By The Sea||Anubis

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She enjoyed the docks, well the water more so then the docks really. When she had still lived with her mother, on the Res in Oklahoma, she'd had a lake to swim in, but she really did like the bay better. Not only did Harlequin like swimming, but her jaguar did as well. It was an easy way to cool off, and salt water was supposed to be good for cuts. Of course, the bay probably wasn't the cleanest of water, but she didn't really care about that most of the time. Water was water and a swim was a swim.
She'd stripped off her knee high combats boots and had stored them in one of the old, rotting ships before she had dived into the water. She hit the water as a human, and had surfaced as a jaguar. She knew that it probably looked a little odd, a big, black jaguar paddling through the bay, but she didn't really care, she thought as she pawed the water with her heavy paws. She took a deep breath, ears flattening against her skull before she dived back under the water, shifting back into her small, human form. She kicked her feet, her baggy jeans weighing her down somewhat as she kicked her way back to the shore.

She straightened once the water was shallow enough, and simply walked through the waves, water dripping from off of her skin and clothes. Once she exited the water, she shook herself slightly, water scattering in the process. She flipped her long black braid back over her shoulder, the strands brushing against the feline paw print tattoo on her left shoulder blade. She rolled her right shoulder, the inked kanji for courage shifting along with her skin, before she clasped both hands behind her, popping her back in the process.

It would take a while for her clothes to dry, which was a down side to swimming in the bay. of course, she could have stripped her clothes off, hidden them with her boots and just swam like that, but if she would have done that, she was have spent her whole swim as a jaguar. It wouldn't have been that bad, of course, but she wasn't very comfortable with the idea of her being naked at such a public place during the day, even if she was a cat at the time.

Harlequin took the edge of her black tank top between her small hands and began to wring the water out of it, showing off lean muscles on her stomach. She wasn't extremely built or anything, but few in The M were flabby. Living hard, as they all did, quickly put muscles of some kind on you. She was still busy wringing water from her top when a sound caught her attention.

She tensed, her top forgotten as it fell from her hands, as she strained her ears to find the source of the sound. She was probably overreacting, after all it was probably just another Carna member, but better safe then sorry. The Menagerie had taught many, if not all of, the people in its depths to be wary of their surroundings and of other people. Of course, Harley had learned that lesson while growing up on the Reservation, this hell hole just enforced it. She wasn't going to do anything stupid, she firmly told herself as she tried to make her body attack. If someone was there, it was a ring member and she wasn't going to attack. And if it wasn't a Carna, then she would allow them to think that they had the element of surprise.


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Words: 627
Music: By The Sea- Sweeney Todd
Notes: I blame the title on Mrs. Lovett >.>

[anubis]

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[atrb=background,http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab236/AxeMar_Equals_Me/Anumid.png] It had been a little over two years since Anubis had last ventured to the docks. The avoidance was not a conscious one on the hunter's part--although admittedly, his doubts on the overall sanitation of the cloudy and silt-churned waters had since forced him to find alternative places to bathe. That, and the rather unfortunate incident that had earned him an unexpected--and unlikely--best friend. He shook his head slightly at the memory, a faint, amused smile curving his lips. This particular afternoon, however, had coaxed him out not with the intention to swim--he'd hastily decided against any such thing, in case the blonde in question was seized with a sudden, crippling urge to be 'clever' once again. The more rational part of the canine shifter, however, scoffed at that particular line of thinking. It was unlikely. In recent months, while life slowed to a quiet sense of monotony on his part, it seemed to have accelerated for Dmitri. Ven stole away what little free time the man had. Which, while it was as it should be, Anubis couldn't help but feel a small pang--whether born from jealousy or loneliness--or both--it was hard to tell. Then again, he'd half convinced himself that his recent lapse into a morose silence in recent weeks was due to his feeling of utter uselessness. The sentiment agitated the man, who had retreated further into himself as the days grew shorter. The behavioral change would have been significant in anyone else--easily picked up on, at the very least, if not remarked upon. But Anubis had never exactly been the talkative sort to begin with, minus the rare occasions where he was exasperated enough to be provoked into conversations. All the same, Anubis wasn't exactly enjoying the company of his own thoughts. Not with the realization that had recently taken root in his mind with a grim sense of finality. Not, of course, that he'd ever say it out loud. He'd rather dance around the word until someone took him by the shoulders and shook him into facing the reality of his new 'normal.' He winced. It didn't feel "normal" at all. Shaking the thoughts aside, he returned his focus instead to the reason for his outdoor excursion. Cradled carefully in his cupped hands--fingers interlaced, palms creating a shallow, shady depression--was a beetle. Not any ordinary beetle, but rather Massui, his pet scarab beetle. The sewers, he'd insisted, were no place for the medium-sized insect. Far too dank and miserably damp. Massui, he'd decided abruptly that afternoon, deserved a proper afternoon of sunlight and fresh air. If nothing else, the jewel tones of his iridescent shell were in full glory that afternoon--flashing with all the dazzling intensity of metal. Normally, he kept the beetle on perched on his shoulder--half-terrified that the moment he let it out of his sight, some clumsy Tenderfoot would either step on it accidentally, or mistake for a cockroach of unusual size, and crush it to death under heel. Once he'd reached the edge of the docks, he dropped into a crouch, gently setting the beetle onto the sun-warmed wood. A small red thread trailed from the beetle's back leg to Anubis's palm--meant more to ensure that Massui couldn't fly too far from him and escape than out of any real malice. For a while, he was content to observe the beetle's awkward, shuffling walk, top-heavy shell gently swaying from side to side. Every so often, he'd reach out an idle finger, stroking along the smooth shell. That is, until he took notice of a dark shape, emerging onto the shore a few feet away. His brows furrowed. Normally, he'd be disinterested enough to simply ignore whoever--or whatever--had emerged from the bay. Yet for some inexplicable reason, he found himself slowly rising to his feet, quickly reaching down to pluck Massui from the docks. Dark, spindle-thin legs thrashed for a wild moment of shock and indignation, a rasping note of annoyance leaving the insect as he swept it onto his shoulder, before moving slowly and cautiously towards the shape. Stealth, however, was not on his side. His awkward gait caused him to slip for a moment--a noise that rather quickly alerted his presence. Heaving a sigh, he stepped into view. There was no point in remaining where he was, after all. That would only invoke suspicion. "I thought cats generally tried to avoid the water?" he remarked dryly. Ooc: Ramblepost of fail. :x

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She turned her attention to the figure, still tensed as she tried to catch any kind of scent from him. All she could smell, though, was salt. Of course the salt water would mess with her sense of smell, she'd been immersed in it only few minutes ago so it should be too surprising. She did relax, however, when she recognized the intruder as a member of her ring, which meant he really wasn't an intruder. She really shouldn't have been surprised that someone else would happen upon her at the docks.

She regarded him for a moment, while he remarked on her shift form. She chuckled slightly. Most of the others, who weren't feline shifts, often thought that no mater what kind of cat your shift was, you wouldn't like water. She could understand why people would think that, and, sometimes it made her laugh. Other times, though, it just made her mad.

"Most domestic cats do," she conceded with a nod, a drop of water sliding off the tip of her nose at the movement. 'And big cats with thick coat meant for cold weather do, too. It's because their coats trap water and makes it hard for them to keep warm." Harlequin's lips quirked in a small smile. "I'm a jaguar, though, and since they don't have coats meant to keep them warm, they actually like water."

She was pushing wet, straggly, black bangs out of her green grey eyes when she caught sight of something shinning in the sun light sitting on the boys shoulder. She could feel her eyes growing wide as she caught sight of the pretty bug. She knew for a fact, that if she was a jaguar right now, her black tail would be thrashing back in forth. It was so pretty in the light, but getting a closer look would mean that she would have to get a lot closer then she wanted to.

She blinked once, then twice, trying to pull herself away from the pretty beetle, before glancing up at the boys face. Just because she recognized him, didn't mean she knew him. "My name's Harlequin," she offered with another quirk of her lips. As soon as she spoke, she felt vulnerable. Here she was, small, soaking wet, and barefoot. It made sense, logically to someone else, but not to Harley. She gave herself a mental shake, pulling herself up to her height, a paltry five feet, and brushed a hand over her cheek, ghosting over the white scar that was there. time to put backbone back into Ka-he.

She sniffed slightly, lifting one black brow, popping one hip out to the side. "So, what brings you out here? Besides walking your friend there," she said, nodding to the beetle. She hadn't noticed it at first, but there was thin red string tied around the insect resting on the boys shoulder. It wasn't a bad idea, really, but she hadn't ever thought of a reason to put a leash on a bug, when there were so many of them. of course, this one was very pretty.

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Words: 536
Music: Cruscrushcrush - Paramore
Notes; My muse kinda died near the end ._.

[anubis]

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[atrb=background,http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab236/AxeMar_Equals_Me/Anumid.png] "I don't know," Anubis said, his lips quirking upward in a slow display of amusement. "I can think of quite a few big cats who, when it comes to water, tend to be...well." He trailed off, but the quiet smirk in place spoke clear volumes. He shook his head quietly, observing Harlequin as keenly as she scrutinized him. For a moment, he thought to tell her that attempting to catch his scent would do her no good. There were subtle cues--vague hints that alerted him of her attempts. The way her nostrils flared--a discreet gesture, but obvious to someone who'd grown accustomed to identifying others by scent. The brine of the bay overpowered what few others scents there were--and it didn't help matters that he had, until only recently, stood downwind from her. Though he didn't mention any of this. He couldn't imagine that any woman you'd noticed they'd been sniffing you was an acceptable conversation starter, regardless of the culture. He was all too grateful when she provided him with her name. If nothing else, it was a far better gamble--and a far better topic--than the previous one that had circled in his mind. "Anubis," he demurred in return, with a lazy lift of his shoulders. "A pleasure." Her question, however, caught him slightly off guard. "Ah." For a moment, he brightened with an almost child-like delight--his normally neutral expression blossoming into a grin that stretched from ear-to-ear. "This is Massui," he said by way of introduction, gingerly reaching up to seat the beetle in the palm of his hand, fingers unfurling to allow her a closer look. "He's a scarab beetle. They're considered sacred, in my country. For example, it's believed..." He cut himself off then, suddenly embarrassed. "He was a gift,"he muttered, doubting very much that she'd have much interest in his earnest praise in his pet's fine set of magnificently curving horns. "As for what brings me here, more or less what it looks like." A small, sheepish laugh, then. "Although I can't say I've seen you before."

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[atrb=background,http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d97/mewcheery1/harleybackground-1.png] Anubis. She stored that name in her mind. Now, only time would tell if she would remember it if she came across him again. She was terrible with names.They would slip her mind and then she'd be faced with the person a few days later and have no clue what to call him. Faces, though, she could remember. Everyone looked different, unlike with names. If she saw him again, and she probably would sooner or later, she'd at least recognize his face, if not his name. She was taken aback when the wide, child like grin split Anubis' face. He'd been so nonchalant only moments before, but as soon as the beetle was mentioned, his face lit up like a child in a candy store. So, the beetle meant a lot to him, did it? Oh, sacred animal, that explained a lot. She knew all about sacred animals. She had always suspected that the reason the Reservation boy had never turned her in was because he shift was so similar to the cougar. Shifter or not, the elders wouldn't have turned a cougar over to any Yo-Negg, to any white man. It was funny, really. They hated her because she was half white, but they still wouldn't turn her in. "Cougars and owls are sacred to my mother's people," she offered, a rueful grin on her face as her thoughts remained glued onto her life before she had come to live in the glass bubble of hell. "They were said to be the only animals that stayed awake during the seven nights of creation, and that is why they're nocturnal. Oh," she said after a pause, "and the turtle as well. The spaces on its back are said to represent the 13 yearly phases of the moon." She could understand that one, but it still didn't make much sense to her. of course, she'd never gone to any lengths to study Cherokee lore. After all, the tribe didn't want anything to do with her, so why should she go out of her way to learn about them? She shrugged at his last remark. She hadn't seen him before either, but the Carna was rather large. "I'm a scout," she said with a shrug of one shoulder, "And when I'm not on patrol, I spend a lot of my time here, or at the cliffs. I don't really care for people." That was an understatement. Most of the time Harlequin couldn't stand people. They could be so annoying, with their stupid questions. Besides, it was almost a conditioned reflex to avoid people whenever possible after fifteen years living at the reservation. Not only that, but, for the most part, jaguar's were solitary creatures. She supposed some of her shifts nature was rubbing off on herself. "I have been here four years now, though. I'm not exactly a greenhorn here," she said ruefully, rolling her grey green eyes.

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[anubis]

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[atrb=background,http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab236/AxeMar_Equals_Me/Anumid.png] As Anubis studied the young woman in front of him with a renewed sense of curiosity, a quiet light of respect kindled in his gaze. Subtle, and not difficult to miss--especially for those who could count themselves as little more than an acquaintance. But there all the same. Perhaps it was simply because it was refreshing, to find another who held beliefs that rivaled his own in their decided lack of conventionality. If nothing else, Harlequin was the first he'd met who shared a willingness to talk freely when it came to sacred beliefs. Or maybe that was just because so many had nothing to believe in. Not anymore. Not after however many hellish years. "You'd have fit in as one of Sehkmet's devoted. Your shift isn't a lion," he clarified a second later, "but her followers would have considered you close enough." Amusement danced in his eyes--he was teasing her slightly; though underneath the teasing was an undertone of solemnity. There was a truth to his words. And what woman didn't wish to hear that, given a different time, place, circumstance--she would have been worshiped? "Massui's a god," he offered after a pause, shrugging with the sort of carelessness that suggested such startling claims were made daily. And over insects, no less. "Or so we believe. Because he creates from nothing. Supposedly, he's Kehpri reincarnated." His lips tugged up into a faint smile then, his hand flattening, palm downwards, as the beetle in question scurried busily over the flat plain of his hand. Her next words, however, caused him to glance up once more, meeting her gaze. He gave a curt nod of understanding, his look thoughtful. "It'd make sense, then. As to why I haven't seen you around, I mean."As a general rule, scouts and hunters didn't fraternize often; they kept largely to their duties, and to their own company of those similarly ranked. Even Anubis wasn't immune to the instinctual gravitation; both C. C. and Ven were hunters themselves. Though, truthfully, the only ones he ever cared to spend much time with. If, he thought ruefully to himself, he was even fit to call himself one any longer. A look of understanding flickered in his gaze, then--sympathetic, though not pitying. "I understand. I'm hardly what you'd call a social butterfly myself. Sometimes it's better to be alone." And then, gently, "As long as you don't stay that way." A tiny snort answered her next words. "It's not like I came out here specifically to haze you, even if you were."

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