Why'o
Li'canna
Played by Collie
3 YO
26"60LBS
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
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Post by Li'Navira'e Hu'grair on Jan 23, 2023 20:35:37 GMT
(Premise/Slight flashback)The next day somehow started out even harder than the day before. Navira had awoken in the old prison surrounded by sleepy canna just like she had since the day she was born. Some of the dogs were still sprawled out asleep. Others had begun to wake and murmur amongst themselves. But it wasn't the same. She had gazed out over the mess of bodies and found them significantly thinned. Half of her clan was still missing and some of these dogs were strangers. She had hoped childishly that it had been a strange nightmare, or perhaps that stragglers would have wandered in during the night and at least given some explanation of what had happened...why half of their beloved town was now wiped away and replaced with dense woodland. Her thoughts had continued to wander, jumping back and forth over what they should even start to do about this dilemma. And then she would withdraw back into herself, telling herself that it wasn't her job. It was the Chief's job, or the General. But they were missing and she had been forced to take charge as every other dog wandered in an aimless shock until she gave them direction. It wasn't her job...but her clan was lost. In the end her mind was made up. She would figure out what to do today, and perhaps the next and then hopefully things would begin to straighten themselves out. It had only been a day, after all, and their clan had to be out there in the town somewhere. At that point she stood and wove her way through the crowd of bodies, trotted down the dusty old cement hallways, and marched herself down to the big open room that sat smack in the middle of the prison - A room full of long tables and once-slick white floors. This was the room where the Why'os brought back their food to share with clanmates. It was here that Navira had heard many morning orders from old Chief Randan'ru as she and her clan ate breakfast. She hopped up onto one of the tables, threw back her head, and gave a summoning howl that echoed beautifully through the cold hallways. Her message was clear. "Come. The chief is speaking." When the canna had all wandered in, confused and sleepy, some a little startled to see Navira there instead of Chief Randan, she began her speech. "Come and eat." She encouraged. "We have a job to do today. Many of our clanmates and half of our territory are emle rumblier." She paused only briefly, realizing that this was very strange sentence. "Today, some of us need to go and look for them in that...new...forest?" She wasn't even sure what to call it. "We will split up into groups and explore every inch of those trees. Anything at all that looks important needs to be reported back at the end of the day. We are looking for any sign of our clanmates, but we also want to scout this new territory and see if it can be of any use to us. Report back any lout that you see and let us know if you find anything dangerous or useful. Turn back if you spot anything dangerous! Do not engage." "Er...finish your breakfast and then we'll break up into groups! Rumm pell fli u canna!"
(Present) Navira wasn't used to traveling through such rough terrain. She had been born and raised on smooth concrete. Crashing loudly through this tangled, frozen brush and deep snow was downright embarrassing. She was as loud as a haru. Her legs ached from the cold and they were covered in small scratches from the thorny bush that she had blundered right into. The dogs that followed her must have thought her a fool when she had fallen nose first into the snow and then twisted with a curse on her tongue to free herself from the Bush With Teeth. She had always been the fast one, the one that could sneak up on a pigeon and catch it before it had a chance to blink. Here in this new world she was useless and slow. And to top it all off, they had discovered next to nothing of interest. It was dense and cold and definitely very really a forest, aside from a few scattered, lonely houses that were stuck between the trees as if they'd been forgotten when the town was wiped away. They were all dark and quiet and firmly locked up. Still, they had explored each one of them with interest hoping to find some new scrap of information. There had been nothing. Not even a fresh scent. At the moment they were circling yet another dark house with their noses in the snow. It was at this point that Navira realized that she had found....something. It was small and probably really stupid, but before she could stop herself she barked to the small group that had joined her this morning. "Hey, look." She said, pointing with her muzzle at the flap on the back door of the house. "There's a little door on the house for canna. We should see what's inside." |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2023 1:04:53 GMT
 ❀⸻𝓋𝒶𝓁⸻❀
Val followed Navira curiously as they made their way into this strange section that lingered between forest and town. He seemed entirely at ease following the she-dog, though he was only now forming a relationship with her and his new pack-mates. That was simply his nature though, he fit into whatever box was set before him with simplicity.
His wiry pelt did well at keeping the snow from melting to his flesh. His tail twitched into the air as they approached a home and Navira pointed towards a flap on the door. Nose twitching into the air, the dark brute breathed in the air to make sure there was no danger lurking nearby. After a few seconds he moved closer to the flap and prodded at it with his paw to see if it was locked.
Luckily, it wasn't. The nape of his neck was instinctually bristling as he was about to go into a small opening with no idea what waited on the other side. Despite this, he looked determined as he shoved his body through the compact door and entered the home. His claws clicked violently against the tile as he shook the sleet off his pelt.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2023 22:13:24 GMT
Standing a little over two feet at her shoulder, Tavi’elu was about a head taller than her two Why’o companions, and was enjoying it immensely. She was no better suited to the forested terrain; the city had been her home all her life, and the streets had always been plowed of snow by the time she deigned to sprint through them. But her extra height afforded her a modicum of grace that a shorter dog might not have had, and her high-kneed steps through the snow were akin to that of a lanky deer’s. It wasn’t perfect, but at least she wasn’t tripping over her own paws. The tradeoff was that she was freezing. Her thin coat was not built for cold of any kind. ”Who cares why this forest is here? The humans are gone, and all this nature means that there’ll be a bunch of little critters moving into the city for us to hunt. Right?” The canna complained good naturedly as she trailed after the two, stopping every now and again to sniff at some errant shrub or tree trunk. But the results were all the same: a nose full of ice and nothing but the scent of nature. ”If you ask me,” (no one had,) ”The gods finally got tired of all the stink the humans made, and wiped them clean out. Poof! It’s what gods do, yeah?”Before she could continue her unasked for tirade, Navira pointed out a small door on the back of a house. She wrinkled her nose; she was well-familiar with such things from her brief stint as a house pet, those years ago. ”Ugh. Probably a bunch of useless upwalker junk. Maybe we’ll get lucky, and there’ll be scraps in there though. Oh, or one of those fat bones they like to bribe pets with. I could go for one of those.” The chatty she-dog pushed her way through the door after Val, somewhat less gracefully as she worked to fit her long legs through. ”At least it’s warmer in here. HEY, anything alive in here? Come on out!” She barked into the open space, wary of any creatures that might have taken shelter from the winter air. ”Hey, c’mere for a sec, Kah'rara. You’ve got fur enough for two, spare some for me for a second, yeah?” She unabashedly cozied up to the dog, platonic as could be as she shoved her ice-cold nose into his shoulder to try and regain some warmth. ”Nevermind, Li’Navira, we can stay in here as long as it takes. I’ll scour every inch of the place if it means I can feel my damn toes again.”Li'Navira'e Hu'grair @val |
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Why'o
Li'canna
Played by Collie
3 YO
26"60LBS
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
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Post by Li'Navira'e Hu'grair on Feb 7, 2023 0:53:32 GMT
A part of Navira did agree with Tavi. If the humans were truly gone, then the world was ripe for their taking. In the spring, this forest would probably be full of prey. They no longer had to worry about their clanmates getting crushed by cars or snagged by disgruntled humans that didn't want to share their space with another species. But that didn't change the fact that something very, very strange had happened. The entire world had been turned upside down and Navira's perception of reality had been shaken. The once unshakably confident young dog now felt that with every turn she would see more and more of her world being altered in frightening ways...and her fears were quickly coming true. Yes, the forest would be helpful if it stayed put. But would they be the next thing to disappear? And where were their lost clanmates?
She did not voice her own fears just yet. She let Tavi ramble. Why ruin her excitement over their findings? Gods knew she had faced enough lately.
Navira hung back and watched her two companions slip into the dog door ahead of her and then snorted with annoyance at herself for not going first. The Chief should always be at the head of the pack making sure that it was safe for her clan! Quick as lightning she ducked in behind Tavi and barked out an order to the remaining canines as she thrust her way past them to stand at the lead.
"Tread carefully." She said, ears swiveling cautiously despite Tavi's loud announcement that they had arrived. It hadn't phased her in the least - After all, she had grown up among an entire clan of "bark first, figure it out later" Why'os. It was simply their way. "Stay behind me."
The Chief crept into the tiled room with her companions in tow, peering hard through the darkness. All of the lights were out. Did that mean that no one was home? She stopped briefly to raise her head and sniff the air and then relaxed a bit.
"It doesn't smell like anyone's been here in a while." She mused, padding through one doorway into another room. This one was carpeted. She gazed around in wonder at the sight of it all. This would have been the first time that the Why'o had ever stepped foot into a real human base that wasn't abandoned. Everything in here felt so...organized and soft. The sofa was neat and tidy with little pillows lined up on its arms. The carpet was clean and free of dirt or leaky stains. Light shone through curtained windows without being obstructed by dirt or smudges. But strangest of all...
"There's your scraps, Tavi." She said, trotting over to a short table in front of the sofa to inspect the two plates of food that sat side by side. Navira leaned in to take a sniff. "They just...left their food behind." She huffed. It had clearly been sitting out overnight, but it was still fresh. (At least to a street dog) Cold slabs of meat, a pile of potatoes and bread on each dish, and a scattering of green vegetables that had barely been touched. The forks that humans used to shovel food into their mouths lay glittering in the carpet as if their owners had suddenly dropped them. Still...the food smelled great. Navira licked her chops.
"No need for this to go to waste. We can't really get that mushy stuff home very easily, but we can take the other things." She said. "We should take it back to the clan when we're done here." A grinning glance at Tavi would reveal the Navira that her clanmates knew very well before this strangeness had thrust a near-permanent worry into her expression. Stealing from humans, even weirdly non-existent ones, had always been a favorite mischievous pastime for the young Why'o. "Are your pups big enough to eat stuff like this, Tavi? I bet they'd love it."
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2023 1:12:34 GMT
❀⸻𝓋𝒶𝓁⸻❀
The plan was operational at least. The smell of the feed wafting from the table was enticing, but he kept himself grounded as he waited for more of his pack-mates to enter the building. It would be extremely careless to fill his belly and not those of the dogs that helped him survive the earthquake.
Then he felt a slim, tall body slide up against him and a cold nose push into his shoulder. He had heard Tavi entering the home and had to keep himself from chuckling at her comments, but he was not prepared for the up-close interaction.
Still, he swore he felt his flopped ears warm but a shiver traveled down his spine--despite not being chilly. "Oh-" The brute mustered only one word before Navira was entering the home and mentioning the meal that simply stood by for them to ingest.
"Plus, it'd only bring rodents and other animals. We don't need any of that." He shakily breathed the words, pretty surprised he managed to form a complete sentence with Tavi's proximity. He just wasn't used to affection anymore. Not since long before he was ripped away from the streets and put into the shelter. Platonic as it was, it had him a little jittered to say the least.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2023 6:05:27 GMT
Tavi’elu felt the brute shiver, and almost felt bad for passing along her chill. But the key word there was almost, because her nose was slowly reaching an acceptable temperature. Pulling away, she smiled crookedly and mouthed ’thank you’ before slinking after Navira. She could tread carefully if she really wanted to, it just wasn’t the usual Why’o style.
They crept into another room with all the caution street dogs could muster, which was actually quite a lot. Her nose filled with the welcome scent of human food, and her skinny tail began to wag as she peered up onto the table. ”Ah! All the better for us, then. I know humans are wasteful, but they aren’t usually this bad.” She swept her tongue across her lips, eager to chow down.
”Right you are, chief! A wasteful street dog is a dead street dog, and last I checked the three of us are alive.” With that said, she lapped up a mouthful of the mashed potatoes, a groan of satisfaction leaving her as she did. ”I’m always the first to talk smack on the upwalkers, but great Rot’zo do they have good food. Mmm.” Her ears perked at the mention of her children, and she felt a budding warmth in her chest as she glanced over to Navira. Now that was a good quality for a chief– thinking of the little ones even when she didn’t have to. Her sharp smile grew into something far fonder, respect obvious in her gaze.
”Oh yes, they are, and oh yes they would. I’ll tear one of these meat things into little bits, and they’ll be able to eat it right up.” Her voice softened noticeably when she spoke of her pups, and the wagging of her tail picked up speed. ”Think they have any more stuff in their cold-box?” She nodded towards the kitchen. ”I learned a thing or two when I was a pet– don’t mention it, though, or so help you– and I can probably still finesse it open.” She considered for a moment, before nodding sharply. ”Probably.”
It had been a while, after all.
Shifting her gaze over to Val, she hummed her agreement. ”Yeah, rodents are only fun if you’re out huntin’ for them. I’d sooner chew my tail than share my bed with a rat.” The last thing their prison needed was some sort of infestation, after all. ”But don’t worry, you know that our clan has bottomless stomachs. I doubt there’ll be any leftovers to attract the critters if we do bring a bunch of stuff back.” She turned a questioning gaze to Navira, as if for confirmation.
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I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU THINK AS LONG AS IT’S ABOUT ME |
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Why'o
Li'canna
Played by Collie
3 YO
26"60LBS
Posts: 87
Likes: 0
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Post by Li'Navira'e Hu'grair on Mar 4, 2023 3:23:23 GMT
"LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION...
OH,WHO AM I KIDDING! FOLLOW ME!
I KNOW A SHORTCUT!"
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"Well then, it's decided. Finders keepers and all that! Though I wouldn't mind gnashing on a good chek if they tried any funny business." She answered Tavi and then mused, "I wonder if any other houses have scraps like this inside." Tall ears flicked back and forth, listening in turn to each of her companions as they talked over mouthfuls of potato. Her attention was sharply divided though, eyes scanning the room from top to bottom for any more signs of sudden disappearance. In the end, Navira came away with no more answers than she'd had when they started this journey.
There were no signs of struggle. No signs that they had left in a hurry. No signs of forced entry. The earthquake had hardly even rattled their tall shelves of shiny baubles and oddities. They were just gone. It made Navira feel like whining...but she wouldn't do that. That wasn't a very leaderly thing to do.
It was only when Tavi used an unfamiliar word that Navira finally turned her full attention back to her clanmate with a curious tilt of the head. The cold-box? What on Earth was she talking about? For a moment she thought that the red and white hound had simply started talking nonsense like their beloved Skri'ramiri, but no, she was referring to something in the kitchen, some sort of...something that would fill up the clan's bellies.
"The what?" She asked, following Tavi's nod with her eyes. And then, "Show me."
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