Midnight Drink

[RANGER]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,2,black,true] [atrb=cellspacing,10,true][bg=#949494] OOC :: Out of character. He awoke, but he hadn't quite opened his eyes yet. There was no need to. He was still tired, and he wanted more rest. However, he was dehydrated, and he needed a drink. He might've waited just a little longer, had he not known that there was a water source not too far off. Ranger opened his eyes reluctantly. The darkness from the shade of the bush and the dark of the night was little change from the darkness underneath this eyelids. Climbing out from underneath the bush, he yawned as he stretched out his long limbs. After that, he shook himself, and blinked the sleep away from his eyes. Now, water. The young Irish Wolfhound set off for the watering hole. Or, not really a watering hole, but not much of a puddle either. More like water that was contained in a stone.... well, container, he guessed. There was even some pillar or altar or something in the middle, water tricking down from the top. Although by now, water was probably sleeping, because usually it didn't trickle down from the top at this time of night. When he finally got there, he jumped up onto the ledge, leaned down, and started taking in his fill of water. As usual, it was cold and satisfying. Once he was quenched, he sat up and looked around idly, feeling much better. "chat here"

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She was tired. She knew that from the weariness in her paws and joints, and even the limpness in her usually springy tail. It wasn't necessary to look to know that it had unfurled dismally like an old, wet flag. For a dog who had once taken such pride in presenting herself and being well-groomed, this was a disgrace. I reckon there's coons who look a long sight prettier than me. Ah hell... She shook these distasteful thoughts away and padded onwards through the lush greenery. Well, at least the landscape was beautiful.

As a puppy she had remembered coming to this very park, even though her memory was hazy at best. Frolicking with her kennel mates, galloping across the green lawn on huge, ungainly paws in hopes of catching the bright blue frisbee that whizzed through the air. That had been the life. The simplicity of it all, back when she hadn't had to scrounge for scraps or face the possibility of going hungry for a day, even more at a time. Even now, her tightened belly grumbled miserably but that would have to wait. Food was a necessity but she had gone hungry before. Going thirsty was almost not an option. She had learned by now to drink whenever she came across water.

Well I'll be! That the old fountain?

The first pleasant thing to happen to her today was seeing that fountain rising up from the center of the park, same as it had when she was just a young pup. She broke into a lope, her paws disagreeing mightily with her actions. When she was little, she had had to scramble up the concrete edge to even peer at the water. It had been many moons since she was so tiny now, and it was an easy step up to the where the water pooled, untouched and clean. Quite a change from the puddles she'd found in days past.

Dunno why I don't come here more oft--uh oh.

In her eagerness she had completely forgotten to scent out the place for, oh, danger of some sort. Now she realized a very large dog was perched on the opposite side of the fountain. She could just see him around the statue that rose up from the middle. Not that she herself was small by any stretch of the imagination. Being part Akita and part Malamute gave her height and breadth that not many other dogs possessed, but this male dwarfed her in every sense of the word. Her velvety lopped-over ears perked forward and eyes shone with both interest and the slightest glimmer of apprehension.

Hello there fr--guess I'll hold off on calling you a friend for now. What's your name?

[RANGER]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,2,black,true] [atrb=cellspacing,10,true][bg=#949494] OOC :: Out of character. He could hear the lapping of tongue against water, and the self-musings of a female, but short. Ranger detected her before she even had to call out to him. Turning, he rose to all four of his paws, looking toward the female blankly. She was older, and definitely a large dog. But despite her intimidating size, she seemed quite tame. The Irish Wolfhound contemplated whether he should answer her question or not, but what was the harm in just a name? "Ranger." He replied gruffly. He could've left it at that, and just walked away. He most likely would've too, had he not had the slight feeling of caution. Maybe it was just profiling, but her size put him on edge, and despite the personality that showed on the outside, she might attack him while he was taking his leave. So he just stood there on the ledge of the watering hole, unmoving. If his name was all that she wanted, then she would leave, and he could safely retire to his own sleeping place.

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[ooc: Like your table! :3]

The coarseness in this stranger's voice took her by surprise and she furrowed her brow, showing only the slightest hint of anxiety. It would truly be just her luck to bumble up on a dog with a grudge against canine-kind. However she pushed this thought away and gave a generous sweep of her feathered tail. Ain't nice to make assumptions about folks, Luce. You know that.

Her paws were screaming at her, tired of supporting her after a long day's walk, but she did not yet feel comfortable enough to relax in his presence. So she stood, trying not to lose her balance on the slick edge of the marbled fountain where there wasn't a lot of purchase for paw pads. Ranger, huh? That's nice. I'm Lucy. Some folks call me Lou, I guess it's whichever you prefer. She softened her anxiety-creased face into an expression of friendliness, as was her nature, letting her tail swing in a mild manner. Then she noticed the sleepy expression in his eyes and felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her.

Boy you look like you just done woke up. You stay around here?

[RANGER]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,2,black,true] [atrb=cellspacing,10,true][bg=#949494] OOC :: Thanks! I'm kind of new of BBCode, so I'm happy with how this came out. ^^ Ranger stood still as the female started to speak again, introducing herself as Lucy, or Lou, or something. Why would "some folks" call her "Lou", though? He didn't see the point of simplifying a name that was simple enough already. "Lucy's fine." He said, once again in a gruff voice. He noticed how Lucy stood standing, instead of showing some kind of relaxation or submission. It made him even more wary of her. Why would she want to stay standing? Was she getting ready to attack him once his guard was down? But that wouldn't happen, because Ranger wouldn't let his guard down. Not on this one. However, her face seemed to tell a different story. It seemed more friendly than her actions and size. But the young Irish Wolfhound wasn't gullible. Anyone could put on a friendly face, seem like an ally, then sink their teeth into the flesh of a deceived "friend". Therefore, there was still doubt in his mind about if she was friendly or not. His suspicions grew as she asked if he stayed around here. He narrowed his eyes at her question, and responded with obvious distrust. "What do you mean by 'around here'?"

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{OOC: Are those song lyrics on Ranger’s picture or something you thought up? xD}

Once again her new acquaintance used that gruff, possibly demeaning voice with her and once again it made her ears perk up in surprise, as if her mere presence was offending him. Part of her, the well-mannered part that is, told her to turn tail and leave because the situation could get ugly. She knew nothing about his moods or tell-tale cues that would warn her when the line was crossed; she would have to rely on her own instinct. She wasn’t a fighter. Most of the time she would rather try to make peace than war, but she wasn’t a coward. Ah hell, if this boy wants to be a crab I’ll let him, but I ain’t givin’ ground on account of someone else’s bad manners. She let her face settle back into pleasant neutrality and waved her tail amicably.

I apologize, honey. I mean do you call this park home or are you a vagrant?

Well nobody ever could accuse me of havin’ some bad manners. Golly he’s got a face like he just done ate up a barrel of pickles. Smile, son! Her own internal monologue made her smile, a flickering on her lips that lingered perhaps an instant or two too long to make her look normal. She often had these little monologues going on in her head, as she had nobody in her life to talk to anymore. Because of this, she had somewhat forgotten how to interact and could be one of the most socially awkward canines in existence.

Warily she eyed him, standing opposite of her still with the water falling between them. He had made no move towards her to greet her formally or gather her scent; but in return, she hadn’t budged an inch either. She could feel the tension in the air, the suspicion, and woefully thought of better days when strangers could meet without such a high level of animosity.

[RANGER]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,2,black,true] [atrb=cellspacing,10,true][bg=#949494] OOC :: Sorry for the wait! Got busy for a bit. ^^; Anyway, they're lyrics from songs. The table's lyrics are from "Shake it Out" by Florence + the Machine, and the signature is from "Promises, Promises" by Incubus. =] The female, Lucy, did not show any signs of leaving any time soon. However, it didn't seem as if she would advance upon him either, which made him only slightly more comfortable. But, that didn't mean he would just simply let his guard down. Anyone can be deceiving, lowly, friendly-looking backstabbers. As to her clarification to her question, Ranger grunted. "I travel. But my specific whereabouts are none of your concern." He said defensively. He wasn't lying about the traveling part. However, he did settle down in a certain place every once in a while and stayed there for some time before finding a new place to live. The bush from where he had been sleeping underneath before was his newly found "den" for now. Then he noticed Lucy's attempt to hide that small smile. The Irish Wolfhound's suspicions only grew. Asking for whereabouts, hidden smirks... The telltale signs of a very shady character. "What are you smiling about?" He growled.

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