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Post by [.¥.6.3.R on Jul 20, 2008 16:21:42 GMT -5
"It's a breed trait." Cedar dropped the squirrel at her feet. "Plus, it's a good skill to know if you want to surprise the enemy. The element of surprise is helpful when you aren't that much bigger than a fat-ass cat."
Thora snorted, only half listening. An elk hound like her was a little too much substance to sneak around in stealth.
"I guess you probably just knock 'em over the head a few times." He started at her collar.
"That's not all a fight is, short-stuff." She sniffed at the squirrel and started to remove the fur. "I've fought dogs your size and I've fought dogs three times my size. It's wit and strategy more than anything." She hunched up her shoulders, showing off her yellow studded collar. "You're looking at a pit fighting champ, short-stuff. Ain't never lost a fight. I even killed a human once."
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Post by Violet[♪] on Jul 20, 2008 16:39:14 GMT -5
"You're looking at a pit fighting champ, short-stuff. Ain't never lost a fight. I even killed a human once." said the big Elkhound.
Cedar, naturally was more intrigued than afraid "Shit, man! Really?" his fur shook "Can you teach me?" he asked. Cedar wasn't quite sure how strong a human was, since he'd never actually seen one in person, but he was fairly sure they were a force to be reckoned with. He watched Thora, deep brown eyes full of awe. He wondered how many shibas' she'd beaten.
Suddenly a cave full of bats and oozing blood didn't sound so bad, not if such an object of wonder were in it. Forgetting all about his previous request Cedar made another "Can you tell me about it? How did you kill a human? Aren't they..." he looked for an appropriate word "Strong?".
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Post by [.¥.6.3.R on Jul 20, 2008 17:13:55 GMT -5
"Shit, man! Really?" He sounded more awe-struck than afraid. "Can you teach me? Can you tell me about it? How did you kill a human? Aren't they... strong?"
"Strong? Heh, are you kidding me, short-stuff?" The elk hound laughed. "The only advantage a human has over a dog is its height... and those thumbs. Once you bring them down to your level, it's like fighting a rabbit whelp."
"The one I killed was more of an accident, actually." She was at the meat of the squirrel now. "They way I was brought up, you never touched your handler if you wanted to live to see the sun the next day. I should be dead - but escaped somehow."
She told him the story of her last day at the ring, sparing no detail. If the young pup wasn't going to learn about the harsh rules of life from her, he would learn somewhere else. She started at the beginning of the fight and moved through the stalemate and the way she violently reacted to being pulled off her opponent.
"So I rounded on the person dragging my collar. Once they're off balance, you see, humans are the clumsiest creatures around. Left his throat wide open. I took my shot and while the rest of the humans were squawking about my owner, I escaped out an open door. I'll be damned if that's the last time I ever see a human again." Thora licked the squirrel's blood off her maw.
She remembered his first question. Teach him, huh? Does this city need another killer like me? I've never taught anybody anything before. Maybe it could be fun... "I dunno if I could teach you to kill a human - seeing as there are none around much anymore - but a pup like you can't wander around alone not knowing how to defend yourself. And I owe you for the squirrel, right?"
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Post by Violet[♪] on Jul 20, 2008 17:24:40 GMT -5
Cedar nodded quietly along to her story. He was silent for a moment, "That's rough, man." he muttered, shaking his head. He didn't let her troubling words get to him for long, and was brightened increasingly by Thora's offer. "Definitely, after what I did to get it especially." his voice regained all cocky pride and he sprung to his feet, excitement coursing through his veins, leaving him unable to sit still. "Can we go to your land? To the Cracked? Can we..." words were spilling out of his thin muzzle faster than he seemed capable of thinking them (the words were probably only in his head after they came out of his mouth).
"Where is it? Is it really far? How fast can we get there?" Cedar stopped very suddenly and grew silent, realizing Thora could change her mind at any moment. His features took on a rather awkward expression "Uh, thanks?" he forced out, trying to express his gratitude.
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Post by [.¥.6.3.R on Jul 20, 2008 18:58:20 GMT -5
"Definitely, after what I did to get it especially." His voice regained a cocky air and he sprung to his feet, "Can we go to your land? To the Cracked? Can we...? Where is it? Is it really far? How fast can we get there?"
The words spilled out of the pup's mouth faster that he appeared to be thinking them. He stopped suddenly and put on a rather awkward expression. "Uh, thanks?" It sounded forced. Thora cocked a brow and smiled.
"Yes. Yes. Yes. It's over that way." She gestured vaguely with her ears. "Not far, I walked from there to here, didn't I? It'll take us only a heartbeat if you can keep up a good trot."
The elk hound rose and gave her pelt a shake. The shiny spikes on her collar threw the light about. She stretched her toes and started to pad off in the direction of her homestead. As she reached the concrete again, Thora broke into a steady trot - to keep her pads from burning on the cooking stone.---~--- Thora stopped in the shade of a half-crumbled building. Her paw relished the cool ground. Summer was the worst season to live in the Cracked. The relentless sun baked the pavement, making it scorching hot to the touch. It was nice, however, when the sun fell to sleep with the concrete keeping you warm. She looked over her shoulder to make sure the little shiba inu was keeping up. She turned to face him and motioned to the background with her muzzle.
"Home, sweet home."
Sweet? Far from it. The landscape was a mess of destroyed buildings, rubble, and other sorts of debris. The concrete jungle was devoid of other life accept a few weeds, and even their existence was pitiful. But the female elk hound liked it here. The rough personality of the land matched her own. She waited for a reaction from the pup.
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Post by Violet[♪] on Jul 20, 2008 19:20:04 GMT -5
"Home sweet home."
Cedar nodded, not really paying attention. He was looking around, systematically taking in his surrounding. He found it immensely cool. The skeletal remains of the city captured Cedar's interest, along with his imagination. He wondered if bas roosted among the rusty beams.
After a moment of regarding the crumbling buildings and imagining Thora commanding an army of bats he turned back to the dame and grinned "It's great." he said, resisting the urge run off and frolic merrily in the ruins. His eyes took on a deep intensity "So what now?" he asked, voice skipping and wavering with suppressed joy. The concrete jungle was so very tempting, and Cedar felt as though each leg had been grabbed by a malevolent hand and was being yanked, each in a different direction.
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Post by [.¥.6.3.R on Jul 21, 2008 18:35:04 GMT -5
"It's great." The little dog grinned. "So what now?"
Good question. It had become rather awkward now, leading a strange dog onto her land. Well, what would you do normally? Ask it's business, and if it's business was peaceful?... Um... The elk hound shifted her weight from one paw to the other. "Well," she started awkwardly. "I'd let you look around I suppose. Not that there's much to see around here... Just don't kill yourself, I don't want to deal with a corpse."
Thora padded out from the shade of the building into the shadow of a precarious overhang. She settled down on the rain-worn concrete and began to groom. She had her back turned to the shiba inu, and presenting a perfect opening to any body who might decide the female was as much a part of the concrete jungle gym as anything.
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Post by Violet[♪] on Aug 10, 2008 20:49:34 GMT -5
"Look around." That was all Cedar heard. He shot off like a bat out of hell and began sniffing around madly. It was fairly barren, some of the strongest scents were Thora's boundary markers. He slowed down after a bit, taking in the territory more carefully. The little dog found himself on the roof of a building, staring out at the limitless expanse of the world. Out of the corner of his dark eye he noticed something. Another building. And it was parallel to this one as well. With a dumb grin he began to accelerate blindly towards the edge. At the last moment his claws scraped up a bit of concrete as he propelled himself into the air. The wind whistled as he sliced through it, seemingly in slow motion. All at once time sped up and he had landed perfectly on his feet atop the next building over. Standing there proudly the shiba howled in victory. With a yowl to express his ecstasy he began to jump to other buildings. Cedar's feet hit the ground so little he felt as if he were flying.
What a rush, Cedar's adrenalin pounded through his veins as he raced down the street. Dodging invisible enemies and out running greyhounds. He passed Thora several times as the little dog did laps around the block. After some time his pace began to slow. He was in a part of the territory he had not yet visited. He stretched, his shoulders cracked and he yawned happily. He killed a rat and ate it, as a gnawing hunger had appeared in the pit of his stomach. With another stretch he headed back for Thora.
She was in the same place as he had left her. Tail-a-waggin' he trotted up to her and put his front paws on her back. He bent forward and put his nose close to hers. "Done!" he exclaimed, muscles twitching for more to do. "What do you want to do now?"
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Post by [.¥.6.3.R on Aug 12, 2008 11:24:43 GMT -5
The little shiba shot out across her territory, digging himself into nooks and crannies. Thora didn't pay him much attention. The elk hound began to doze under the shade of her concrete, twitching every so often in dream.
"Done!" A loud bark woke her with a start. "What do you want to do now?"
Cedar propped himself up with his paws on her back, wagging his curled tail across his back. Thora cursed the pup under her breath and kicked him off. The female rose, stretched, and shook her pelt out.
"I wouldn't do that either if you wanted to live to see the next day, short-stuff." She told the little dog. "'What do I want to do now?' You came to learn how to defend yourself, right? I could start teaching you that."
She padded a couple paces from him and turned back around. "I want you to attack me. If you hurt me, I'll stop calling you short-stuff."
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Post by Violet[♪] on Aug 12, 2008 13:48:21 GMT -5
"If you hurt me, I'll stop calling you short-stuff." She was several paces away. Cedar took a deep breath, trying to focus. Excitement usually made him jittery. "Well, um, please don't kill me if I do manage to hurt you," he was much more confident than he sounded. He just got a little quaver in his voice when he became uncontrollably excited. He looked at her carefully. Not the neck, that was covered with sharp spikes (that would stab him like a thousand knives xD). If she managed to bat at him with her paws the wrist area was also dangerous. His little eyes darted around and finally he settled on a place to attack.
Cedar darted forward, then veered left sharply and zig-zagged in front of Thora. He jumped onto her from the front, feet scrabbling on her forhead to keep from falling. "Aha!" he shouted, now on top of her back. His eyes widened as the little shiba realized something. He was falling.
With a little yelp of surprise he latched onto the skin near her shoulder blades, he inevitably slid off anyways. "I havth good newth," he said through a mouthful of Thora pelt "You are noths fthat!
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Post by [.¥.6.3.R on Aug 18, 2008 21:17:50 GMT -5
"Well, um, please don't kill me if I do manage to hurt you." Cedar sounded confident at least. Thora resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his threat.
The little male studied her from a distance. Normally she would have as well - planning a best route of attack and keeping an eye out for weaknesses - but that was when it was undecided who would spring first. The black dog darted forward. Thora settled into a crouch, keeping her weight over her hips. He swerved to the left, and she compensated almost on instinct alone. It wasn't that uncommon of a move in the rink. But instead of leaping for her shoulder or neck, Cedar sprang for her face. Though the female reared back, he still managed to scrabble over her forehead and onto her back. Well that was weird. I don't think I've ever had a dog attack my face.
The elkhound felt teeth on her shoulder. She craned her neck to see Cedar clinging to her fur. "I havth good newth: you are noths fthat!" He mumbled.
She picked the shiba off her by his scruff and roughly flung him onto the pavement in front of her. She straightened her pelt with a shake and stared down her black nose. "Is that all you got, short-stuff?" The elkhound barked with an arrogant smirk.
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Post by Violet[♪] on Aug 18, 2008 22:33:46 GMT -5
"Is that all you got, short-stuff?" Cedar looked crestfallen. Not even a violent scratching to the face had hurt her? He supposed her face had been scratched before along the course of her career. With a throaty growl he stepped back, re assessing the situation. Her face was still vulnerable, but another attack there wouldn't be as surprising. Aha, an idea. He bounced back another few paces and then charged forward, slamming his forehead into Thora's ribcage. There was a satisfying thud as his skull connected with the muscles on her side. Hoping to have unsettled her, Cedar darted off.
He moved as fast as his sturdy legs could carry him. He looped around a building and then looped back again, hoping that if she had managed to watch him run off he could lose her gaze by doing so. He skidded to a halt behind a building and peered through the crumbling plaster. He could see her from where he stood now, and began deciding what he would do in each situation he could think of.
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