inashii followed her example quickly, then took her place beside her fair furred companion, making herself comfortable by burrowing against the other¡¯s side and making a semi-irritated noise when black-tipped tails came to rest on her side. Pillow slash heaters weren¡¯t suppose to rest their tails on her, she thought crossly.

At Kunu¡¯s greeting, she looked up briefly, letting emerald eyes rest on him for a moment before she turned away with a noncommittal noise.

¡°Thank Yuu here for forcing me to bring you here,¡± she said dryly, ignoring the exasperated look she received. ¡°You were only lucky she was in one of her nicer moods at the moment when we found you.¡±

¡°Inashii!¡± ¡°What?¡±

Yuu let out a low sigh, then turned to Kunu, a warm smile on her features. ¡°Don¡¯t mind Inashii,¡± she said, swatting at the said Ninetales¡¯s white-tipped ear. ¡°She¡¯s not feeling very¡¦ well right now.¡± She ignored the short growl that was aimed at her, when the other took a moment to crack open one of her eyes for a brief second before closing it again, turning her gaze outside for a second.

¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± she inquired, turning back to Kunu. ¡°As you¡¯ve probably already gather, I,¡± at this, she paused to gesture to herself, ¡°am Yuu, and the cranky one beside me is Inashii.¡±

And of course, the indignant response Inashii gave was promptly ignored.

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[fya]

ooc: Ahh ok...well I don't have multi-language..oh well now that I know you don't mean to put it all in and confuse my poor head then its cool! I can get used to it, I was just curious. ^^

ic: "Kunu," he said. He wondered where they'd gotten such pretty names, but being the meek and young dog he was, he kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to get the mean nintetails, Yuu, mad. Both of them could easily kick his ass in battle. Though he was evolved, he was young and they were both obviously older than him.

[Sepheroth]

Some plops of footsteps were heard outside. They abrubtly stopped. "WHY, RAIN, HAVEN'T YOU STOPPED? WHY MUST YOU CONTINUE? YOU HAVE BEEN GOING FOR THREE DAYS! LEAVE ME ALONE! I just want to find a place to stay. I have no family to love me, no home to shelter me, no friends to offer me..." A thump was heard just over the plop-plop-plop of the rain and the ear piercing thunder of something falling into a puddle.

[fya]

Kunu looked around and stared at the small dragon pokemon out in the rain. Well it wasn't his job to invite strangers into this den. The ninetails had taken him in so he'd wait for their ok.

[Sepheroth]

(I'm a trapinch.)

[fya]

ooc: Whoops. ^^;

"Are..you all right?" Kunu looked out at the trapinch in the rain. The mighyena glanced at the ninetails wondering if they'd let the visitor in like they had to him.

[Sepheroth]

The trapinch said nothing, but he shivered. Out of fear or cold, he knew not. He just wanted to be friends with somebody. After his pack was destroyed, he wanted to be with someone.

[Aku]

Ooc|| Eeh, I¡¯m sorry for t3h inconvenience, though. I didn¡¯t know it¡¯d show up like that¡¦ It looks fine from my side¡¦

Edit: Ah, and sorry for the long wait; I was gone for Winterfest. -pokes siggy-



BIC:


¡°Kunu? That¡¯s a pretty name,¡± Yuu said lightly, one her tails flicking to one side to avoid the boredom-induced, semi-playful swipes aimed at it by Inashii.

The aforementioned Ninetales¡¯s ears pricked up at the thud she heard, head tilting slightly to the side as she looked outside. Upon seeing the soaked, shivering Trapinch and the expectant glance from their ¡®guest¡¯, though, she cursed inwardly; despite that, she kept her features in a perfect blank, neutral mask as she casually moved her glance back, her expression showing nothing.

¡°Well--¡± Yuu started to say, before she was cut off by a swipe aimed at her tail, pausing to give a reprimanding and pleading look to the black Ninetales.

¡°No,¡± she hissed softly to the fair furred Ninetales, emerald eyes narrowed in annoyance. ¡°We already took in the Mightyena; we don¡¯t need another here.¡±

Inashii¡¯s voice was commanding and sharp, though it was hissed so it would be audible only to the ones with sharper hearing, especially due to the storm outside muting the soft sound even further. As Yuu tilted her head to look at Inashii, her eyes softened when she looked into Inashii¡¯s emerald ones, reading the skillfully hidden emotions with ease due to years of practice; however, though, her decision remained resolute.

¡°We have enough room in the den for a lot more, and the storm outside is only getting worse; since we¡¯ve taken in one already, why not just one more? It wouldn¡¯t hurt, and the Trapinch could be of use to us when the storm clears and the prey come back out from their hiding places--the same with the Mightyena.¡± Yuu¡¯s voice was soft and soothing as she reasoned with Inashii, twisting her words to appeal to the dark furred Ninetales, her voice taking on a mesmerizing effect as sleep faded from it and its melodious and light attributes returned. ¡°Besides; you don¡¯t want a rotting corpse out there, do you¡¦?¡±

Inashii sighed in exasperation and let out a low groan as Yuu¡¯s voice swept over her, reasoning and persuasive, muttering darkly at the teasing tone at the end. ¡°Fine,¡± she snarled. ¡°The Trapinch can come stay as well,¡±she snapped, brooding as she closed her eyes and leaned back on Yuu with an irritated ¡®Tch.¡¯, though not before nipping at one of Yuu¡¯s tails in a show of her displeasure.

Yuu flicked the tail back at Inshii, a smug grin appearing on her features as the other closed her eyes. It just wouldn¡¯t do for Inashii to see her smug; she might change her mind, just to spite her.

¡°Well, since ¡®Nashii said it was okay, you can come inside,¡± she said to the Trapinch, humming lightly as she shifted slightly just in time to avoid a swipe from the dark furred one currently half-laying, half-leaning on her. Apparently, Inashii had either guessed Yuu¡¯s reaction, or her eyes had not been as closed as she had thought; or, maybe, it was a normal routine for the two.

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[fya]

ooc: Oh well must be my comp..>> And wb! ^^

ic: Kunu watched. THe ninetails were an odd pair, he decided. The mightyena said nothing. Watch and wait, he thought darkly. He'd have to see if these ninetails would keep him and the trapinch alive.

[Sepheroth]

The trapinch crawled his way over to the cave, hacking up phlegm and what looked like blood all the way there. He tried to say thank you, but his strength failed him. He used the last of it to curl up into a ball next to the wall.

[Aku]

Ooc|| Mou, sorry for being gone so long--I'd been banned from the internet [once again¡¦], so¡¦

-angstdies-

As the people I've been friends with/roleplaying with finds out soon enough, this is [unfortunately] a regular occurrence, so they've come to know that if I disappear suddenly, it can take up to a few days, weeks, or a month or two or so [at the worst case scenario] for me to be able to reply¡¦

-brick'd-

Gomen, again..



BIC:



Yuu watched with slight worry, though concealing it expertly, as she watched the Trapinch weakly make his way into the cave and collapse, a faint noise that sounded suspiciously like a displeased whine escaping her throat as she nudged her dark companion.

"'Nashii."

No reply.

"Inashii."

This time, the tone sharper, accompanied by a slight nudge.

A faint growl answered her this time, shortly followed by an eye cracking open to glare piercingly back at gray-blue ones that regarded her coolly.

"What." The reply was more of a threatening snarl than anything, and the dark Ninetales's ears flattened as she tensed. Apparently dismissing the aggressive gesture with a practiced ease, the fair furred Ninetales made a shrugging motion, letting out a light 'Tch.'

"He doesn't seem too well; you wouldn't happen to've brought a few thing that could help, would you¡¦?" Yuu asked mildly, inclining her head in the Trapinch's direction to show who she was talking about.

Recognizing the light in the gray-blue eyes as one that said their owner wouldn't take the routine brusque 'no' as an answer, Inashii got up with a groan, almost seeming to sulk, though that obviously wasn't it, because she was Inashii, and Inashii never sulked. She brooded.

So with an unhurried, reluctant gait and a displeased expression firmly in place, the dark Ninetales started padding away from the 'group', only to be stopped by a quick bark-like noise from the fairer one.

"Ah; would you like for Inashii to see if she can find something for you as well¡¦?" Yuu asked Kunu, turning away from the disgruntled look Inashii shot her way, tilting her head to the side as she inquired, part out of politeness, and part out of slight concern.

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[fya]

ooc: Aww sorry to hear that. :-( Ok then, I'll keep that in mind...and your qotation marks and such are working for me now. Woo~

ic: Kunu was tempted to nod and say yes, but the darkness in Inashii's eyes and the rage that he could tell boiled within her told him to simply stick with no. Besides, he was taking too much hospitality from these ninetails sisters anyway.

"No thank you," came his curt reply with a brisk shake of his head. He hoped it wouldn't offend Yuu, she was the kind one after all, but he needed to be going soon anyway. The rain was almost gone now anyway. "Thank you for the offer," he added hastily, not wanting to be rude.

[Aku]

<sub>Ooc|| ¡¦Methinks I should've put the worst-case scenario time as longer than two months. DDD: Sorry. But I did put something in my siggy that said I'd've been banned..

[Forced] Vacation/banning from internet + trip back to Korea = No comp. time for 'Kwon

I'll try to be more active now¡¦? Even though I'm going to be attending HS now in a few days and I still might be late in replies¡¦ -sheepish-

-shot-


Yay! Da text works now! 8DDD



BIC:

Yuu's expression changed into what seemed to be an faintly amused one.

"Nonsense," she said brightly, what would've been a light smile visible. "Nashii will be more than happy to get you something--right, Na?"

The darker one let out a low growl as she tossed her head, but didn't complain any further other than mumbling something under her breath as she disappeared into the shadows in the back of the cavern.

Letting a soft laugh escape from her, the fair colored Ninetales stretched and curled up into a more comfortable position, watching Kunu with heavy-lidded eyes.

Noticing his unease, she made a little noise to get his attention, mind searching for a reason for his discomfort--well, other than probably Inashii's brusque demeanor. Finding one that might be part of it, she spoke softly.

"If you were wondering about my comments from earlier--please, you've nothing to worry about for your well-being," she said, making herself comfortable from her spot. "I've to appease Inashii with reasons she herself would like to hear, and it seemed the easiest to put into words what would please her."

A wry smile played on her lips as she added playfully, "And by 'of use', I assure you that I merely meant that mayhaps you'd be willing to hunt with us; it is easier to hunt in a group."</sub>