Destination Unknown [open]

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The gentle sound of water lapping against the shore was the only audiable, continuous noise. For that, the creature lounging on the sand was greatful. The sun was high in the sky, signaling some time close to noon. Despite winter's icy chill, the shore was somewhat warm with sands that heated frozen paws.

It was Denali that layed upon the beach, sand sticking to one side of her offwhite pelt. The position she was in wasn't the safest for resting in an unknown land, but the poor femme was exhausted. She had been wandering aimlessly around, doing her best to enjoy the lonely day. She had accidently startled a bird, however, and it's sudden take to the skies was enough to cause the skittish wolf to bolt.

Denali was a paranoid creature, and the moment her keen ears had caught sound of the bird she sprinted off with all her speed. She didn't slow her pace till she'd reached the beach, and that was only because she had exhausted much of her energy. If she had had the will-power she would have kept running, never pausing to let her mind realize her source of fright was only a bird.

Heavily panting, the fae had collapsed upon the warm sand, rolling onto her left side with pink tongue lolling out of her mouth. Her yellow eyes were closed as relization slowly began to sink in. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' she repeated in her mind. 'It was only a bird...' A whimper of pity escaped her maw as she mulled over her silly mistake. Her broken mind had caused her to expend more energy in the span of few minutes than she had in the entire morning. And what did she have to show for it? Exhaustion to the point that she was an easy target for anyone looking for a fight.

"Mmm..." Another moan escaped her as she pulled a front paw over her muzzle. She was too tired to move to a more guarded position, and at the moment she frankly didn't care who or what showed up. Most tended to leave her alone anyways, not wanting to associate with a creature not of sound mind. Denali would have loved some companionship, maybe a pack to call home. Unfortunately, she'd accepted the fact that those aweful humans had screwed her over just as baddly as they had the strange continent she'd found herself lounging on.

[athaza]

Lounging on a large flat rock was a simple outcast that had found himself bored to tears when he reached Endyt Beach. He had hoped the trip here would have been a little bit enjoyable or maybe he’d find some entertainment on his arrival. Of course, like always, he was bitterly disappointed. This beach did hold a lot of beauty, a lot of interesting sights, but he wasn’t the type to enjoy looking at a rock and saying, “This is the best moment of my life.” To some the beach, even in the winter, was breath taking. Again, it was just another yawn to Taurus. It wasn’t his first time seeing a beach and like all others it was covered with sand that stuck horribly to your fur and was deserted of all life. Beaches were such conformists. Why couldn’t they for once have a characteristic that made them stick out from all the rest? Something that would make him remember the beach forever?

Ears perked up slightly as he heard and saw a she-wolf running down the beach in the distance, scattering sand everywhere as she made her way down the coast. His head rose from its comfortable position on top of his fore legs to peer over at what all the commotion was about. Was a mangy wolf after her? Was she being rejected from a pack? Body was continuing to rise up and soon he was completely sitting up on his haunches. Come, on. What was going to get her! He felt him body tensing slightly, wondering if this was the one thing he would remember the beach for. Had his prayers actually been heard this time?

The cry of a seagull made his heart drop. “You have to be kidding me,” he muttered to himself as he watched the bird delicately fly through the air. A bird freaked the wolf out? No. No way. That couldn’t be right. A frown began to form on the male’s face and fur above his nose began to crinkle up in both disgust and frustration. It all had been a false alarm. A snort was released from his nostrils as he wondered what the hell he was going to do now. If she had been chased by someone he could have stalked the pair and found out how the story ends. He would never interfere. It wasn’t his business and all he knew she could have deserved what she was getting.

Black nails tapped softly on the flat rock as Taurus jumped off it and into the sand. As he stretched out his legs he tried to figure out what he was planning to do now. Maybe he should follow the she-wolf. It might be interesting to meet a wolf with a phobia of birds. It would at least be a lot more entertaining than standing around here forever. Usually he wasn’t too keen of company, but he was a wolf after all. He needed to talk to others in order to remain in a sane state of mind. He wasn’t going to end up like one of the loonies that looks at his reflection and has little conversations with himself.

At first the male decided to take a steady walking pass after the female until he realized how far she had actually gone. “The girl can really sprint,” he exclaimed to himself as he trotted over to where her first foot prints started. She had at least ran a half a mile down the beach! Crazy wolf. All because of a stupid bird? Shrugging the preposterous idea off, he increased his stride, moving to a relaxing jog down the beach side.

The off white male finally caught up the female and stopped a few feet a way. A brow immediately rose as he watched her panting on her side, as if she might be in labor. It must have taken a lot out of her that run. “Hey, lady with a bird phobia, you’re not going to pass out or anything, are you?” He tilted his head slightly, half expecting her to jump up again and run off with some secretly stored energy. “You know, if you have a fear of birds you should really get some help. Those suckers are everywhere. I hate to tell you this, but you can’t escape them.” In a way he was saying this to actually stir her up a little bit. He was nowhere near trying to comfort her. If anything, he was mocking her.

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Her breaths slowly began to even out as she lay there, eyes occassionally drifting open before fluttering closed again. She barely noticed her surroundings, too much absorbed in self-pity to want to pay attention to the sites, sounds, and smells. 'Only a bird...' Had she been more alert, she would have realized she wasn't exactly alone. Alas, creatures just seemed to want to make her heart race today.

The sound of a males voice from somewhere close by had a rather comical effect on the schizophrenic wolf; comical to any observer anyways. Her eyes snapped open as her body coursed with new found adrenaline. In a matter of mere seconds she'd sprang to her feet, eyes widened in fright and tail tucked between her legs. Her ears were pinned down as well as they could be, the right one destined to hang flopply along her head for eternity. A rather odd noise escaped her throat, sounding like a cross between a high pitched yap and an angered growl. All signs of fatigue had left her, panic and fear recharging her cells. Every muscle in her body was tense, ready to either spring for an attack or bolt away. The effect of standing there, trying to look somewhat menacing while it was rather obvious she was scared out of her wits, was somewhat ruined by that dangling ear that always gave her a rather comical appearance.

Before Denali made up her mind to flee, however, her gaze took in the source of her current panic attack. The brute had a pet not much different from her own, though maybe his had a bit more brown mixed in. He was far enough away that he wouldn't be an immediate threat, physically at least, and looked to be about the same height as herself. The way in which he had addressed her caused a sharp glare to appeare on her features, and slowly she rose out of her fear-filled submissive stance. If the brute was going to patronize a complete stranger he knew nothing about, said stranger wouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt just yet. It probably wouldn't be long before Denali was pitying him anyways, knowing few actually enjoyed staying in the presence of her ill mind.

She stood a little straighter as she shot out her retort, a roll of her eyes accompanying her words. "Obviously not," she snorted, a bit of comtempt in her voice. Her mood was beginning to drift towards that dangerous depression state, and when in that state of mind she lost almost all traces of her gentler self. "And I'm not afraid of birds..."

Strong emotions welled up in her throat, and her face adopted an almost pitiful pout. Okay, so maybe she wasn't headed completely towards depression. Denali was going through several moodswings that showed clearly in her appearance, and if she didn't calm down soon she'd end up wimpering in a more pitiful state than she had been in after the bird scared her.

Pawing at the sand she dropped her head, limp ear following the movement thanks to gravity. She contented herself with staring at the designs her claws made, not wanting to look at the stranger. He probably thought she was the most rediculous creatures in the world; it wasn't a far stretch from the truth. She wouldn't blame him either if he decided to have a laugh at her expense and then take off, seeking more pleasurable company. On rough days such as this she wasn't exactly a prime choice for conversation. Of course, the fact the she currently wasn't alone was enough to calm her a bit, and there was a chance her mind would settle back into a state of normalcy.

[athaza]

Unlike most wolves, Taurus was very observant to those he confronted. Before he went too far into a conversation with another or even moved closer, he analyzed them to give them a quick profile. So far, the information he had sketched out was this female was pack less; a fact obtained by sniffing the air and finding her coat was nearly scentless of others. Wolves in a pack were covered with scents of other close pack mates. She hadn’t been near others in a long time. With that little tidbit of information, Taurus gradually grew at ease. If you offended one wolf you’d only have to worry about that wolf in particular. If you offended a wolf in a pack, then you’d have worry that more wolves would come to her rescue. He also soon discovered this fae was quite odd. Her behavior was completely random. Just in these few minutes he had witnessed fear, anger, depression, and deep anxiety. It might have been less apparent if she hadn’t gone through such strong swings and rather slowly blended into each emotion. This unique trait did make the male curious and became the biggest reason he decided he wouldn’t leave right after her reply.

The glare he received and her rough tone did not stun Taurus or make him wince. To tell you the truth, he enjoyed her anger that she immediately raged upon him. It was nice to find someone that wouldn’t be polite and noble all the time, even to a jerk like him. Those types of people he just couldn’t stand. Why did they have to put on a fake phony smile and hide their inner feelings? It was much healthier to just let your madness out, and he was sure it would make the people bottling their displeasure up so much happier.

With a smirk on his face the male shortly replied, “You sure about that? A moment ago you looked like you were going to have a heart attack.” His tail flicked back and forth lightly as he started tp approach closer, his strides fluid like. He wasn’t too worried that this female would strike him. She, like himself, knew well enough that a physical battle would be hopeless. Yeah, she might scratch him up, but it wasn’t like he would be easy on her just for being a dame. First off, he rarely gave anyone any benefits, freebies, or random kindness. Second, he was raised to be a fighter and to be able to pin someone down with ease. It wasn't like this random stranger that didn't know what to expect could tear him down. The male stopped a body length a way from her and with a gleam of cruelty in his eyes he began to circle her like a vulture. He wasn’t planning on hurting her. All he wanted to do was aggravate the hell of her. Never would he admit this though. Why not let her own imagination try to figure out what his whole motive was?

“That’s a cute little ear you've got there. Frames your pretty face perfectly.” he added lightly as a flirtatious smile graced his features and his eyes focused on her facial expression. His head lowered slightly towards the ground with his body and soon he appeared to be in a prowling stance rather than one you'd expect a wolf to stand in during a conversation. The circling continued and he was sure by now he was making her dizzy while she tried to trace him around with her eyes. “What’s your name, darling?” His tone was a mix of charm and a hint of mystery and deception. He hoped this whole new tone would stir up what might have been a dull conversation. Taurus wasn’t devoted to being predictable and following the basic fill in the blank discussion.

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It was a pity poor Denali was just beginning to think the company of another wolf was a good thing. Things just seemed to be going from bad to worse for the female. She sensed the stranger was no longer standing a few feet away, and picked her head up in time to see him moving closer. There was an unpleasant glint in his eyes which caused fear to spring back into hers.

Taking a few steps back, the brute's words struck a cord in her and she moved foreward again. 'Heart attack. Humph! I'm not that much of a chicken... am I?' "Positive!" she barked, defiance in her voice. The stroke of bravery was gone just as quickly as it came, however, for the stranger started circling her. Denali felt like prey, and her tail tucked between her rear legs out of fright.

The brute circled her again and again, seeming to appear even more menacing with each completion of the three hundred sixty degress. She did her best to follow him with her eyes, but only resulted in useless strain as she couldn't turn her head completely around to keep him in view at all times. Not pleased at all by his movement, she began to turn in tight circles, keeping her gaze trained on his face in hopes of trying to read his mind. Of course, the female was far from a mind-reader and all she resulted in doing was tripping over her own feet.

A yelp escaped her as she wobbled, losing her balance. It was hard to turn in small circles, and she'd ended up tangling her paws beneath her belly. She stumbled a bit trying to catch her balance, and barely missed crashing right into the circling brute. A frustrated growl rumbled in her throat as she failed to right herself, and ungracefully she fell into the sand. As quickly as she could she picked herself up and shook out her coat, spraying the fine mineral that covered her soft coat every where. When satisfied she'd removed as much as she could, she sat down, closing her eyes as she curled her tail around her paws. She no longer cared what the brute did, too concerned about the spectacle she'd just made of herself.

'The whole world is against me today, isn't it...' she thought, a soft sigh accompanying an exhale of breath. Her ears were the only part of her that was keeping track of the stranger, the rest of her focusing on trying to calm down. She'd no clue what he was up to, but she did catch his inquiry of her name. She had to fight keep a growl out of her voice, never one to be pleased with pet names. She did manage to answer a bit calmer than she had before, however, most of the edge in her voice replaced with self-remorse. "I answer to Denali. And don't call me darling, stranger." Her emphasis on the 'don't' showed her displeasure with pet-names, and the stress on 'stranger' meant she expected him to now give his own name.

[athaza]

The male’s ears flickered as the female reacted so emotionally to one of his comments. It was obvious that she had a soft spot and Taurus had just hit it head on. Too bad the soft spot wasn’t as deep and heart wrenching like other wolves he had run into. Half the people in the world, including himself, hated being called yellow. Nonetheless, he took note of it. If he ever had to persuade her to do something this information could help him get her on his side.

This defiance towards him, unfortunately, didn’t last long. He had hoped this anger towards him would grow and blossom, but instead in slipped away like a wave pulling back into the ocean. A disappointed frown graced his features as she soon became nervous. Taurus did enjoy making people angry, only because it gave him a good reason to fight back and to be as mean as he was. Also it provided a nice challenge and made his boring life more exciting.

As her body twirled around in circles, he found the whole scene quite comical. The male had to hold back a cold snicker, as she continued to dance around like a confused seal being circled endlessly by a hungry shark. When she fell to her side Taurus couldn’t hold it back anymore. It was totally out of his control. He stopped mid stride, backed up a few steps before letting he’s restraint shatter. Even though it was cruel he chuckled for a few seconds as she rose back on to her feet and shook the sand off her body. Shaking his head lightly as if he was embarrassed for her he said, “Smooth move,” The laughter soon died and his smirk plastered back on his face. Instead of resuming his circling he decided to take a seat and see what she would do with this newfound freedom. Now that he wasn’t standing up she would have a great head start if she tried to make a run for it. After what happened so far, he doubted she would stay much longer and continue to live threw this verbal torture.

“Denali.” he replied, listening to himself say it. “Well, Denali, you wouldn’t like the names ‘Hun, Miss, Baby,’ or any of those cute names, then?” Her request disappointed him, as he loved thinking of annoying pet names. It let him be creative and imaginative while he taunted others. “No matter. So, what are you doing here Denali? Other then running away from bird?” He wouldn’t let go of that little incident. It was just too stupid to simply drop.

“Oh, and you can just call me Taurus. ‘Stranger’ does have a ring to it though,” he added with a smile.

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The sound of the brute's laughter was enough to make her ear twitch, but surprisingly it evoked no other signs of emotion from the Denali. While others would have turned tail and run because of their displays of idiocy, the offwhite femme just sat there, eyes closed as she listened to the chuckling. What kept her from doing the same, leaving as fast as her legs would carry her? What kept her sitting there, subject to the cruel words of the male instead of leaving in anger and annoyance? The answer was simple. Denali was a wolf that craved companionship. She enjoyed being in the presence of others emensely. Unfortunately, many did not want to be bothered with the sort of company she could provide.

Therefore here sat she, Denali the schizophrenic wolf purposely throwing herself into into an unpleasant conversation all for the sake of having some company. There was no way in hell she was going to be the first to leave. It had been way too long since her last conversation with another wolf. To her, enduring the laughter and emotional torment the brute put her through was well worth the fact that he was actually talking to her.

His laughter soon died and the fae found herself opening her eyes to view him sitting a few feet away. Aparently he was just as stubborn as her when it came down to who would leave first. He enjoyed torturing her, and like it or not she was so used to torment that despite her outward reactions she expected the brute to act in no other way. Others loved to poke fun at her, mocking the "crazy female." Those that dared talk to her usually enjoyed sending her through a torrent of emotions, using her for a cheap laugh. And, she always played right into their paws. She couldn't help it. While she could recognize the problematic actions of her mind, she could not controll them.

"Petnames are for those who actually have time to be trifled by such frivalities. Cute or not, I'm not the type for them to be fixed upon." Denali knew her mental state, and she never denied it. It was her belief that petnames were for those who actually had chances at becoming truely friendly with others. She almost never had those oppertunities, and therefore couldn't keep the displeasure out of her voice when she spoke.

Tilting her head to one side, she watched him as he posed his questions. 'He'd be running from birds too if he had my mind.' She couldn't help her thoughts or the sigh that accompanied them. Somehow she had managed to calm herself down rather quickly, and with the new calm she realized it was not worth getting all bent out of shape because of a little bird comment. The brute seemed to like to hold her cowardice at the bird over her head, so she figured she'd just accept that fate and move on. "Subjecting myself to the cruel tongue of Taurus, obviously," she stated in a sickeningly sweet tone, surprisingly mocking herself. She had not meant for the words to come out so; she was still a bit miffed about the bird comment. "I'm as much a loner as you are, and saddly I have nothing better to do..."

Her words trailed off as she watched him. Once she had calmed herself down enough to concentrate a bit, she had took in Taurus's scent and matched it with his appearance. When constantly alone it was always a good idea to make careful note of all who crossed her path. The inhalation had revealed to her that he was currently without pack, and that was another reason she didn't decide to leave. In a way, she felt she was doing him a favor by letting him mock her. A loner that went without company often went as insane as Denali currently was, only they didn't receive the extra boost in mental instability that she had.

[athaza]

Denali’s lack of emotions upset Taurus, but the male didn’t show this displeasure on his features. He wouldn’t dare show his weakness, especially in front of a dame. It was pretty unsatisfying to not get a reaction from the loon. Without a reaction to energize him he found no use staying here much longer. He admired her ability to hold back her emotions and be unphased by his cruelty, yet at the same time he despised her for it. Taurus was like a leech thriving off people’s hatred and coldness. If his victim was no longer radiating with rage they were as useful to him as a dead carcass.

"Petnames are for those who actually have time to be trifled by such frivolities. Cute or not, I'm not the type for them to be fixed upon."

“We have all the time in the world don’t we? You said it yourself. We’re just a couple of loners that have nothing to better to do with our lives, but live till death claims us,” he said with a crooked smile. That whole idea of death and dying was depressing, yet Taurus didn’t look at the whole idea glumly. He’s danced with death a dozens of times, as many loners have due to starvation and insanity. In a way he always enjoys the nice waltz with the Grim Reaper. It reminds Taurus what motivates him to live and that there is one being that still challenges his demeanor.

A small snort was released from his nostrils as he rose his body from the sandy ground. After giving his coat a quick shake and stretching his limbs for a few seconds his brown eyes stared back at the female again as if debating what to do with her. Like she had proposed before, he had got his laugh and was ready to go on his way. The girl was just giving up too easily for his liking. It was like she had totally giving up on her ideals and no longer standing by her principles. Yeah, she barked at him once or twice, but she didn’t appear to stand up for herself as boldly as the usual wolves he ran into.

“Subjecting myself to the cruel tongue of Taurus, obviously,”

That sentence really pissed him off. God, couldn’t she at least try a little bit? Taurus did enjoy the classic push over time-to-time, but today he just wasn’t in the mood. He wanted someone to try to push him back. Make him put his guard up and be wary of taking his eyes of off his opponent for a second. A verbal fight like that was enjoyable for both sides. At least they both gained a little wisdom in such a battle. With this one-sided beating, he felt like he was some kind of coward picking on this mentally challenged dunce. It was like a buff monster picking on a cripple. If the cripple had some bite, then maybe it would be an okay fight, but if they were defenseless… well only a weakling would pick a duel with that type of person.

“Well, it’s been fun Denali, but I need a change of scenery.” he said gruffly, turning his back on her. This beach was starting to get dull like this conversation. The male walked a few steps before looking over his shoulder to stare at the female. It was obvious he was deeply contemplating his next move and whether he should ask his next question or not. He wasn’t a charitable man. Actually he was a dirty scrooge. But in the back of his cold solid heart he felt a little pity on the pathetic creature. It really wasn’t her fault she didn’t stand up for herself and after all they were both in the same boat.

“If you like, Denali, you can come with me.” He said while turning his head around to face forward. “I’m probably going to wander around this beach some more or just head into another terrain. Where ever the wind takes me if you like to be poetic.” He wouldn’t be sad if she declined his offer, nor would he be if she accepted. Equally the pros and cons for both situations sort of evened out. If she came he might benefit with another on his side. If she didn’t, than one less mouth to feed.

[Deleted]

"We’re just a couple of loners that have nothing to better to do with our lives, but live till death claims us.”

Denali's eyes widened and a growl escaped her, the truth of Taurus's comment stinging on impact. She hadn't meant to make herself sound hypocritical with what she'd said, but the meaning she'd put in her words had been misconstrued by the brute. A part of her wanted to set him straight, but to do so she'd have to explain why she personally wasn't fit for pet names. Trying to get others to understand her mental state wasn't something she was particularly fond of, and so all that escaped her was the frustrated growl.

Then there was the casual way he addressed death that unnerved her. She personally tried not to think of death, hoping to prolong the inevitable. At least, when not plummeting to the depths of depression she tried to stay positive. There were plenty of times during her worst days that she thought death to be a happy alternative the wretched existence she currently lived. She wasn't suicidal, however, and when in a saner state of mind she could often find at least one reason to keep on living.

Bitterness was easily detectable in her voice. "You make it sound like there's no point to living." Her expression was melancholy, mind now tilting towards depression all because of a few simple words. Frustration could easily be read in her amber colored eyes, a battle to stay positive raging in her mind.

Her expression only sunk more when the brute stood up. 'He's going to leave.' She didn't want to be left alone. At the same time she was somewhat surprised Taurus had stayed as long as he had. She averted her gaze as he started to walk away, knowing watching him go would only serve to have her depression set in more quickly. By now she should have been used to the loneliness. When she had been on her own for days at the time or longer, she usually was. Every time company walked away from her, however, that feeling of 'destined to be alone' always set in so rapidly it felt like sharp claws tearing at her flesh.

And then a sentence caught her ears that made her spirit soar with happiness. “If you like, Denali, you can come with me.” All traces of depression instantly vanished, and she was on her feet and standing at the brute's side faster than one of her mood swings. "So there is a heart behind that smirk." She couldn't resist the comment, her voice overflowing with good cheer. She had been offered a chance to not be left behind, and without even thinking she leapt at it.

End Thread