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3:42pm Jan 17 2012
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"Wait here," Nai whispered. Quint watched her go, somewhat reluctantly. He'd found his sister, and now she was leaving him. Nai sped off, leaving Cin to hold herself up. Quint realized that the she-wolf was probably in pain, but would likely take his ears off if he tried to help her. So instead, he contented himself with plopping his hindquarters down on the hard ground.
Nai wasn't long, she returned with a average sized, black male, flanked by another, smaller wolf. This one was strange in coloration, he was white with black spots. He looked like a yearling, while the black wolf seemed to be around Nai and Quint's age. The black wolf started issuing commands when he saw Cin's twisted leg. "Rabbitspot, go fetch your sister, tell her to prepare for a patient. Nai...." the black wolf trailed off, glancing at her. The way she returned his gaze made Quint wonder if the two knew each other quite well, he felt a slight twinge of jealousy. But his emotions were overlapped by a more pressing thought, which would have been hard for him to put into words. He wanted to get to know this pack, and he felt like the black wolf could either be his best friend, or his worst enemy.
"Tolik, he's the beta male. The female was killed in a battle with another pack," Nai whispered in Quint's ear.
"Do you know him well?" Quint responded, almost surprised to hear only curiosity in his voice.
Nai shuffled her paws, "well...."
But she was spared from having to answer as the wolf called Rabbitspot bounded over to them, jumping like a rabbit himself. He glanced at Cin. "Swanfeather is ready for you," he anounced proudly. "She wants me to bring you to her."
"Hold on." Tolik flicked his tail to conjure up another wolf, who proceeded to help Rabbitspot support Cin.
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5:17pm Jan 25 2012
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Cin glanced at the strangely colored, younger wolf, wheezing a bit when she smiled. She glanced shyly up at the large, black wolf, then reluctantly allowed the one called "Rabbitspot" to help her over towards the dens. The black wolf looked like one of the higher-ranking wolves, possibly the Beta. She felt she didn't want to get on this one's nerves. Besides, she recognized the way that the she-wolf and him had looked at one another. She kept her mouth shut, but she knew.
She did her best to hide her limp, icy eyes flickering around the encampment. She blinked, keeping her head high even though she was weak. Perhaps it was foolish, but she wasn't going to let herself look as helpless as she felt. Even though she was amongst strangers, she held her tail proudly. She wasn't a coward, not in the slightest.
The yearling lead her towards the mouth of a small den, helping her inside. She looked in hesitantly, glancing back at the russet-furred wolf for a heartbeat, then she followed him down into the recess. Once inside, she let her vision adjust to the darkness, peering around. A second later, Rabbitspot barked quietly into the cavern.
After a moment, a set of hazelnut eyes blinked open, a ginger-furred she-wolf looking up. Her eyes seemed to widen at the sight of Cin, and she rose to come look her over.
"Ohh, what happened, dear?" she asked, looking her over. Cin looked away for a moment, embarrassed.
"I... I broke my leg, Miss." Cin replied quietly. She heard the she-wolf tisk to herself.
"Come, lie down over here..." she crooned softly, nudging me forward. I stepped forward, the yearling helping to ease me onto my side. "You can go, Rabbitspot, I've got her from here." the she-wolf said.
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6:03pm Jan 25 2012
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Posts: 733
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Quint gazed uneasily after Cin, returning her brief glance. All of this, the wolves around him, everything, seemed to have happened so suddenly. Quint wasn't yet sure what to make of it all, so he pressed himself closer to his sister for comfort. She snuffled quietly to assure him that she understood his meaning. Quint wasn't a small wolf, but the beta male made him feel small. He was looking at Cin curiously, his eyes darting to Quint every so often. The wolf seemed friednly enough, but in his eyes, Quint could just make out the shadow of sadness that haunted him. There were a lot of wolves out there that had lost loved ones, andhe assumed that Tolik was not a stranger to the feeling of lose.
"Why don't we head out... we could hunt," Nai suggested to break the heavy silence. Quint looked away from her, considering, but then he remembered his manors, and looked to the Beta. Tolik glanced at him, and Quint was almost sure he had seen a bit of admiration flash across his face. "Let this wolf decide, he is the guest," Tolik spoke warmly, but with a note of uncertainty hidden in his voice. "I... can we stay near the denning area?" Quint asked. "I don't want to leave Cin alone here. Even though I trust you guys," he finished, somewhat embarrassed. Tolik and Nai studied him for a moment. "Very well," Tolik dipped his head. "Why don't we sit and talk instead?"
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3:27pm Jan 26 2012 (last edited on 3:30pm Jan 26 2012)
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Cin winced as the she-wolf worked on her leg, occasionally required to shift the splintered bone. She clamped her jaw shut, holding back a yelp of pain. The she-wolf was being as gentle as she could be, but it was still hard on Cin.
It must have been hours later that the ginger she-wolf helped Cin to stand, guiding her up to the entrance. Cin was still dizzy and numb from the hours of taxing wait, but she made herself stand straight and proud. She nodded a sincere thanks to the she-wolf, setting out on her own.
Unsupported, she hobbled back out into the light, looking around for the russet-furred wolf and the gold-eyed she-wolf. It took a while for her eyes to adjust, then she set out in their direction.
(( Sorry for the short post. ))
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4:27pm Jan 26 2012
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Posts: 733
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((I''l post sometime soon, but there's so much going on with all the iviks running around, that I've lost all creativity in my mind. Well, that's probably because I'm in shock from hatching a cream, but sorry if I take a little longer to post than usual.))
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4:31pm Jan 26 2012
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(( Lol, I know how that goes. Congrats on the cream! :D ))
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1:39pm Jan 28 2012
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Posts: 733
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Quint's eyes lit up when he saw Cin. He stood and waved his tail in greeting, trying to keep his paws on the ground. He, his sister and Tolik had been sitting odd in a corner, discussing stuff, battle strategies and hunting formations. Tolik seemed very interested about how Quint had survived on his own for so long. As a Beta, he was always thinking about what might help the pack.
"You feeling any better?" he called happily as she limped closer. It felt good to see her, despite the fact that just a day ago they had been locked in battle. It had only been a little scuffle, but wolves rarely put things like that behind them, no matter how little it seemed.
Several wolves in the camp watched Cin curiously, but once they noticed Tolik watching, they went back to their duties. Wow, they must really respect him, Quint noted to himself.
((Not the longest post ;-;)) |
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2:21pm Jan 28 2012
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Posts: 1,652
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Cin smiled. She actually smiled, seeing the russet-furred wolf peering at her. She felt the other's eyes on her for a moment, but it didn't matter. She felt lost, just staring at him. His words almost warmed her as she walked closer, eyes burning.
"Much better, actually. I'm not quite sure what she did, but the pain is almost gone." she said. She knew she was lying about the last part, but she wasn't about to show it. She was on her feet. She was walking on her own. That was more than she had expected.
The relief that washed over her was indescribable when she had found she could walk. She wanted to run, to jump and to dance in joy, but she had herself settle down before she got hurt the more. Her coat glistened in the sun, golden-tipped fur dancing in the breeze. She inhaled the a breath deeply, the cool, crisp air stinging her lungs. She had a glow in her eyes that she hadn't shown in years. She felt free, able to do as she wished, when she wished. The young she-wolf felt she had been reborn.
She slowed to a stop, lowering her head and looking up into each of the trio's eyes.
"I truly can't thank any of you enough." she murmured softly, voice overflowing with gratitude. She looked up at the Beta. "But...I hope you wouldn't mind if I stayed here for a while? The-" she paused, hesitating. "t-...the others are still searching for me, I can feel it." she looked down at her paws. "If I go out there, I won't be able to hide from them. They will try to take me back." she felt herself laugh meekly. "If that happened, I'll be no more free than I was when I was stuck back there." she whispered.
Shaking her head, she lifted her gaze once more.
"I can work. I mean, I might not be able to hunt for a while, but I can scout, at least. I still have a strong voice." she offered. She didn't want to be a burden to... well, her saviors. She wanted to help. She would either earn her ability to be here, or she would leave. To her, it was that simple/
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3:41pm Jan 31 2012
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Quint hesitated as Cin turned and spoke to the others. Then he overcame his unease and stepped forward to lick her shoulder gently, in a friendly way, not casual, but friendly. Looking at Tolik and his sister, Quint felt sade, realizing that his sister would have been happy, even if he had never made it back to the pack. He could sense Cin's guilt at being injured, but he felt a twinge of annoyance. She would do fine once she healed completely, besides, she could already walk.
It was strange to Quint to feel protective of another wolf that wasn't a family member, but he felt that way about Cin. She seemed to radiate a joy, even if she was a little down. He was fascinated by that aura, it was beautiful in a way he couldn't describe, and he respected her for it. But Cin didn't seem to realize heself, Quint figured, a little worried. She always seemed down when she talked about her pack. Quint listened to every word, hanging on each one, interpreting it. He wanted to help Cin with her troubles, even if he put himself in danger because of it.
Quint looked at Tolik. "Please, she means it, let her stay and help," he pleaded, talking softly. Tolik studied him, and Nai pressed closer to the Beta, and whispered something in his ear. He looked at her and shook his head. Nai's face was hard to read, but Quint thought her ex[injection]pression was stormy. What had Tolik said to her. The black wolf's ears had drooped some, and Nai was beginning to look sympathetic, but Tolik wasn't watching her anymore.
"This is not my decision to make. I must talk with the Alpha pair on this matter. For now you may stay as a guest. But I musst warn you, be prepared to flee. We know of your pack, they helped us, but recently they drifted away. We came to talk to them, and the Beta female was killed in the fight that followed," Tolik looked away. Quint wondered if the two had been a couple. He doubted it though. Still, it wasn't uncommon for the Beta pair to be involved with each other. He shrugged, and looked at Cin.
"Well, how about we find you something to do?"
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4:12pm Jan 31 2012
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Cin nodded to the russet-furred wolf, glancing shyly at the Beta before turning to follow him. She was surprised when he had licked her, and if she could have she would have blushed. But now that she was settled down again, she was following him contently as they wound through the bowl of the valley. The walk was slow, although she did her best to keep up. They talked with some of the pack-wolves, most of whom greeted the wolf like an old friend.
Cin's gaze flickered from the ground to the wolf as she thought quietly. Then, blurting it out as if from nowhere, she spoke.
"You never told me your name." she said softly, inquisitively. The pair paused in the middle of an open meadow, almost like the one they had first met in. She didn't see anyone else around, and realized before long that they had wandered to the outskirts of the camp. She bl[injection]inked in embarrassment, turning around as if to return to the others. But she waited for him. She felt the breeze rustle her fur, warm and gentle. The sun filtered down through the boughs, dancing around the two like little embers. She couldn't help but be captivated by the scene.
"You know, I grew up in a place like this one." she murmured, looking around as if in a daze, "Sometimes, at night, there would be fireflies out in the meadow. I wasn't supposed to, but I would sneak out when the others were asleep, just to watch them." she said, remembering as she looked back at the other wolf. It had always been hard to escape the attention of the adults, they had very strict rules about the freedom of the young ones. Nobody was allowed outside the den for months on end, even in the spring and summer. She had lived under a shield of oppression, when all she wanted was to be free. She was always stealthier than normal, and was as silent as the shadows when she wanted to be. "One night, I took out my... friend... to see the fireflies and the stars." she sighed sadly, "And that was the only night we ever got caught. He just... wasn't as good at sneaking as one would think." she lowered her eyes. "They took the both of us..."
She stopped, her heart thudding slowly in her chest. For a moment, she wasn't going to go on.
"They made me watch as he was thrown into one of the gullies in the badlands. It was so far to fall..." she felt tears welling in her eyes as events replayed themselves in her mind, just as they had and would continue to her entire life. Her voice broke as she murmured the rest. "...There wasn't a chance. He... he hit his head on one of the rocks at the bottom..." she whimpered, "and he didn't get up."
That had been her punishment. To watch. To see. To remember.
After a minute more, she sniveled quietly, straightening her back. She put on an emotionless face, and turned back to look into his golden eyes. She tried to smile, hoping he wouldn't see the pain buried in her gaze.
"That's why I ran away. It was years later... but I couldn't take it anymore." she said. Her tail thumped against the ground. "Thank you, for asking them to let me stay." she whispered. Then, moving forward, she tenderly licked his cheek.
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4:33pm Jan 31 2012
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"I..." Quint stammered. His face was warm as the she-wolf licked him. As Cin stepped forward, he could almost see the memories replaying in her eyes. The chips of ice seemed to have frosted over, and Quint soon lost himself in them, reliving what wasn't part of his past.
He could feel the breeze as he stood on the edge of a cliff. He turned as he heard Cin cry out, and watched in horror as a young male wolf was hurled over the edge. Quint tried to cry out to stop her as she raced towards the edge herself, but all he managed was to jolt himself back into the present. Had he really seen all that in her eyes, or had he imagined it? He shrugged and shook himself slightly, deciding that he had imagined it.
"Um, my name is Quint," he murmured looking away. Cin had been through so much, and he could tell her memories were painful. Yet he felt jealous. The pain of her past made her who she was, but Quint couldn't remember anything. He couldn't remember any of the wolves here, much less any of their names.
Quint pressed himself closer to Cin, just barely brushing her fur. "I like fireflies. When I was little..." he trailed off, his memories cloudy. "I - " he broke off and his eyes widened. "I remember," he gasped. "When I was little, I used to chase them, I'd go and snap at the males when they lit up," he spoke warmly. Then he allowed his ears to droop.
"I understood why you ran away. No pack should be that cruel. What was your friend's name?" he asked quietly.
The breeze rustled their pelts as they stood there. Quint felt oddly drained, yet he had a sudden urge to fight, to get back at those who had harmed Cin and her friend, whoever he was. "You say there was no chance? Is it possible he was just unconscious? Some lone wolves do live in the badlands. Your friend..." Quint trailed off yet again. Was it possible the wolf he had seen in Cin's eyes, or thought he had seen was still alive? Quint hardly wanted to get Cin's hopes up, and he really didn't want to go back to the badlands. But still, was there a chance? Any at all?
"You know, maybe there's fireflies around here. We could watch them sometime if you'd like?"
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9:17pm Jan 31 2012
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Posts: 1,652
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Cin laughed.
"That would be wonderful." she beamed, although the look faded a moment later. "His name was Keth. And... Qince," she hinted at a smile again, but only for a heartbeat, "I'm afraid there's no chance, it was too far for anything to survive." she shook her muzzle, looking down at her paws. She didn't speak for a moment, silent with her thoughts. Seconds passed like minutes, then she looked up into the wolf's golden eyes. Quint's eyes. She had learned how to shake off the sadness long ago, just as she did now. Her tail thumped beside her as she watched him, wrinkling her nose as she peered at him.
"What about you, what's your story?" she asked innocently, plopping down in the grass. Wildflowers danced around her as her bright, blue eyes burned into his. She let out a content yawn, it was nice to just relax after so long standing on a sore leg. She stretched carefully, rolling playfully onto her back. She didn't know exactly why, but she trusted him. She hadn't ever felt quite as safe, or as open around anyone else. Part of her wondered if anyone would ever feel the same way about her.
She loved how kind he was, how sweet. Although she had attacked him for what she now saw as no reason at all, he had helped her out of a situation that could easily have ended her life. And then, again, he helped her convince the Beta to let her stay... at least temporally. And in all this time, in all her weakness, he had never had a harsh word from her. To some that may have been expected, but Cin came from a place far worse than most could imagine. He had... surprised her. And now, drawn by something... something she hadn't felt in a lifetime, she waited for him to answer.
((Sorry for the derp post, I ran out of ideas. :P))
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3:42pm Feb 1 2012
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Quint cocked his head, his ears flopping to one side. A small smile played on his lips. Cin's eyes gleamed at him mischievously, like ice darts frolicking in the snow. They were beautiful yet intimidating, Quint thought he could have stared into them forever. The breeze continued to swirl around them, bringing the scents of wild flowers and the sharp tang of distant snow from the mountain peaks. Quint was thinking about Cin's prompt, and he allowed his head to fall back at and an angle so his head was turned to the side, while he started at the sky. His tail tip twitched, threatening to set the whole thing wagging. Quint shifted again, and dropped his gaze to stare at Cin again.
"I can't say I remember everything, I was so little," he began. Quint twitched his nose as a small bug landed on it. He pawed it away, and sank into the tall grass, settling back on his haunches. "That tree, back in the forest? That stood over my birth den, but it collapsed the night I left. It was struck by lightning, obviously. I think my dad took Nai and I away, but somehow we lost her, I think Nai was walking while my dad carried me," Quint remembered, chewing his tongue as he thought. "Ow," he muttered as he stabbed his tongue with a canine. He found himself gazing at the sky again, adverting his eyes from the sun's blinding light. "After that I only remember bits and pieces, but I know my dad raised me. I remember my first kill. It was an ermine," Quint spoke warmly, remembering exactly how he had crept up and pounced on the weasel.
Quint's golden gaze drifted over the land, taking in the distant mountains, the river that gurgled in the distance, the tree-line to the west. Most im[injection]portantly, he observed the meadow on the ridge, above the denning place, where he and Cin lay. Some birds fluttered overhead, gusts from their wings buffeted Quint's face.
"Hey!" he barked at them, annoyed. But he was trying not to laugh, and the temptation doubled when a little feather landed on his paw. "I think my dad was killed by a bear when I was around nine moons old. After that I lived on my own," Quint finished, brushing the little gray feather off. He laid his head on his crossed paws and stared at it, his golden eyes wide, flashing in the sunlight. "Nothing special, and I don't remember a lot," Quint concluded, still staring at the fluffy thing on the ground. "How do birds fly with these?" he asked. The feather seemed too flexible and soft to allow the bird to stay aloft, nothing like the stiff flight feathers on their wingtips. He glanced at Cin. What did she really think of his story. For some reason he wanted her to admire him, to care because of who he was, and not out of sympathy. He caught his breath, and waited.
((It's fine. A lot of my posts haven't been that great, so I put more time into this one. I hope it turns out well.))
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4:30pm Feb 1 2012 (last edited on 4:33pm Feb 1 2012)
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Cin smiled, bl[injection]inking with amusement. The way he watched the feather made her want to burst out laughing, but she managed to muffle it to little more than a giggle. Her tail slowed it's thumping as she watched the downy piece of fluff as it waved back and forth, never for a moment staying still. She was a contrast, she realized, to him. Silver-blue and gold. Opposites.
She sighed softly, thinking of how different the two were. She shoved her past to the back of her mind, thinking of recent events, and even planning to the future. That was something she was good at.
"All I know about these are that they stick to your tongue." she shuddered, "Bad to eat."
She studied it, the sun warming her stomach as she watched the world up-side-down for a moment. She was young enough, she thought, that she still had the time, had the life... had the freedom to try something new. She had, admittedly, never acted so foolish in her entire lifetime as these past few days. And she felt alive.
Well, despite the near-death accidents, that is.
She chuckled at her own train of thought, rolling back onto her feet. She still kept her eyes on the feather for a while, enjoying the peace and quiet while it lasted. There was still frost and small clumps of snow where the shadows hid it from the sun, but for the rest of the world, everything was full of color, or so it seemed.
There were few clouds in the sky, only wispy white streaks that had made it over the mountains. They looked so high up, so far away...
As she let her mind wander, she thought of the meeting taking place tonight, under the light of the stars.
"Is that where you were going?" she asked, "The pack meeting?"
She sniffed the air, checking the surroundings out of mere curiosity. She could still hear the other wolves in the gorge below, and thought, in the mean time, of everything and nothing at all.
(It's beautiful, Guiven. I'm trying, but for the most part my writing isn't what it should be. For me, this is a sort of practice, I'm still learning. Hope you don't mind too much, and my less-than-average writing skills aren't murdering your brain. ))
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4:54pm Feb 1 2012 (last edited on 4:54pm Feb 1 2012)
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((Aw, thanks. I'm not going to pretend I'm the greatest writer, this is practice for me too, and I've picked up a few things. Some days I don't do all that great, but others, I do fine, like now. Your writing skills aren't murdering my brain, I doubt they could, even if they tried. Your posts are beautiful as well. I think roleplaying appealed to me more, because I enjoy keeping my fingers busy, doing things like typing, drawing, working with clay etc. I've actually gotten faster at typing 8D))
Quint followed Cin's beautiful blue gaze. "Yes," he murmured softly. "I was heading there." The wind had picked up some, now sending little bits of snow swirling into the air. Quint stifled a laugh, now resting his russet paw on the fluffy little feather. Up here, In the mountains, snow and flowers could almost live side by side. Two beautiful things. They were opposites in some ways though. That made Quint sad for some reason, yet happiness kindled inside of him. Two things that were so different could live side by side, even if they didn't always get along. They balanced each other out though, Quint guessed.
Quint wondered if the Alpha pair of this pack would go to the Wolf Council tonight. No, his pack's Alpha pair. He had to keep reminding himself that this way his family. "Cin..." he turned to look at her. He was fascinated by at how the sunlight seemed to glance off of the white spot on her back. "Can I tell you something?" Quint was a little nervous about confiding in her, but she seemed so laid back right now, and her joyful aura was drawing him in.
Quint thought about how he might phrase his answer if Cin decided that she wanted to hear his thoughts. His mind drifted onward, however. It was visiting the deep part of his mind, where his thoughts had not yet completely formed. What would happen to Cin if she couldn't stay in the pack? What would happen to them? Quint shook himself. He wasn't quite sure what 'them' his mind was referencing to yet. He shot a sideways glance at Cin. "You probably don't care about what I think, but..." he trailed off, watching her anxiously.
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5:20pm Feb 1 2012
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Posts: 1,652
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"I'm not going to bite you." she laughed, sitting up to listen to him. She watched as the breeze ruffled his fur, each hair looking almost gold when the light shone through it. Her ears stood erect as she listened, every part of her innocent being wondering what he had to say.
(( God, been sitting here thinking for an hour. D: I got nothing. Forgive the incredibly short post, I honestly don't know what's wrong with me. ))
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5:40pm Feb 1 2012
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((It's fine, I do that a lot. If you look at the time between some of my posts... well yeah, you can see I just sit there sometimes.))
"Of course you're not," Quint chuckled with Cin. It felt good to just sit and talk with a friend. He looked up at her. "I... I don't remember anything, or anyone from this pack. I want to get to know them, but I'm afraid too. There, go and laugh at my pathetic confession." Now that he said it, Quint felt stupid. How wasn't even sure why, but he did. Yet he felt much better. His brow furrowed as he looked at Cin, the corners of his mouth turned down in an anxious frown. Yet again he'd had that strange urge to impress her. Now he wanted to run and bury his head so nobody could see his face. Quint ducked his head and tensed, would he have to run after all? |
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1:21pm Feb 4 2012
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((Bump))
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11:59am Feb 5 2012
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(( Sorry, Guiven, I'm lacking inspiration atm. Give me a few hours (maybe a day) and I'll get right on this. c: ))
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3:25pm Feb 8 2012 (last edited on 3:33pm Feb 8 2012)
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(('Tis fine, I'm going to be very busy for the next couple weeks, so I won't be on to post much. I'll do my best though.))
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