Post by RandomWiktor on May 9, 2008 19:37:47 GMT -5
The Story so Far:
Asher, a charming but somewhat disenfranchised German Shepherd, meets up with Shalwyr, a wary stray, outside of a dog park. Their playful antics quickly turned in the direction of escape, and the two inadvertently catalyze a dog park rebellion as they and a third dog, Harle, make a break for freedom across the river. But the park they intend on settling in already has inhabitants, who may or may not be pleased with their arrival... Origional Thread
Last two posts:
Asher and Harle
<Asher was pleased when Shalwyr appeared relatively gung-ho about the idea of crossing the river. She didn't outright bolt for the water's edge, but he could see the eagerness in her eyes. Harle, on the other hand, looked concerned when he finally gazed at the cold, rushing waters, his ears drooping a bit and a low whine escaping his maw. Asher sighed, his typical arrogant self, annoyed by the weaker dog immediately. His tiny flash of compassion was a fleeting one, and now he regretted even talking to the submissive, cringing animal.
He might have said something rude if he hadn't noticed his owner from the corner of his eye, staggaring towards him on a broken high-heel shoe, her designer clothing disheveled. The man with the poodle still flanked her, chatting away and trying to impress, but it was lost on her; she had one goal - punishing "her" unruly dog. And seeing that look on her face was all it took to spur Asher into action. He gave Harle a smarting snap on the flank and dashed for the water's edge, hoping Shalwyr would follow (and doubting she would hesitate, at that).
It occured to him shortly after his flying leap into the water that he'd never swam before in his entire life.
Momentarily, the dog's head dissapeared under the water. He came up sputtering and embarassed, but quickly found a rythm to the motions of his legs, and though the current battered his flanks, he managed to swim in a reasonably straight line towards the larger park at the opposite shore. The only human there was a homeless man sleeping amongst the rocks and flotsam on the shore, and Asher did not suspect he would be a problem>
<Harle, meanwhile, saw the closest thing to leadership he had in his human's abscence bolt and dive into the river, and felt he had no choice but to follow. He was a born follower himself, and could barely take a piss without the guidence to do so. Letting out a few barks in the vain hope of calling the shepherd back, the lab let out a huffing sigh and darted off after him. His approach to the water was not so frantic, however, and he gingerly pawed at the cold, rushing water before miserably and reluctantly wading out until his paws no longer touched. He then began paddling - a natural, being a lab - after the vanishing tri-color male.>
<What a stir this created in the dog park! The excitement of the chase, the brilliant idea of making a break for the water - all of it threw the dogs into a frenzy. Soon, the park errupted with a chorus of enthusiastic barks. Dogs broke free from leashes, fights broke out, and humans ran frantic and willy-nilly trying to capture their escaped companions. A few made it to the water's edge only to be grabbed by the collar and dragged back to shore. Others started out, found the current too much to handle, and were content to return to their owners. Others still cowered at their master's feet, thinking these rebel escapists mad and wanting nothing more but the security of their humans. All in all, most dogs were re-captured, though one mix-breed - some confused mix of hound, husky, and god-only-knows-what-else - did swim away before his owner could re-capture him. His fate, as the current swept him diagonally and a bit away from the safe park on the other side - would be unknown for a time...>
Shalwyr and Pack:
:Shalwyr trotted after Asher at a slightly less dramatic pace, not having an angry owner chasing after to urge her on. She watched with mild curiosity as the shepherd leapt into the water... and briefly disappears. Her ears flatten and her tail hangs low at her hocks in anxiety, but he soon resurfaces, and begins to make his way to the other shore. Taking this as a sign that her course was safe, the hybrid took her flying leap into the water, hitting with a splash and dunking under for a brief, dizzying moment, before thrashing her way to the surface. Her predominantly mastiff nature shows in the inelegant way she swims, and in the sharp upward angle of her crania, keeping her nostrils as far above the water as possible. Strong from years on the street, and healthy through her ability to search out food- and dispatch it, if necessary- she made good headway.
:The opposite shore beckons like a holy grail to questing knights, but Shalwyr pauses in her swimming to glance back at the commotion of the dog park- a flurry of motion and sound. Some dogs running into the water, some even being swept away, others cowering at their owner’s feet in all evidence of submission. At the very visual warning of the mutt being torn down the river, she powers forward once more, uninterested in the other dogs until she had firm terra under her paws once more. She scrabbled up the bank, cast around- too-manicured hedges spaced with wildly disheveled trash-littered batches of shrubs.
:Poor men slept coiled on guano-splattered benches, while rich couples strolled along and carefully avoided eye contact- any sort of contact- with the unkempt homeless. An occasional pigeon-lover strew bread before the cooing birds. Litter peeked from long-grassed patches where the gardeners had forgotten to mow, while trashcans squatted like tired sentries along gravel, stone, or pavement paths. The smell of water lay redolent in the air, indicating the near by lake and river. Shalwyr casts an eye back- very near river.
:Shalwyr shifted uneasily, rosebud ears perked to catch the unfamiliar sound of a songbird twittering in a nearby tree. Her muzzle bunched at the assault of force-flowered plants mingling too many sweet odors into the air. Too many growing things, mixed with the forest odors of rotting vegetation and moist soil, made her uneasy- used to putrid trash and sewer dirt, dirty humans and musky perfumes, cooking black top and shriveled plants, all of this life made her terribly uncomfortable. Smoothing her features, she shook vigorously, water droplets flinging into the air from her bristly fur, ears flopping and forelimbs flailing. She sneezed explosively to clear her nostrils of stray river water, possibly to clear away the park scent.
:Immediately upon her return to normal breathing, a hint of female dog-scent filtered into her nose, causing her to frown. Another deep breath, holding the air in to further analyze the odor: yes, she recognized the scent from markings that had held her back from entering the park previously. Tail held high in a banner of dominance, her traveling companions briefly forgotten as she searched out the information on this threat. She snuffled at the air, took a few loping steps forward- ah, here, yes. A scent mark, triple-done, three females, moderately healthy.
:She calmed, feeling better prepared for any aggressive encounters. Posture still dominant, but now more cheerful, she turned to affirm that both Harle and Asher had made it across to the park, and to ascertain that there were no problems for her to address.:
:Not so far away, Doncia stared in surprise and confusion with her single pale blue eye, watching as the dog park exploded with sudden action- various dogs leaping into the water, others looking terrified, barking filling the air as piercing as sirens. In short, the previous piece completely broken. The dog park being thrown into turmoil wasn’t particularly interesting or unusual, but the flock of dogs in the water (although many swiftly returned to the shore) was highly abnormal. After all, city dogs weren’t known to be adept swimmers, nor inclined towards the water element.
:What bothered her the most was the fact that a few canines, at least, seemed to have reached the opposite shore. Doncia was a friendly, amiable creature, but she was not innocent- she knew that many dogs were aggressive, pushy, dominant. Not at all to her taste, such beasts, and thus she bounded first over to Exaltacion, bark-yapping despite the fact that she knew the Catahoula couldn’t hear her, before gliding to Blasa and squeezing under the bulldog mix and yipping excitedly. Both deaf dogs’ eyes locked onto their companion’s maw, brows wrinkling in confusion when nothing understandable issued from therein.
“Be more clear.” This suggestion, from Blasa- although bilaterally deaf, with very poor communication skills, the nature of canine language allowed her to get such basic points across. Besides, she was intelligent and quick to learn, dogged and intense, all allowing her to speak more freely than many a less focused dog.
“Dogs are coming!” With nothing else, not a word on whether there was some strange attack, or if these new canines were friends, or any other droplet of information, the energized small dog was off in a rush, tail flailing in a friendly manner and mouth gaping in a good-natured grin that didn’t reach the rest of her face. At least both the bulldog mix and Catahoula were adept at reading lips and intent- forced so by their respective situations, street dog and purebred.
:Blasa followed Doncia with hackles risen and muscles quivering in anticipation of possible violence- not so much excited as readied for what she saw as an eventuality. After all, other dogs were invading their territory, and therefore must be intent upon taking something. Exaltacion, in contrast, was alert and readied, but her posture barely bordered on aggressive or dominant, and her eyes held none of the lackluster predatory hatred already brimming in Blasa’s, or the jaded readiness for aggression in Docia’s- indeed, she almost looked innocent. Unlike the smallest female, who simply moved quietly, or the bulldog, who wished for a speedy but silent approach and understood the dynamics of sound well enough to place her feet carefully, Exaltacion crashed through whatever brush they encountered with as much sound as was probably possible, avoiding trees and not much else. A side-effect of her severe deafness, or a conscious attempt to warn of their approach... perhaps a mix of both.:
Asher, a charming but somewhat disenfranchised German Shepherd, meets up with Shalwyr, a wary stray, outside of a dog park. Their playful antics quickly turned in the direction of escape, and the two inadvertently catalyze a dog park rebellion as they and a third dog, Harle, make a break for freedom across the river. But the park they intend on settling in already has inhabitants, who may or may not be pleased with their arrival... Origional Thread
Last two posts:
Asher and Harle
<Asher was pleased when Shalwyr appeared relatively gung-ho about the idea of crossing the river. She didn't outright bolt for the water's edge, but he could see the eagerness in her eyes. Harle, on the other hand, looked concerned when he finally gazed at the cold, rushing waters, his ears drooping a bit and a low whine escaping his maw. Asher sighed, his typical arrogant self, annoyed by the weaker dog immediately. His tiny flash of compassion was a fleeting one, and now he regretted even talking to the submissive, cringing animal.
He might have said something rude if he hadn't noticed his owner from the corner of his eye, staggaring towards him on a broken high-heel shoe, her designer clothing disheveled. The man with the poodle still flanked her, chatting away and trying to impress, but it was lost on her; she had one goal - punishing "her" unruly dog. And seeing that look on her face was all it took to spur Asher into action. He gave Harle a smarting snap on the flank and dashed for the water's edge, hoping Shalwyr would follow (and doubting she would hesitate, at that).
It occured to him shortly after his flying leap into the water that he'd never swam before in his entire life.
Momentarily, the dog's head dissapeared under the water. He came up sputtering and embarassed, but quickly found a rythm to the motions of his legs, and though the current battered his flanks, he managed to swim in a reasonably straight line towards the larger park at the opposite shore. The only human there was a homeless man sleeping amongst the rocks and flotsam on the shore, and Asher did not suspect he would be a problem>
<Harle, meanwhile, saw the closest thing to leadership he had in his human's abscence bolt and dive into the river, and felt he had no choice but to follow. He was a born follower himself, and could barely take a piss without the guidence to do so. Letting out a few barks in the vain hope of calling the shepherd back, the lab let out a huffing sigh and darted off after him. His approach to the water was not so frantic, however, and he gingerly pawed at the cold, rushing water before miserably and reluctantly wading out until his paws no longer touched. He then began paddling - a natural, being a lab - after the vanishing tri-color male.>
<What a stir this created in the dog park! The excitement of the chase, the brilliant idea of making a break for the water - all of it threw the dogs into a frenzy. Soon, the park errupted with a chorus of enthusiastic barks. Dogs broke free from leashes, fights broke out, and humans ran frantic and willy-nilly trying to capture their escaped companions. A few made it to the water's edge only to be grabbed by the collar and dragged back to shore. Others started out, found the current too much to handle, and were content to return to their owners. Others still cowered at their master's feet, thinking these rebel escapists mad and wanting nothing more but the security of their humans. All in all, most dogs were re-captured, though one mix-breed - some confused mix of hound, husky, and god-only-knows-what-else - did swim away before his owner could re-capture him. His fate, as the current swept him diagonally and a bit away from the safe park on the other side - would be unknown for a time...>
Shalwyr and Pack:
:Shalwyr trotted after Asher at a slightly less dramatic pace, not having an angry owner chasing after to urge her on. She watched with mild curiosity as the shepherd leapt into the water... and briefly disappears. Her ears flatten and her tail hangs low at her hocks in anxiety, but he soon resurfaces, and begins to make his way to the other shore. Taking this as a sign that her course was safe, the hybrid took her flying leap into the water, hitting with a splash and dunking under for a brief, dizzying moment, before thrashing her way to the surface. Her predominantly mastiff nature shows in the inelegant way she swims, and in the sharp upward angle of her crania, keeping her nostrils as far above the water as possible. Strong from years on the street, and healthy through her ability to search out food- and dispatch it, if necessary- she made good headway.
:The opposite shore beckons like a holy grail to questing knights, but Shalwyr pauses in her swimming to glance back at the commotion of the dog park- a flurry of motion and sound. Some dogs running into the water, some even being swept away, others cowering at their owner’s feet in all evidence of submission. At the very visual warning of the mutt being torn down the river, she powers forward once more, uninterested in the other dogs until she had firm terra under her paws once more. She scrabbled up the bank, cast around- too-manicured hedges spaced with wildly disheveled trash-littered batches of shrubs.
:Poor men slept coiled on guano-splattered benches, while rich couples strolled along and carefully avoided eye contact- any sort of contact- with the unkempt homeless. An occasional pigeon-lover strew bread before the cooing birds. Litter peeked from long-grassed patches where the gardeners had forgotten to mow, while trashcans squatted like tired sentries along gravel, stone, or pavement paths. The smell of water lay redolent in the air, indicating the near by lake and river. Shalwyr casts an eye back- very near river.
:Shalwyr shifted uneasily, rosebud ears perked to catch the unfamiliar sound of a songbird twittering in a nearby tree. Her muzzle bunched at the assault of force-flowered plants mingling too many sweet odors into the air. Too many growing things, mixed with the forest odors of rotting vegetation and moist soil, made her uneasy- used to putrid trash and sewer dirt, dirty humans and musky perfumes, cooking black top and shriveled plants, all of this life made her terribly uncomfortable. Smoothing her features, she shook vigorously, water droplets flinging into the air from her bristly fur, ears flopping and forelimbs flailing. She sneezed explosively to clear her nostrils of stray river water, possibly to clear away the park scent.
:Immediately upon her return to normal breathing, a hint of female dog-scent filtered into her nose, causing her to frown. Another deep breath, holding the air in to further analyze the odor: yes, she recognized the scent from markings that had held her back from entering the park previously. Tail held high in a banner of dominance, her traveling companions briefly forgotten as she searched out the information on this threat. She snuffled at the air, took a few loping steps forward- ah, here, yes. A scent mark, triple-done, three females, moderately healthy.
:She calmed, feeling better prepared for any aggressive encounters. Posture still dominant, but now more cheerful, she turned to affirm that both Harle and Asher had made it across to the park, and to ascertain that there were no problems for her to address.:
:Not so far away, Doncia stared in surprise and confusion with her single pale blue eye, watching as the dog park exploded with sudden action- various dogs leaping into the water, others looking terrified, barking filling the air as piercing as sirens. In short, the previous piece completely broken. The dog park being thrown into turmoil wasn’t particularly interesting or unusual, but the flock of dogs in the water (although many swiftly returned to the shore) was highly abnormal. After all, city dogs weren’t known to be adept swimmers, nor inclined towards the water element.
:What bothered her the most was the fact that a few canines, at least, seemed to have reached the opposite shore. Doncia was a friendly, amiable creature, but she was not innocent- she knew that many dogs were aggressive, pushy, dominant. Not at all to her taste, such beasts, and thus she bounded first over to Exaltacion, bark-yapping despite the fact that she knew the Catahoula couldn’t hear her, before gliding to Blasa and squeezing under the bulldog mix and yipping excitedly. Both deaf dogs’ eyes locked onto their companion’s maw, brows wrinkling in confusion when nothing understandable issued from therein.
“Be more clear.” This suggestion, from Blasa- although bilaterally deaf, with very poor communication skills, the nature of canine language allowed her to get such basic points across. Besides, she was intelligent and quick to learn, dogged and intense, all allowing her to speak more freely than many a less focused dog.
“Dogs are coming!” With nothing else, not a word on whether there was some strange attack, or if these new canines were friends, or any other droplet of information, the energized small dog was off in a rush, tail flailing in a friendly manner and mouth gaping in a good-natured grin that didn’t reach the rest of her face. At least both the bulldog mix and Catahoula were adept at reading lips and intent- forced so by their respective situations, street dog and purebred.
:Blasa followed Doncia with hackles risen and muscles quivering in anticipation of possible violence- not so much excited as readied for what she saw as an eventuality. After all, other dogs were invading their territory, and therefore must be intent upon taking something. Exaltacion, in contrast, was alert and readied, but her posture barely bordered on aggressive or dominant, and her eyes held none of the lackluster predatory hatred already brimming in Blasa’s, or the jaded readiness for aggression in Docia’s- indeed, she almost looked innocent. Unlike the smallest female, who simply moved quietly, or the bulldog, who wished for a speedy but silent approach and understood the dynamics of sound well enough to place her feet carefully, Exaltacion crashed through whatever brush they encountered with as much sound as was probably possible, avoiding trees and not much else. A side-effect of her severe deafness, or a conscious attempt to warn of their approach... perhaps a mix of both.: