welcome, ghosts [ open ]

[ℓ ι α ♥]

Counting Bodies Like Sheep
don't fret precious i'm here, step away from the window

the air was musty, the mildewed air moist from a thick layer of fog intertwining through the water reeds. it was difficult to smell anything other than such stale ground and lake muck. his milky white claws gripped the squishy mud as he moved along the side of a lake, the fog making droplets on his fur. his search for a pack had so far been futile, as there didn't seem to be any around. how was this possible? many wolves, but no packs. maybe they were all loyal followers to the king, like thessaly had been. it wouldn't surprise him. the thought of creating his own pack had flickered through his mind multiple times, and as each land area proved to be packless, the idea came more often. what stopped him? the fact he wasn't sure if there would be any wolves willing to join. he was having trouble finding any other loners here, they all seemed to have their place to be, their own home. perhaps, if he continued to be unlucky in finding himself a home, then he would seriously consider claiming a land for himself and his own future pack. that would definitely be an interesting decision with interesting results.

water birds and frogs were loud in the waters, as they cawed and croaked noisily. the lake water lapped up at his paws, almost seeming to try pulling him in their depths. the lake had a creepy feel to it, one donovan felt uncomfortable being around. he didn't feel safe being here, especially with the fog as thick as it was. visibility was an issue. but the bigger issue, was that his muscles ached, and his vision was blurring as his eyelids drooped, thick eyelashes blocking his sight. with a sigh, he strode up the bank, plopping down on a nest of ferns. he laid on the ground, head resting on his paws as the elongated fur on his forehead fell limply over his eye. if someone were to come by, he could only hope the fog would mask him. donovan would resist falling asleep if he could, and would instead just rest his eyes. it seemed to even cover the shadows as they tussled beneath the sparse trees, raising the fur along his back tensely as he gave up, drifting off into a light sleep, his dreams troubled.

donovan sat at his dens entrance, overlooking the gathering of happy wolves. a tiny little pup was flailing around the clearing, hopping around its birthmother.
"mommy, mommy! look at me, mommy!"
the mother looked at him, donovan seeing her eyes shining softly. a proud smile was on her face, one that had become increasing common in all of the wolves.
"i see you, baby."
donovan smiled, seeing just how happy life was right now. there was no war, no disasters, and then he heard that cough and the world just seemed to stop. the pup tilted his head forward and coughed again and again. the mother rushed to his side, nuzzling him gently, whispering words of care. donovan stood uneasily.
"it's okay, baby. everything's going to be just fine."
from where donnie was, he could see the pup look up at her and smile a little bit. that was when he saw the blood on the puppys muzzle. the blood on the grass. the blood slowly running from the his mouth.

that blood.

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To The Rhythm Of The War Drums
see, they don't give a fuck about you, like i do.

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[silence]

Hell-burnt heart. The edges still smoke. Nerves incinerated to their very tips, tingling and still aflame. You know when you watch a fire and the flames leave paths of cinder that are orange and hot and look like they are alive? This was how the fur burned. Each hair, individual and special and all in pain, they burned. The heart of the fire was just a hole, the cinders long gone. It ached and ached and would not stop. And the fire raged and raged until she felt like a burning wolf, just a writhing mass of smoking flesh. She closed her eyes but felt like they had been zippered shut, like she wouldn't be able to open them and see the kaleidoscope world again. And She was upside-down, a reflection in the water, her true self padding along the shore. That other self was safe and happy and did not burn.

And then the cold was too much. Black felt like the flame had iced over. Her muscles were numb and the nerves begged to have a rest. Black just stopped running and lay down, her shoulders skidding painfully on the ice for a few feet before friction slowed her. She might have been afraid that her back against the snow would spark another fire, but that was past and now she just lay like a skin without a soul, her legs still and every cell begging for the pain to stop.

This would leave. It had to. It always did. The sex had been amazing, extravagant; the dog had made her feel like a queen. But he'd started holding back on her and so she'd been forced to leave. It was all his fault that she was waltzing through hell once again. He'd wanted more. The stupid bastard had wanted more than sex. Wasn't that what he was here for? That's why they'd made it together so well. Wasn't it? But the pain came again with just the thought of his eyes and Black curled in against herself as the pain swelled to an almost unbearable level. His eyes had been so tragic when she'd told him. I'm leaving now ...No, no you can't, I love you, I love you! He had. Black had no doubt. He'd loved her and loved her and never stopped to rest. He'd given her everything and even offered to let her stay. Me, a stranger...

But now here she was, lost in the forest and cold and alone and hurting so bad she didn't know she could live.

And then a thought came to Black, a thought that she'd never had before. What if I didn't have to leave? He'd loved her. He'd loved her and loved her. Why did she only live for the sex? Why was this what she did? She could have stayed and been so happy with him, forever. But now she'd ruined it. And for once she admitted that it was really her and not him who had fucked it up. He offered me everything and I just turned it all away! I'm such a jackass! Fuck this. Fuck life. I don't want to live anymore. And right then she didn't. She missed him so bad but she couldn't go back ever again. She hadn't even given him a glance over her shoulder as she'd left, a last caress to show him she'd enjoyed their time together. She'd waited until she was far away for that. She always did.

And now she howled. A howl is like a good cry for a person...whether it is truly sad or just overwhelmingly happy it releases the soul for a time. Black's call was slow and bittersweet, beginning on a low note and climbing until it could climb no more. Wild dogs throughout the land would hear this song, which made it somewhat dangerous, but Black was so cut up inside that it mattered not.

And then, when there was no breath left within to tell the world her pain, she ran. Her muscular hips sent her rocketing through the forest at forty miles per hour. The trees blew by her with little whoosh-es of wind and she put her head low to the ground as she pushed herself faster and faster. She began to slow as the first rocks came rocketing towards her, and the trees began to thin.

She skidded to a stop by a huge lake, one that was completely surrounded by cliffs and rocks and thick weeds sprouting in the cracks. The fog was just beginning to roll in off the surface, but before it engulfed her she caught sight of a lone wolf on a cliff just ahead. She leapt forward again and managed to come out ahead of the fog. Black hurried over to the crag where she'd again seen the strange canine. It was a dog, by the smell, and he was sleeping comfortably with his paws hanging over the ledge. Black almost ran from the sight of another male, but she remembered her thoughts previous.

And she settled in right next to him with a howl in her throat.

Word count: 849
Comments: She's going through some stuff. She'll probably be a bit unpredictable, but I'm hoping Donovan will stick with her ^^

[ℓ ι α ♥]

maybe he should have been thankful for the wake up, but not one like that. his eyes flashed open at the sound of a howl no more than a few distances away from him. still half asleep, he jerked up to a standing position and stared at the female with a dazed expression. "what the hell are you doing?" he mumbled out, legs slightly wobbling from not being fully awake. he was quick to snap himself to full consciousness, figuring out the situation more clearly. there was a black female moping in front of him, as if expecting him to give her some comfort or something. sure, she'd obviously been through something depressing, but why the fuck was she howling in the face of a sleeping stranger? if he didn't have a good control of his muzzle, he could've snapped of her nose. unless she was just asking for a death sentence. but he couldn't imagine what would have happened to make her come to that decision. though she was an older wolf, she had good looks to her, and many years left to live. surely that wasn't the case, and she was just a little mind frazzled about something. knowing females, it was probably something stupid.

donovan tried to hold back a yawn, but it escaped him and his jaws opened wide before snapping back together, making a click noise. he particularly disliked getting awoken, it made him a grumpy wolf he would admit, but he was glad he didn't have to watch that terrible dream anymore. what had that even been about? he could still smell the disease, lurking in the air. of course, it wasn't here, but the clear details of his dream were deceiving. what had that even been all about? donnie pushed his wonder away for later. right now, there was a mess of a fae in front of him, and something had to be done about it. he briefly considered what could be the issue here. his biggest bet was that she was heartbroken. these days, half of females were for some reason or another. dramatic species, they were. or it could be her family was gone, or so many other situations, he couldn't really think about what was her problem without it probably being wrong. he didn't know a thing about this wolf, other than she was obviously very upset. he was never good with tears.

[silence]

<sup>Black jumped away from the writhing body beside her, not quite asleep and awake enough to watch for danger. Movement was danger, could be danger, had been danger in the past. She sprung back nearly six feet, running in the opposite direction, before her brain roared to life and she halted. Twisted really, to make her fear look like it was meant to be. She came close to the male but not too close, her nose about six inches from his. Very much snapping distance. Black wanted him to trust her by the virtue that she trusted him, but she very much hoped that he would keep his fangs under his tongue. He gave her quite a scare when he yawned, his black lips curling over his teeth wickedly before his mouth was wide enough for Black to recognize his action. He appeared to be in a nasty mood and he clipped his teeth shut with an ominous snap after his jaws were stretched, proving this. Black stood her ground against this odd opponent, not quite sure of what to do, but instinct dragged her weight backwards until it was very obvious that she was dying to get away.

"I'm so sorry, I'm such an idiot. Sneaking up on you like that, it was stupid, I'm just so fucked up right now." Black babbled at the stranger, her tone quavering from the emotion overload. She fought to control her shivering muscles and said in a much bolder tone, "I would very much enjoy your company but I can leave if you'd like. Though I don't see why you'd want to spend a night alone in this goddamn fog." She snorted in disgust and smiled, outlining the stupidity of a solitary sleep and clearly displaying her appeal. She wasn't thinking sex, though that would be nice; just a warm companion to ease her pain would be enough.

And then the thought of her sorrow brought the shivers back, the uncertainty, the foul play in which Black so willingly gambled. She was looking directly into the stranger's eyes at that moment but the sudden turmoil within her breast caused her to hunch into herself, caused her to look away. Her paws stood strong on the outside but now Black really knew just how weak they were. A single thought could ruin them. A single thought could knock her off her feet.

Black's lips twisted into just the faintest hint of a snarl and her lips twitched in anger at what she had done. And remorse. She could be so close to her mate now (her old mate, she reminded herself), but instead she'd chosen the easy path. Or so she thought. And now she was alone in the world and standing fearfully before a dangerous-looking bastard whom she'd rudely awakened and who had every right to send her off with a snap of his sizable teeth.

"I'm so sorry for this." Black apologized, though it was much more than the standard, I'm-sorry-I-bumped-you response. It flowed with feeling, but she wasn't just admitting the inappropriate snuggling she'd done just a minute before. She was apologizing to Midas, too, for the love she'd taken from him so willingly and so carelessly. She hadn't even let him see her tears.

What did she really want from this wolf?

Word count: 548
Comments: Sorry for the late-ness!</sup>

[ℓ ι α ♥]

the overall scene was quite appalling. first of all, he had only just woken up and still hadn't completely come to his senses. and he had woken to a shaking and stuttering female who looked terrified and pissed and he didn't know what else. donovan simply stood there, staring at her in confusion. what was she doing? she started to run off away from him, but then came a rabbit length away from his nose. his expression was blank, unsure what game she was playing at. he thought of telling her to leave, which was tempting. but she looked pretty shaken up about something, and he was raised as a gentleman. so it was only natural for him to at least not say anything rude to her. "i'm so sorry, i'm such an idiot. sneaking up on you like that, it was stupid, i'm just so fucked up right now." she babbled off to him, looking like she'd rather be anywhere than in his presence. he figured that it wasn't impossible, after all he had yet to fully wake up, and a ticked off look could be expected. he listened to her apology, nodding impatiently at her, his way of accepting her apology. just be on with it.

he couldn't help but wonder what had riled her up so badly. donovan was tempted to ask her, but wasn't much of a nosy wolf and couldn't find it in him to give much care why she was upset. he didn't know the female anyways. "i would very much enjoy your company but i can leave if you'd like. though i don't see why you'd want to spend a night alone in this goddamn fog." hmm, perhaps she didn't want to leave after all. she had certainly looked like departure was the only thing on her mind. but from those words, he couldn't help but pick up on a note of lust with that. interesting. donovan was never one to turn down a long night with a pretty fae, but this one was an absolute mess. right now she had turned away from him, but he could see a glimmer of fang, a hint of a snarl. she was definitely difficult to read, she was just.. all over the place. he sighed. "you are fine, i assure you. relax and take it easy," he voice was patient and nonchalant, and he took a seat on the damp ground. flicking with his tail to the spot beside him, he motioned for her to sit down. "i'm so sorry for this." at least she did seem sincerely sorry for disturbing him. by now, he didn't mind. "shh, it's alright, just calm yourself please," he said with a more stern tone. donovan didn't want to have to watch her freak out again.

[silence]

<sup>The dog seemed nice enough as Black apologized again and again, her tongue lapping up her worry and spitting it right back out again. It was like cleaning up a bowl of milk she'd just spilled. The stranger stood squarely on his rock but unsureness caused him to wobble on his four sturdy legs. His eyes flickered as she went through her emotional paces, his ears twitching in sync with his brows as she spoke. Finally he seemed to get a grip on her and he sat, his shoulders relaxing as he slowly unraveled the knot of her thoughts. He couldn't possibly have found out what she'd been thinking just a moment before, but he seemed not to care and her invitation for a snuggly night under a curtain of fog helped to put him at ease.

"You are fine, I assure you. relax and take it easy," the dog said gently, his tail fluttering gently against the dusty stone. He invited her to his side and Black came closer and sat, though she didn't get too close. He was still a stranger, and though it wasn't her habit Black wouldn't want to make the wrong impression. She did find the space a bit uncomfortable, almost like an awkward silence between their ribs, and she shuffled about awkwardly for a few seconds while more apologies poured from between her teeth. She was honestly sorry but she definitely had trouble expressing herself. Finally, when she was just thinking about running off into the woods with her tail between her legs the dog growled, "shh, it's alright, just calm yourself please," in a firm voice and Black settled onto her haunches with her discomfort obvious in her half-mast ears.

She peeked at the stranger and smiled a bit. Usually Black was a good flirt, flaunting her genuine talent at her target with unmitigated intensity, her silver eyes flashing attractively against her ebony features. But this male's presence was much too strong to misuse that way. He demanded respect. Maybe it was due to his nasty demeanor upon awakening, or perhaps it was simply his gentlemanly tone. But Black could not bring herself to tempt him, and so instead she sat at an odd distance from his side, never touching as she was used to doing.

"I'm Black Magic; you can call me Magic if you'd like," Black said to break the silence growing between them in the still mist. The dog seemed perfectly content, but his calm demeanor did nothing to still her twitching nerves. She shuffled uncomfortably in her own pool of embarrassment as she waited for his response.

Word count: 435
Comments: Yay, you replied! *dances happily*</sup>