Life Lacks Love

[Dalibor and Urruah]

The Story So Far...
Dalibor, a lonely and unhappy gray fox, finds himself in the company of the exuberant local Urruah. Odd couple, much?
Origional Thread

Last Two Posts:
___Despite his chipper demeanor, Urruah couldn't help but feel like his interest in the other gray fox was wholly undesired. It seemed that despite the practically non-existant fox population in Gallop Free, this male was disinterested in even a light chat with others of his kind. Fair enough. They weren't exactly a social species by nature. It was more the utter absence of other grays in the area that made him at all amiable, after all; it was a comfort to see any others of his kind. Perhaps not everyone shared this sentiment, as was beginning to be evinced by the newcomer, who seemed distracted and bored with the very concept of the conversation. Oh well.
___"Ah, 'aven't seen ya 'round is all. Not t'many foxes 'ere, as I'm sure ya've seen yerself." He winked with the comment, trying to remain upbeat about the fairly depressing situation. "A while now, eh? Don't tell me ya actually left someplace with foxes t'come here! Only wolves in there parts it seems."
___He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. The latter comment was really somewhat serious. Wolves were very thoroughly populated in Gallop Free, and it was a source of misfortune for anything that wasn't a wolf. Foxes and coyotes could sometimes scavenge kills, always a plus, but the low prey numbers meant that they were just as likely to be a kill. Urruah was pleased, all and all, to be a gray fox in times like these, the winter and the fire combined making him a target. At least he could climb a tree to safely, unlike those poor reds! He'd found a few tufts of fur and a toe the other day, all that was left of a red fox who apparently did not run fast enough or hide well enough to avoid being a meal.

[Dalibor]

~Well then, that explained why it was so easy to avoid contact with other foxes; there weren't any others. Perhaps Dalibor should have been relieved by this information, and indeed, he thought he would be. Instead, however, he found that it only dragged his mood down. He couldn't understand why; what did other foxes do for him? All they did was abandon him, lie to him, cheat on him, and ultimately make his life miserable.

And yet he found himself somewhat disappointed that there were none around. Then Urruah's comment made it all the worse, because he had left a place with plenty of foxes, and it had been entirely purposeful. After all, they did nothing for him. He preferred the lack of foxes in this area. At least he knew a wolf wouldn't act nice to him then betray him later like foxes had a habit of doing to him the past...

"Well... I did, actually."

He couldn't understand the disappointment in his own voice. This was just strange. He was no social animal, he was hardly enjoying the conversation at hand, and yet regardless he almost regretted leaving his previous home. He immediately decided it must be the predator situation. No one wanted to eat him for dinner in his previous land, unlike here, where he always had to keep on his toes. Yes, of course that was why he didn't like this place. It didn't have anything to do with the lack of foxes.

He wasn't kidding himself very well, and the male's sudden discomfort and painful loneliness was obvious as he shifted, ears flicking back and a soft frown coming to his face.~

((Wow, bad, random post. Apologies))

[Urruah]

((Could you give me a little refresher on Dalibor's history and sexuality, please?))

___Urruah, speaking of wolves, was momentarily distracted as a he heard several howls in the distance. They sounded like they were a ways off, southwards and more towards the grasslands, but the sound still bothered him. Perhaps if he better understood what each howl articulated, he'd be less concerned by this particular chorus - which was merely an alpha calling whomever might be in the vicinity and two of his packmates responding. The linguistics of wolf calls were lost on him as much as the shrieks of foxers were apt to be on them; he merely found them a chilling harbinger of potential doom. He'd already seen a red fox fall to the jaws of a wolf this season and it was not an experience he hoped to relive himself.
___And ah - this poor fox! He had been cracking a bit of a joke about leaving what in his mind amounted to greener pastures in pursuit of Gallop Free, but the males confused, somewhat sorrowful words suggested he'd hit the nail squarely on the head. Now that was a real pity, trading in a good chance of mating for a good chance of being eaten. He almost wanted to laugh, but something about the male's drab and remorseful demeanor curbed his mirth and made him think for a moment. The other fox seemed a bit too woeful to have left simply due to inadequate prey populations. Perhaps...
___"Ah, trouble with the misses eh?" He paused, then grinned a bit deviously. "... or mister?" He shifted his weight, unraveling his tail from one haunch and now wrapping it around the opposite.

((Baad post. I lose at foxes, for serious.))

[Dalibor]

((Dalibor is a bisexual who in the past was mates with a female fox who later disappeared for months and got a new mate. Upon discovering this Dalibor took up a new mate, this time a male, but when the female returned again, she was a bit pissed in a psychotic way and killed Dalibor's male mate. Or that's the short, confusing version of it Hope it helps ))

Dalibor did not react to the howls, or at least not outwardly. He noted them the way he would note any other threat; his instincts wouldn't let him ignore them. Sometimes, on particularly bleak days, he wished he could willingly ignore dangers, willingly let a predator get too close. Yet something within him never let it happen; he always ended up away from the threat and alive.

The howls were too far away to be of concern, but then, Urruah at that moment was not within his interest either. Nothing was; he should be more troubled, but instead he stared at his own feet, ears slightly back. Could one disappear if they stood still for long enough?

HIs thoughts were shattered by Urruah's question, and Dalibor stared coldly at him, ears flat and fur bristling. How did he know? And how could he joke and grin over such a thing? Some bitch had gone and killed his mate, someone who was willing to deal with his gloom and mistrust. Then cold reasoning sunk in, and he realized with a start that Urruah could not possibly know. No one knew.

The male had just guessed. Or perhaps someone was acting so miserable that it was painfully obvious. Dalibor growled lowly at himself and lowered his head to stare at his paws once more. He was an expert at being paranoid and overly defensive, but the wound was too sore for him to apologize. At least openly.

"... Both."

The word, spat out like poison, spoke volumes about how much he cared for the subject. And yet he did not turn and run away from the other fox. For deep inside, he wanted nothing more than to scream out the injustices committed to him, all of the wrongs the world had thrown at him. All of the hate he had had to deal with and witness.

"It's a long story. Too damn long."

It was all he could manage to say. Thinking about it for too long brought the entire scenario back upon him, and if he had to think about it, then he had to act on it -- And acting meant either running away or talking about it. At that moment, he couldn't decide whether he hoped Urruah would be interested or change the subject.

He didn't really know whether he wanted a friend or not.