just a toy [open]

[zhen]

The short pelted female moved out of the shadows, her paws moving her over the open ground quickly as if she was late and had to rush to arrive at some unknown location. She was kind of short at only 25 inches tall, but longer at 42 inches. Not many if any were still around like her. With her rounded ears and striped back, it was easy to tell she was different. No one had to tell her and she would tell you to your green face that she knew.

A total of 21 black stripes ran down her flanks and brown was melted all around them. Now, she didn't know that her pelt was brown and black, she thought it was dark green with black stripes that had a hint of green in them. She had never known a white chrsitmas, only green ones. Catching on? Good. Not that you know more about this rushing female, I can go back, correct? Good then, so back to Zhen we go.

Her paws moved quickly, not hiding her slight limp in doing so. Down the sand she moved, heading straight for the rushing water. Dark green paws hit the pale green sand and she moved into the sea green waters to clean herself off some. Running through the mud would do that to a girl and she was not just running through it, but playing in the mushy green stuff. With the caked dirt now removed form her pelt, the female moved back up the shore and lay down on a mossy rock to relax in the sun.

The dark pelt just soaked up the sun and pulled warmth from the rock under her body. Wandering eyes soon spotted an old tennis ball riding the wazes towards her. A yelp of excitment burst forth as she rocketed off the rock to recieve the human's old toy. It didn't matter to her that once a person had been playing with it.

Just because she was four didn't mean she couldn't have some fun. With a grin she sank her teeth into the soft covering down to the rubber and then carried her prize to the beach's pale sands. Zhen tossed it in the air and with a bark she lept up and snagged it again before tossing it down the beach. Instead of racing right after it, she paused before bolting after it and tumbling over the small thing.

She stayed on the sands this time, chewing on the toy as she remained flipped over on her back. The stripes hidden from view only for now. Carefully she lifted the ball out of her mouth with her front paws only to have it slip and smack her in the nose. A suprised yelp left the female as she twisted in the sand to get it back.

[abyss]

Abyss wandered down from the Acerbus territory, her aged paws rthymnically pounding against ther earth as she headed towards the free territory. As the sound of crashing waves filled her auds, she was sure that she was growing closer. Her ebony pelt, with the flicks of grey that almost appeared silver, heated in the sun's rays, the comfortable warmth soothing her troubled mind. This walk would be good for her, to get away from her pack for a little while and explore the lands with an open mind.

However, her isolation did not last long. As Abby set a paw on the toasty, tan sand, she could hear the sounds of another wolf not far off. Though as she approached, she noticed something different about this one. It was brown, with lots of black stripes down its back. That's cool, she thought, genuinely awed. The neon flash of a tennis ball in the surf excited the femme. Although she was not comfortable with what had happened to her around humans, she could always enjoy a good tennis ball. She watched, panting lightly, as the other wolf played with the ball, and she yearned to join in. As the other wolf flopped on its back and the tennis ball slipped away from it, she took her chance.

The femme appeared as a streak of black as she rocketed across the sand at the toy, snatching it up in her jowls as her tail wagged excitedly. Shaking her head, she viciously tossed the tennis ball once more, momentarily forgetting about the other wolf that she had just intentionally stolen the tennis ball from. The sheer excitement she felt from playing with the rubber toy was enough to let all other thoughts flow from her mind. She pounced on it once more before looking up for a few seconds and noticing that the other wolf was there. She dropped the ball sheepishly, taking a few steps back, embarassed.

How could she have just rushed in and stolen this other wolf's toy? Abyss was appalled with herself. The least she could do was apologize. "I'm sorry," she choked out after a moment before regaining her composure. "I didn't mean to take that from you. I just saw the ball and got excited..." She trailed off, noticing just how different this wolf was from others.

Instead of the muscular, proportional build of a wolf such as herself, this one was closer to the ground, definitely not as closely related to herself as she had first believed. The scent, too, was different. What exactly was this creature? She intended to find out. "I'm Abyss," she introduced herself, pausing a moment while trying to figure out a way to ask this "wolf" without sounding rude. She could find none. "Pardon, but what exactly are you?" she asked, curiousity apparent in her gaze.

[juneria]

She allowed a relaxing breath to escape her partially open jaws as she placed one paw in front of the other, her muscles held relaxed as she took in the comforting feel of the world around her. There was just something about the way the waves sang and the constant cries of the seabirds that boarded the coast that but her entire mind at ease, an enabled her to feel almost completely at home. She supposed it was the smooth, natural melody, after all anything could calm an individual should it appeal enough to their senses, and the scents and sounds of this place certainly did that.

Formes danced before her eyes in the bright reflections of the light blesser -- the sun -- as she gazed ahead. Angelic avians fluttered in her minds eye, almost semi-translucent as their cries echoed within her mind alone. Juneria had grown used to the occasional appearances of such apparitions; creatures who didn't exist and had never really existed before other than within her sights. They were illusions her mind created, however, be they for her own company or something else even she didn't understand. Perhaps it was some sickness that had settled about her mind, but she had never been particularly bothered by it before. As long as she could identify what was real and what wasn't, it didn't really matter.

Her paws felt the shifting sands beneath her as she strode forward, her slim frame showing clearly that she was a wolf that only showed enough aggressiveness for hunting and nothing more. She had none of the heavy muscular build of one who constantly fought, and lacked the marks that would represent such. Rather, lean muscle rippled beneath her pale grey fur, which was now thick with the presence of her winter coat. A white feather fluttered beside her face, dancing upon the breezes that flowed up from the swaying waters of the endless sea as it created the soft, tinkling melody of a thin chain.

She inhaled deeply, taking in the salty scent of the air... and it seemed the scents of others. Her greyish gaze shifted slightly as she came to a halt, her triangular auds lifting as she watched two others upon the shore. They weren't illusions, she was sure of it, for never since she had began to experience them had a scent accompanied the images and voices that danced to their own melodies inside her head. A slight smile tugged at her muzzle as she watched the two individuals from a distance, taking in their actions with her careful gaze for a few moments before she began her approach at an average paced gait.

As she drew closer, the physical features of the others became more clear to her, even if the words that flowed from their maws couldn't be made clear to her above the soft roaring of the waves as they carressed the shore. One was darkly coloured, with a build that showed their species was at least similar to her own, though the other was of an appearance she had never seen before. She tilted her head slightly as she continued her approach, the last remaining memory of the past she had unwillingly left carressing her cheek as the feather fell against it.

She came into hearing range just as the introduction of the similarly built wolf was stated, the tones of her voice that Juneria picked up accompanied by her scent stating that this 'Abyss' was female, though she folded her ears back slightly at the question that followed. Wasn't it a bit rude to ask a creature what they were? Surely, the other was a wolf like themselves, even if they did come with a somewhat differently built frame. She held back for a moment, considering if it would be rude herself should she suddenly appear in the conversation but... well, it didn't seem to have lifted into a full born one as of yet.

"Or what have the spirits called you?" She did her best to make her presence known while still keeping a polite air about her as she offered a less direct question to answer; though she wasn't sure how her sudden presence would be recieved. A slight smile still played upon her muzzle as she allowed her gaze to wander to the tennis ball that one of the two had apparently left. The bright colouration of the toy caused her to advert her gaze again, however. She wasn't used to such play things, most of her's had been of relatively natural make while she grew up alongside her beloved human.

[/blockquote]

[zhen]

She had managed to flip back over on her stomach and was going back for the tennis ball when something barreled right past, taking the toy with it. Her head jerked back and lips curled as she caught the heavy scent of a wolf. Was it here just to make fun of her? When words came out from the other wolf, Zhen relaxed a little and closed her jaws off with her lips once more before looking at the female who had spoken.

It was easy for her to understand about loosing your mind when seeing a toy, after all, that is what she did when she had seen it. Zhen sat down on the sand again, her short fur sort of covered in wet sand, but it still showed how different she was in every way. Her ears were rounded at the tip, not pointed like a wolf, her legs were short and stocky unlike a wolf's legs. Twenty one stripes ran down her back in her short fur, things that wolves do not have.

No suprise showed in her face when Abyss paused after saying her name and then very bluntly asking what she was. A sigh left her jaws and brown eyes dropped down to the now sandy tennis ball. A right paw moved out to bring the toy closer to the sitting beast while she pondered over how to reply to what Abyss had asked of her. More words filled the round ears and she spooked a little, pulling back some with her ears plastered back while she quickly searched for the new source of words.

Another wolf was here, this one of lighter hues than the first wolf. Zhen didn't move for a little bit before pawing the tennis ball back over and moving it around in the sand a few times, her gaze on that alone, but her ears pointed one to each wolf. "Well..." Muscles tensed up as she gulped down some air, looking back up at the two wolves when she did so. "I don't fully know what I am. Everywhere I go though, others call me different. My breed is unknown to me and I have never seen another of my kind."

She had put a bit of a snear on different because everyone who ever said that did. It was never kind to her though, she was normally run off or given the cold shoulder. Sure she looked different, but that was because she was. Or was she? Had she just been a freak accident? Zhen didn't remember much of her puppy years. Were her parents normal wolves and she just was a freak in her colors and build? These times always seemed to depress the female.

Many times she had gone through this, everytime she pulled out of it, but it kept getting harder the more times it happened. "You can me different like the others before you or Zhen. It's your choice." Her paws moved forward and her front end lowered to the sands as teeth snapped over the ball. Instead of playing again with it, she just dropped it back in the sand to push around with her nose, totally focused on that only and nothing else really.

[abyss]

Abyss could feel a new femme's approach, and the sound of sand crackling beneath pawsteps confirmed her suspicion. She twisted her head slightly, spying yet another wolf approaching them. Those are cool, she thought, momentarily admiring the swirls on the lean femme's cheek. This wolf was unlike any other she had seen. Unlike her own, dirt-coated, tattered and aged coat, she seemed to be very well taken care of. It made Abyss somewhat self-conscious, knowing how paltry she must appear beside this new wolf. However, her thoughts drifted back to this new wolf as soon as she spoke.

The instant the words passed the femme's lips, Abyss regretted what she had asked. She knew exactly how it felt to not know what you were, to feel so alone. And now she had turned around and invoked similar feelings in one that wasn't quite so different from herself. "It's nice to meet you, Zhen," she spoke quietly, her obvious shyness returning along with a touch of embarassment. There was not much comfort she could feel in such an awkward situation; two wolves she had never met. One much unlike herself in physical appearance, the other unlike herself most likely in species all together. What a strange group they made.

I made this mess. I'll fix it, she promised herself. The least she could do was patch up the harsh feelings she felt as if she had caused. "Your stripes are cool," she admired with a small smile, hoping that she could make the femme feel more comfortable. So far, Zhen had appeared much like herself, an uncertain and shy wolf. Perhaps this was someone that she could finally relate to? It was not often that she would venture away from the Salen territory, but maybe she could bring these wolves back with her. There was a good chance Exodus would add them to his pack; that was, if they so wished.

"I'm a subordinate of the Salen pack," she formally introduced herself to the two wolves. "I just came for a walk. It's not often I bump into others around here." It was true. The wolves in this area seemed somewhat spread out. She had yet to run into a group of wolves numbering more than two or three...

((OOC: I'll finish this later))