Don't Be Mad. Life's Not As Bad As It Seems

[Strider]

Everybody's got the right to be happy. Dont' be mad. Life's not as bad as it seems.

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Old eyes opened, scanning the landscape. Tired old bones seemed to creek in the wind as paws padded on their own, carrying an old carcass along. Molted fur clung to a skinny, frail looking body of an old large wolfhound. His' eyes closed themselves as he lay himself down in a cardboard box. 'I haven't been this tiered since forever,' he thought, knowing it wasn't true, but not wanting to look back who knew how long ago to find a time when he was just as tiered as he was now.

If you keep your goal in sight, you can climb to any hights. Everybody's got the right to their dreams.

"Hey, get away from there!" screamed a voice, renching the old wolfhound away from his thoughts. A man, rollingpin in hand, stood above him. With a growl, Bain scurried away. When the sound of footsteps followed him, Bain began to run away, fear filling him. He didn't want any broken bones. Not today. Not ever.

Anybody can prevail. Everybody's free to fail. No one can be put in jail for their dreams.

Bain slowly made his way away from the man and his... what was it human's called it again? House...? No. Nobody lived there... Box...? No. Boxes were small. Villa...? Wasn't a villa another name for a house? Bain shruged. He didn't care anymore. A voice echoed within his head. 'By the time you figure out what was wrong with that, it won't matter anymore!' Bain chuckled at the memory of watching his old people watch the... what was it... their... computer? Anyways... what was he thinking of again?

Everybody's got the right to some sunshine. Not the sun, but maybe one of it's beams.

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Sighing, Bain continued on. Other dogs eyed him, and he just glared at them. Most turned away, but a few just growled at him. To those who did, Bain would lift his lip and show them his long sharp teeth. The smart ones would just turn away, but one or two chose to pick a fight. Bain took care of them. Not easily, but most were just bronze, no brains.

Rich man poor man, black or white. Everybody gets a bite. Everybody just hold tight to your dreams.

Bain limped away. A dog had bit into his leg, and it was bleeding. Bain was in sorry shape, but it wasn't like he could do anything. As Bain continued on, his limp became worst. Groaning, he layed himself onto some crushed boxes. Eyeing everything around him, he layed his head on his pawed, ignoring the pain shooting through his leg. 'Ignor it... ignor it... ignor it.. ignor-' His thoughts were interupted as he heard pawsteps. Lifting his head, he growled, lifting his lip higher and higher. "Speak, and I will not attack. Who are you, and why do you come near?"

Everybody's got the right... to their dreams.

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[Valentina]

"Anyone could smell that blood a mile away, old timer." the wolf said, slinking down the shadowy alley, faint aquatic sounds echoing around them from gutters leaking rain. Traffic roared by but it was muffled, and somewhere behind them a couple lanky strays milled around and cast glares and inaudible threats toward the Wolf and the WolfHound as they stood over their unconscious friends.

Laion stopped a few feet away from Bain and looked over his shoulder at the mangy dogs. They scowled and jeered silently and he returned this with a deep growl and a piercing ice-blue gaze, and they all scampered out of the alley attempting to maintain a dignity that they did not posess. The wolf laughed quietly and flicked his inky ears then flopped his hindquarters down and looked back to the dog before him. Laion was terrible at hiding his emotion and despite his black-lipped half-smile his eyes showed a dead-sadness. He had not enjoyed the task he had just completed and wasn't one to pretend he had.

He hung his head low and twitched his black nose at Bain's bloodied arm, then straightened again, scratching his ear with his hind foot doggishly and scraping at the neglected pavement with black talons in a manner that could be mistaken for nervousness. "You fight real well," he said as if the dog didn't know already, but he was weary and didn't much care about first impressions. He cocked his head and flicked his blue eyes about the alley. "But 'cher hurt. Come back with me." he offered. He stood up and stretched his injured muscles, then turned his back to Bain and began slowly out the alley and back into the sun, as if the art of conversation did not exist and as though it had not been a suggestion but a command.

[Strider]

Everybody's got the right to be happy. Dont' be mad. Life's not as bad as it seems.

[/i]

Bain's old eyes fixed on the wolf. He felt himself shift uneasily. He had heard storys of a wolf killing dogs, but he doubted this was the wolf. He didn't seem like the blood thirst kind of wolf that Bain had always heard of in the stories.

If you keep your goal in sight, you can climb to any hights. Everybody's got the right to their dreams.

His ears pricked and listened to what the wolf said. "And I could smell you from a mile away, youngster," growled Bain, not in the mood to play the role of the nice old hound, hurt for doing nothing. He had once played that role and gotten beaten for it. He wouldn't make that mistake again.

Anybody can prevail. Everybody's free to fail. No one can be put in jail for their dreams.

He ignored the dogs, but felt a shiver ripple down his spine as the wolf growled. He had to admit, that was one frightening growl, but he didn't show his surprise. The dogs behind him seemed to be unable to show their fear, which made them weak. Bain rolled his eyes and snorted as they darted for cover, trying to look dignafied(sp?) and important while doing so. How a dog was going to look important while running for the hills with his tail tucked between his legs was more than Bain could guess. It just figured that they couldn't, and that was the end of the story. No questions asked. 'Maybe if the dog didn't have a tail, he could look a little better,' Bain thought, chuckling inside.

Everybody's got the right to some sunshine. Not the sun, but maybe one of it's beams.

[/i]

Bain listened to the wolf again, and eyed him. Well, there was a surprise. He fought real well. He was surprised anybody even cared. Even inside his head, the thoughts sounded sarcastic and sardonic. "Thanks," he muttered, laying his head on his paws and streaching out his hind leg which reeked of blood.

Rich man poor man, black or white. Everybody gets a bite. Everybody just hold tight to your dreams.

The wolf's last tone came to Bain who lifted his head. "Hold on there," Bain growled, his irish accent which he had tried so hard to mask comeing out. Finally, he ignored his subconsous tries to make is voice sound normal. Bain never liked the stares many dogs gave him who had never heard irish accents. "If I'm going anywhere, lad, I want to know where I'm going! If you don't tell me, then you'll have to go without me, or bring whatever it is you're trying to give me here!" Bain was to stubborn for his own good.

Everybody's got the right... to their dreams.

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[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

[glow=white,5,300]Kyoko[/glow]

A dark figure slipped through the alleyways, dancing into the light and then keeping to the shadows. The lean canine form was silhouetted against such light, where the dust motes drifted around in the sun. Suddenly, the growling of fighting dogs rang out ahead, and she quicked her trot, black head cocked.

Kyoko stopped to see a large -- but old -- wolfhound lying, his limb obviously injured. Her ivory body turned when some of the strays snapped at her, but she drew back her lips to snarl as the other did. She was surprised when a long, deep growl echoed through the walls, and the mangy mutts ran away. She closed her mouth, wondering where it had come from.

She whirled around to see a wolf walking toward the injured hound. She couldn't hear all of their words, but she grasped that the lupine was trying to take the other . . . somewhere. The Canaan dog femme finally walked into the view of the males, dipping her head. There weren't very many expressions on her face, except for half-guarded awe and curiousity. A half-smile formed on her lips, a trademark for Kyoko. All of her feelings were shown as an inperfect reflection, but she wasn't emotionless.

"Hello," she stated simply, her fur bristling as she looked into the wolf's icy blue gaze. She tore her eyes away, and continued to study him out of the corner of her deep brown eyes, knowing that it may anger him if she looked at him directly. "What place were you suggesting?" she inquired, trying not to look nosy. The young she-dog sat down, watching rivulets of ran pour into the gutters with a small cascade. A bit odd, she thought, that a wolf and a wolfhound are having a conversation.

[Valentina]

The old dog's words reached his ears and the wolf stopped, hanging his head. He sighed loudly and swung back around, mouth open and prepared to speak.

He was met by two curious gazes this time however, one of which being a black and white femme with dark chocolate eyes. "Uh, hullo," he said cautiously. He hadn't heard her approaching which surprised him greatly, and when their gazes met he was thrown completely off-guard. Then she diverted her eyes, and he gave the Canaan dog a hurt look, although really he was confused.

Bain had declared he wasn't going without an explanation, and when the femme seated herself Laion realized with frustration that it didn't look like they'd be making any progress. He walked back to the small group, looked to the Wolfhound angrily, and muttered, "Geez I try to help ya and you make it difficult! Ungrateful ol' coot.." Laion's sky blue gaze flicked back to the femme, but then it continued to dance about the damp alley.

"I'm with a gang-like thing an' they're real nice. We got a little fox who'cn fix up that leg in a heart beat." he said proudly, although his entire demeanor was weary. Isn't this the scout's job? he thought angrily. Wait..am I a scout? He shook his head, flicked his ears and pawed at the ground, gaze flitting between the two. He hadn't even thought to ask their names or give them his. He motioned to the entrance of the alley by cocking his head over his shoulder. "So you guy's comin' or not?" He shifted his weight and turned halfway around in one long, smooth step, but didn't continue any further than that. This time he would wait to see if they actually followed.

[~ T r i s s c a r ~]

Kyoko

The femme watched the lupine uneasily, but did offer him an apologetic look. She listened intently as he spoke of a healing fox, and she cocked her head to one side in amazement. An odd feeling crept over her, and she felt that she was unwanted, and definately unneeded.

"Sounds nice," she barked softly, a bit unsure. She trotted after the wolf, hesitating when she neared him, and stood by his left flank. She didn't have anything against wolves, but she was surprised that she would meet one in the big city. "I think I'll come." Kyoko sensed that the black-and-chestnut lupine was a bit irritated and uneasy, but she didn't do anything to comfort him. She just projected a look of patience and looked over her shoulder to stare at the older dog.

[Strider]

Everybody's got the right to be happy. Don't' be mad. Life's not as bad as it seems.

[/i]

The old wolfhound jumped as a fea spoke. Swinging his head around to look at her, he listened to what she had to say. "Hello. What place were you suggesting?" Bain nodded his head approvingly. "Just the same that I'd like to know!"

If you keep your goal in sight, you can climb to any heights. Everybody's got the right to their dreams.

"Geez I try to help ya and you make it difficult! Ungrateful ol' coot..." Bain growled, a deep growl when he heard this. "Listen. I've stayed alive because of that instinct. If you want to fight, then I can fight you without anybody patchin' up my leg. If not, then don't try and get yourself into a fight by mouthin' off! I'm sure that SOME dogs wherever you come from must've taught you that! It'll get you into real good trouble!" Bain WOULD'VE continued, but he had to take a breath and the wolf spoke in that moment.

Anybody can prevail. Everybody's free to fail. No one can be put in jail for their dreams.

"I'm with a gang-like thing an' they're real nice. We got a little fox who'cn fix up that leg in a heart beat." Bain's ears pricked up at this. He had heard rumors of a gang living in these parts, but hadn't paid any mind. Most gangs he found were called packs, and they didn't live in cites, but in the countries. When he had been young, he had joined up with a man who had gone to Romainia... or something sounding like that... or was it Rwomie... or Transvain? Who knew, but he had met a pack there. They had claimed to be the descendants of the dogs who's owners had been Roimiesans... or something like that, and they're masters had been killed in battles. They were an odd bunch... still...

Everybody's got the right to some sunshine. Not the sun, but maybe one of it's beams.

[/i]

The wolf's voice brought Bain out of his thoughts. "So you guy's comin' or not?" He waited for a moment, but heard the fea's voice. "Sounds nice. I think I'll come." Blinking, he thought for a moment, then decided.

Rich man poor man, black or white. Everybody gets a bite. Everybody just hold tight to your dreams.

"If she's going, then so will I!" he said as if agreeing to run to the ends of the earth to rescue somebody. Standing up on his three legs, making sure he didn't put any wait on the last one, he limped round. "So... where too now. Oh, and you said that your fox could fix me up in a heart beat. I'll hold you to that claim." His strong Irish accent echoed slightly, since he had abandoned trying to fit in so nobody would notice him. His leg made sure that he'd stand out a bit.

Everybody's got the right... to their dreams.

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