Surprise! [reserved]

[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] Occasional snowflakes drifted from a scattering of clouds above, but the blue skies where mostly clear, allowing the hard, bright afternoon sunlight to reflect off the blindingly white winter landscape. Ice and snow blanketed everything, a layer that was only somewhat thinner under the heavy pines. Sain was forced to narrow his eyes against the glare as he picked his way over the forest floor, pausing every few steps to shake slush from a paw. During his few years at the Menagerie, the jaguar had decided that he didn’t care for the cold, snowy months. For one, prey was scarce, even more so than usual. Two, while his coat was thick and soft, and insulated well enough, the wind cut through it like an icy blade. It also made camouflage impossible in more open areas. The black stood out against the gleaming silver-white like few other colors would. Even at night, he was visible as a silhouette against the snow. Only among the dark greens and browns of the trees could he find sufficient cover. Presently, he was searching for such a place. There was no point in hunting when the sun was so high. The morning had been luckless, so he would rest for the afternoon before trying again at dusk. Both for warmth and concealment from the dog pack that claimed the valley, he needed a sheltered spot. Sain found one without much trouble - in a particularly dense copse of trees, one had fallen, only to be caught almost upright by its fellows. After winding through the thicket that choked the base of the trees, he pawed out snow and dead leaves from the hollow beneath the ancient tree, cradled by the gnarled roots of the stump, and curled up in the earthen depression. Less than a few minutes had passed, and he was drifting in a doze, when something nearby let out a sharp, surprisingly loud bark. Startled and acting fully on instinct, Sain nearly leapt out of his fur, bounding onto the stump beside him then bolting up into the fallen tree. He crouched among the dead branches, ears flat against his head as his gaze swept around, looking for the source of the noise. When it landed on the small canine, his eyes widened in surprise before narrowing, and he hissed, baring his fangs at the dog who stood below him. Unlike any sane creature, the dog didn’t shy back. Instead, it barked again. Its ears were pricked forward, jaws parted slightly, tail sweeping rapidly back and forth. It was young looking, with brown and white fur, and skinny as a rail. Sain glowered at it. It had the audacity to interrupt his rest, and didn’t have the decency to at least be worth eating. The dog barked again, prancing slightly in place. Sain growled, flashing his fangs in warning. In response, it growled back, dropping its chest to the ground with its rump in the air, tail still wagging enthusiastically. He stared at it, wondering what he’d have to do to make it go away. ooc; xD words; 512

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[grace!]

[Maddox McCleod]

[bg=6B7189][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] "Pythagoras Naveed Ackerman is a dirty, filthy, rotten, evil, snack-sized LIAR!" Maddox's voice cracked like a whip in the cold air as she gave the hopelessly tangled rope another furious, futile yank, nearly toppling off the oak branch she stood on. A low growl rumbled in her throat as she planted one booted foot against the weathered trunk and threw her weight against the rope once more, despairing as the strong nylon refused to untangle from the upper boughs of a nearby pine tree. "Oooh, Maddox," she jeered in a high-pitched mockery of her friends voice, "won't you PLEASE just fetch this one teeny trap for me? I'm soooo late for checking in with Seija, and it's in perfectly good condition, all it needs it a bit of coiling and pickup. HAH! As if I didn't know what time Crash goes skinny-dipping..." The branch's hold on the rope was borderline obsessive, and how it had even gotten caught in the pine was a mystery to her, but her current method seemed doomed to failure. It was time for a more... straightforward approach. Clever fingers and flexible rope meant she had two handholds tied into the rope in short measure, and before she could think better of it, swung into open space thirty feet above the ground. There was a sharp crack and thirty feet suddenly became twenty-five before her boots hit the wide, pitted truck of the pine. Immediately she twisted and grasped a branch just as gravity won out over momentum and her weight sank down, a low hiss of pain a tell for the roughness of the bark that abruptly sunk into the skin of her palm. "Ohoho, Pinky, when I get back your ass is mine," she muttered as she hauled herself up and began to climb upward toward the branch that held the rope hostage. It was a tight, prickly, sticky twenty feet, and Maddox was thoroughly reminded why she loathed pine trees. And Py. But mostly pine trees. Ten minutes later, she was crouched precariously on a pair of branches no wider than her wrists a good ten feet out from the trunk, surrounded in an absolute mess of rope. The knot was for the most part undone, and she'd begun to coil it with her hand and elbow, mocha eyes narrowed against the brilliant gleam of sunlight on snow far below her. A minute later and she had the lot of it free, and straightened with a relieved sound as her spine cracked from ears to hips. Maddox looped a knot around the coiled base of rope in preparation of swinging it, and herself, back over to the oak where the opposite end was tied off with nary a tangle. In fact, she was a heartbeat from stepping into open air when a great ruckus sounded from below; a chorus of canine yapping accompanied by a feline snarl of displeasure. The immediate conclusion that sprung to mine was an Analoya had been caught trespassing, not unlike herself, by Nildia. Not that she recognized the mutt's claim to the lake as anything more than wishful thinking, but they believed strongly in their little group delusion. Careful to keep quiet, Maddox leaned to peer down through the maze of branches to no effect, a thing that pleased her. If she couldn't see them, they couldn't see her. Scent was another issue, but she hadn't actually touched ground nearby; trees this close together made a handy, footprint-free highway though the snow. But presently ignorant though they may be, they would certainly hear the ruckus if she went swinging back to the oak like Tarzan. Besides, she was a nosy creature at heart. She hung the coil of rope on a nearby bough and slipped her fingers through the cold metal guards of her knuckleknives, a pleased expression crossing her face as she tested the edge on the end of Py's rope, the nylon parting like butter under pressure. Obsessive maintenance of her blades had become second nature, and nothing in her possession was ever anything less than wickedly sharp. This pair, her favorites, left her hands free, and Maddox swiftly began to descend through the layers of branches. The duet of high-pitched barking and low octave snarling had, if anything, only increased in volume, and fifteen feet down she caught sight of the offended party. A black cat the size of a dog laid spitting and bristling another ten feet below her, facing off with... a puppy. Maddox very nearly cut her nose off in an effort to stifle the wave of laughter that swelled in her chest at the ridiculous sight. She didn't recognize the dark cat, but the puppy was clearly not sentient, nothing that small with a sane thought process chased leopards up trees. She quickly decided that whoever the cat was, they needed teasing, and hopped off her current perch. A moment of freefall and she landed with passable grace on a thick pine bough behind to the panther, though tactfully out of immediate mauling range. "Yo Fuzzface!" she quipped, a toothy grin stretching her lips. "Treed by a puppy? Really now?" Her hands rested lightly on her knees, steel flashing menace as she continued her delighted mockery. "Need my help getting past the cute, fluffy little thing? Looks dangerous, real risky." ----- ooc; x'D may get weird at the end, coldmeds taking overrrrr /passesout/

[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] The faint sound of rustling fabric, a disturbance in the air, had Sain spinning around, lips pulling back from fangs in a defensive, silent warning. He didn’t like being taken by surprise, let alone by a human, the likes of which had landed on a nearby branch. Her body language said more clearly than anything that she didn’t intend a threat, so he dug claws in the bark beneath his paws instead of leaping the distance between them. She spoke, and a low growl rumbled in his throat, detecting the mocking tone to her voice without fully registering the words. A moment later and he blinked, confusion relaxing the anger in his expression. “What did you call me?” Another bark rang out, causing his head to whip around, ears flattening against his head as he hissed at the dog again, dismissing the new irritation in favor of the original. Still, he paused mid-glower, recalling the human’s mock question. She was insulting him, despite the lightness to her attitude. “I am not treed,” he answered testily, turning a baleful gaze on her. “I just don’t want it near me. I was sleeping,” he added wistfully. The jaguar looked back to the puppy and rose into a crouch, hackles rising in tandem with the motion, to growl at it. “Get! Um. Go home. Bad dog!” It barked again, tongue lolling and ears pricked forward with alert excitement. Muttering an uncomplimentary remark about dogs, he leaped down to the old tree stump, reluctant but unwilling to appear a coward. Contrary to his hopes, the puppy didn’t shy back at the sudden closeness of a predator. Instead it bounded forward joyfully, rearing back to plant its front paws on the stump and stretching up to sniff at him. Sain curled a lip in distaste, and thwacked the young creature upside the head. Despite the considerable strength in the blow from his massive paw, the claws were sheathed. The puppy tumbled sideways into the snow, but rolled immediately to its feet, unharmed. Sain growled. “You might only be a mouthful, but I will eat you. Go away.” The puppy was apparently incapable of understanding the threatening rumble that underlay the words, let alone comprehending speech. It raced back undeterred, scrambling partway up the stump to nose around one of his forepaws. He hissed, and batted at the pup, but it had gained some experience, and ducked the light strike. Ears flattened in irritation, he retreated up the fallen tree a short distance, glaring at the young dog, who stared back at him with uninhibited enthusiasm. It was many things, but ‘cute’ was not an adjective that came to mind. An idea struck him - didn’t humans keep dogs as pets? - so he looked around to locate the redhaired woman. “I don’t suppose it’s yours?” he asked hopefully. The idea of owning a creature was ridiculous, but he wasn’t going to argue terminology with a human. “And you’ve come to take it away?” ooc; is fine, I'm accustomed to the crack you occasionally write xDDD words; 497

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[Maddox McCleod]

[bg=6B7189][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] He appeared highly offended by her presence, a thing with brought a warm glow of wicked joy to her heart. In truth, the panther didn't seem able to decide who he hated more, her or the gleefully yapping puppy. Chagrined, he leaped down to attempt to terrorize the pup into submission, coaxing a loud peal of laughter from Maddox as his frustration visibly grew. "Sorry," she giggled, "I'm a cat person, you see." Her best cheshire grin followed that statement, mocha eyes flashing. Normally Maddox wouldn't play around with strangers, but it was just one, and she really was glad for the distraction after wrestling with the rope in the tree for unreasonable amounts of time. In short order she vaulted off her perch and landed nosily on the ground behind the pup, eyes flicking between it and the panther. The little canine really did seem fixated on him, loving shamelessly on the unamused beast. "But come on now, it likes you! Just look at that tail!" She reached down and seized the pup with both hands and hoisted it Simba-style up to eye level with the dark cat, the flat of her knives against her palms doing it no harm. "Come on now, be nice and pet the poor thing before it explodes." True enough, now that it was elevated to better see the cat it squirmed gleefully in her hands, paws flailing in every with direction. It was cute enough, but there was no way she was taking a dog home with her, that was Py and Holly's thing. And at least theirs was useful when properly motivated. This pup was far too puny to be of any foreseeable use hunting, besides, she was a scout. Running around yapping wasn't exactly standard procedure when it came to creeping around in the shadows. Besides, as she'd said, she was a cat person. ----- ooc; I have no idea. xD TAKE THE PUPPY, SAIN. D8

[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] Though he had been pointedly ignoring her up until that point, the human interrupted his glower by leaping down behind the pup, into his line of sight. She plucked the little dog off the ground and held it out toward him, apparently expecting some sort of response. Sain tilted his head, then stated frankly, “It’s wagging.” He didn’t know what else he was supposed to be looking for. It was a tail. How much could possibly be said about it? As for what the energetic motion signified, he thought it probably stemmed from enjoyment of harassing him, not any form of affection. Besides, he was a feline. Weren’t dogs and cats typically incompatible? "Come on now, be nice and pet the poor thing before it explodes." He cast a startled, incredulous look at the woman. She wanted him to pet it? That didn’t seem conducive to making it go away, and he had absolutely no interest in keeping it. Sain continued to stare at her as he tried to figure out what her motives were. Generally, people he’d met had been cruel, suspicious, or fearful, but rarely did they make nuisances of themselves. He’d been having enough issues with the pup before she decided to give it a hand - lifting the young creature had only excited it more, causing it wriggle with delighted exuberance. He made no move to reach out, but the woman showed no sign of backing down, returning his disbelieving stare with a grin. After a few drawn-out moments, Sain gave her a long suffering look, sighed, and shifted. His human form adjusted position automatically to remain in a crouch on the fallen log, fingertips of one hand resting lightly on the bark. He was barefoot, dressed in worn jeans and a tee-shirt that was shredded and torn into near nonexistence, but remained oblivious to the cold. Watching this transformation, the puppy yapped ecstatically, stretching its muzzle toward him. Sain glared in response, but leaned forward and extended a hand, brushing his fingers lightly, briefly, over the soft fur of the dog’s head. The simple motion sent it into a frantic craze of happiness. He pulled back immediately and quickly, shifting his weight away and resting his forearm on his knee. “There. Happy?” he grumbled. “Will you put it down, now?” It put him on edge to have the pup that close, watching him with those excessively enthusiastic amber eyes. It was obvious that, given the opportunity, the pup would barrel right into him. ooc; HOW CAN HE SAY NO TO THIS FACE? D8 words; 419

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[Maddox McCleod]

[bg=6B7189][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] Her mocha eyes widened when he shifted, then crinkled with good humor as her brows rose in interest. He was good enough looking, though in a feral manner, and his clothing in awful disrepair. Her own, worn and faded though they'd become, were positively stellar in comparison. After a long moment she realized she source of her surprise; it wasn't that we was wearing worn clothing, it was that he wore clothing at all. She'd long since pegged him for one of the feral shifters, more animal than human, after his reactions and body language. The presence of clothing was, itself, an oddity. Though it stood to reason that he'd simply tried to acclimate; some feral shifters were indistinguishable from the norm, while others were nothing more than intelligent beasts. Speaking of beasts, Maddox's mind reminded her, the one in her hands had all but exploded when the man offered a tentative pat. The pup's joy was infectious, and she fought off the mad urge to fidget as well as it set up a keening wail when he withdrew his hand. "Oi!" she protested over the pup's bawling, giving him a reprimanding look. "You hurt it's ickle feelings!" Even as she spoke the puppy had stopped it's wriggling, and now stared at the sable-haired man with wide, pleading eyes, a pathetic whine trembling in it's throat. She joined in with an imploring, doe-eyed look, and fought to keep the smirk on her lips from being too obvious. "You should name her," she chirped, eyes aglitter. "That way she'll know when you call her." Wicked humor danced in her eyes, and as far as she was concerned, the man was darn well adopting the puppy. "I mean it, Fuzzface. Don't make me chase you until you do." A moment later, she took more decisive action, and in a smooth movement leaned forward and plunked the puppy straight in his lap. ----- ooc; xD

[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] He pulled away, and the puppy immediately began to cry its displeasure. Sain flinched back with a grimace - if his ears were still movable, they would have flattened against his head. The high, sharp noise was most unpleasant. The woman was giving him a disapproving look, as though the creature’s wailing was his fault. Apparently he had ‘hurt its feelings.’ He cast her a flat glance, refusing to be guilted into feeling sorry for the pest. Instead, he inched farther away from them. The dog switched to a low whine, finally still, but staring at him beseechingly. The shifter was doing the same, though the expression was slightly marred by the way the corners of her mouth kept edging upwards. Glaring, he folded his arms across his chest. To leave first would be a sign of submission, but he wanted nothing to do with the pair harassing him. "You should name her." She seemed to be enjoying herself. In contrast, his expression switched to one of alarm. The phrase implied that the puppy would be around for some time, that he would be keeping it, something he had no interest in. “Ohhh no. It’s not ‘mine,’ I’m not naming it.” Abruptly, he frowned at her. “And my name is not Fuzzface-” He broke off with a yelp as she dropped the puppy on him; it immediately leaped up toward him, gleefully trying to lick his jaw. Jerking back in an automatic response, he overbalanced and toppled off the tree stump. He landed flat on his back in the snow, knocking the breath out of his chest, while the dog barked excitedly and washed his face enthusiastically. A snarl rising from his throat, he shoved the dog off and rolled to his feet, dragging his forearm over his face. Then he glared at the shifter, while the pup bounced around his legs. It got his attention by rearing up, paws braced on him as it stretched its nose toward his hand. Sain cast it an annoyed glance and backed up a step, forcing it to drop to all fours again. Undeterred, it leaned against his knees, entire body wagging. With a low growl, he pointedly ignored it, turning his attention back to the female. “It’s not mine, and I don’t want it. You take it, if you’re so determined to give it a home.” It was obvious that she didn’t want it either, but his options were that, or be stuck with it following him around. He was familiar with the human concept of trading for something one wanted, but he didn’t have anything to give her. Glancing around, he couldn’t see anything she would want that she couldn’t get for herself. “Umm. I could catch something for you?” Realizing that this remark probably seemed random to her, he elaborated. “If you take the dog. I’ll catch something for you. Food for your Ring.” He grimaced at the thought of going hungry to feed a bunch of shifters, but if doing so got rid of the dog, it would be worth it. It would be easier if he could heal her, but she didn’t appear injured, and so far his experiences with offering the talent had been rather unpleasant. Despite his best efforts to heal it cleanly, a symbol-shaped scar still showed faintly over his heart, where some crazy bird had taken a knife to him. ooc; -enrolls Sain is Social Smoothness classes- words; 566

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[Maddox McCleod]

[bg=6B7189][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] She gave him an immeasurably disapproving scowl as he persisted in trying to offload his adoring fan, arms crossed firmly under her breasts. Should he offer any more whining, she would be sorely tempted to simply chain the two together and be done with the argument. Honestly, as though she'd take on the pup for a meal. "Feed me for a day, and give them another mouth to feed for years? I don't think so. Besides, there is already a strange dog sleeping in my preferred bed, I do not need another." Her eyes flicked downward. "Puny though it may be right now." Maddox's teeth bared in an alarming parody of a smile, having since resorted to her long standing tradition of simply bullying stubborn people into compliance. When it came to bossing, bigger was often better, and in a heartbeat she changed shape. A loud snort, an aggressive wring of the tail; theatrics abounded when as always a fickle energy washed through her. With an impatient shake she shoved her dished face forward, ears pricked to quivering attention. "See?" Her voice was sly, a shade short of mischievous. "I cannot take it, I've no hands." Emboldened by his reluctance to eat the bothersome pup, Maddox gleefully crowded him as well, neck arched and tail flagged. Her sorrel coat glowed against the snow, curried smooth by Py in exchange for the same, though she often argued that grooming a horse and bear was hardly comparable, fur-wise. With enthusiastic abandon for his personal space she snuffled first at the pup and then him, inquiring whiskers seeking his hair. He bore scars on his chest, visible up close, but she was not one to inquire after such things. Not when they seemed purposeful. ----- ooc; WHAT I DON'T EVEN. xD

[Sain]

[bg=000000][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] She shot down his offer immediately. Sain stared at her, dismayed. What human refused bribes? Without that option, there was nothing he could think of that would persuade her to take the dog. It was doubtful that he could change her mind simply by talking, not when humans had such convoluted thought patterns. There was no way to force the pup to follow her, short of accompanying them himself, the idea of which was more alarming than any other. He supposed he could sacrifice what remained of his shirt and tie the creature to a tree, but then it would likely starve to death, a cruel fate. Equally, he didn’t think he could bring himself to attack and kill a creature that wasn’t even intelligent enough to run or feel fear. The shifter interrupted his thoughts by assuming her other form and shoving her large, long head into his face. He stumbled back, glaring. No hands. It was a terrible excuse, and they both knew it. The horse ignored this fact, preoccupied with crowding him. She dropped her head to nose at the puppy, then lifted it to investigate his hair, close enough that he could feel the heat radiating from the fiery-colored creature. He’d hunted horses on occasion - there were many in the Bellator - and was cautious of the powerful hooves that stamped so innocently in the snow by his feet. Watching her warily for any sign of movement, he edged away, shoulders high and tense. His progress was hampered by the pup, which wove and wriggled around his knees, and the wall of horseflesh that was so close he could barely see past his own nose. “If you, um, don’t want the, uh, the dog, you could, you know, leave,” Sain muttered uncomfortably, stumbling over the words and questing behind him with his foot each time he took a step backwards. He’d had enough humiliation for one day, and didn’t fancy the idea of tripping over a root while he inched away from the horse. Despite the distance he was moving, she remained disagreeably close, velvet nose poking at him. At each touch, he tried not to flinch, but was only partially successful. He couldn’t help but cringe at the tight proximity, which was making him distinctly uneasy. He didn’t know what to do with people when they invaded his space, and especially not when they touched him. The experience always made him edgy and awkward. He started when his shoulder bumped into a tree, then reached behind himself to locate the trunk, fingers clenching on the rough bark. He spared a glance upward to estimate how quickly he’d be able to pull himself up, then fixed his gaze on the horse’s nose. “If there’s nothing I can do for you, you might as well go,” he pointed out with uneasy tactlessness. More than anything, Sain just wanted her out of his space. ooc; random post is random. o3o words; 486

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[Maddox McCleod]

[bg=6B7189][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=border,0,true] His horror at her proximity was like oil on a fire, and with a joyous shuffle of her hooves Maddox stuffed her nose right into his face. "Leave!? If I go home without the ropes Pinkles will eat me!" She lipped at his bangs to accentuate the statement, then sucked back, blinking at him with delighted curiosity. "You must get lonely. ....come on, take the pup. You might like it! Besides, if you hate it, you can always ditch it later." She all but bounced in place and shifted back, mocha eyes bright. A saucy wink and a kiss on the cheek and she bounded out of his space and up the very tree he'd been so close to climbing. She hoisted the rope around her shoulder and hollered down to him, "If you're still there when I get down there, I'll tie the pup to you!" Her voice was dead serious; though her grin was hidden. The dog would be good for him, she was sure. ----- ooc; LOL SO IT'S LATE AND I'M CRACKED AND THIS THREAD NEEDS TO END. endpost for her. u_u

[RUMOR]

Sain has nothing to say to this except

FFFFFFFFFFFFFF. D8 -flees-

End thread xD